Is Virtual Reality becoming a popular educational tool in
Africa?
There is serious potential for virtual
reality development in Africa. This is the conclusion Dave
Lockwood, MD of the Naledi3d Factory came to during a visit to
Ethiopia in December 2002 to collect material for a virtual
reality HIV/AIDS awareness project. The Naledi3d factory is a
tenant company in The Innovation Hub's business incubator.
While working in Addis Ababa, Lockwood also
visited Lalibela - which was historically a regional capital
in the north of Ethiopia and also a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Nine hundred years ago, King Lalibela commissioned
eleven medieval monolithic cave churches - which were carved
from the bed-rock. The churches took 27 years to "build" and
some estimates are that it took up to 15 000 people to
complete the task. Together with UNESCO and the EU, Lockwood
and his team will soon be completing a pilot virtual reality
model of Bet St George's, one of the larger churches, which
the education authorities plan to use in schools in other
areas of Ethiopia.
 |
| The Uganda Virtual Reality Committee
representing local
stakeholders. |
VR gaining ground in Uganda
Naledi3d staff have also recently returned
from Uganda where they were conducting surveys in support of a
UNESCO project to promote virtual reality as an educational
tool. Uganda is fast becoming the African champion in the
application of virtual reality in schools, which is being
driven by UNESCO, together with the Department of Education,
SchoolNet, two Kampala Universities as well as a number of
local secondary schools.
Surveys were undertaken at four Ugandan
schools and two multipurpose centres to identify what learners
thought of virtual reality as a learning tool. "We expected 50
or 60 responses, but were overwhelmed by the level of
interest, and came back with over 250 respondents. This alone
shows the level of interest, both amongst learners, as well as
educators, for this type of learning - especially coming from
a "developing" country with few educational resources.
 |
| Tebogo Pelo of the Naledi3d Factory promoting
virtual reality as an educational tool to pupils from
Ndejje School in
Uganda. |
The Naledi3d Factory also trained two
Ugandans in the development of interactive VR content, with
one more planning to come down to SA this year. The aim is to
transfer skills, in order to empower Ugandans to be able to
develop material relevant to their own needs. The Naledi3d
Factory also intends that in the future, as other countries
become involved, to facilitate a process to make developed
material available to other countries throughout the
continent.
Contact
Mr Dave Lockwood
Tel: [012] 844 1010
Fax: 012 844 0038
Cell: +27 82 894 3178
E-mail: dlockwood@naledi3d.com
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