Multimedia technologies are slowly finding their way in the classroom the world over. They are seen as effective and efficient tools to promote teaching and learning mediums.

 Dr Stefan Brandle, visiting US Fulbright Scholar at the University of Mauritius, feels it is vital to adapt the technologies and educational materials to the Mauritian context and use the techniques to upgrade the students' learning experiences.

 “Multimedia technologies offer innovative opportunities to  students and teachers in the learning field. However, the Achilles' heal of many educational systems, and Mauritius is no exception, is its ineffectiveness to monitor and evaluate progress in learning. When taking a closer look at the local classroom experience, we realise that each teacher has to teach 30 to 40 kids at the same time, making it practically impossible for him to ensure that each student has effectively assimilated and mastered the subjects.”

As a solution to this situation, tutoring classes have been identified as viable supplements and this is where computers have shown their resourcefulness as 21st century tutors. “Many programmes either explain educational material or make the user practise exercises providing feedback and tips for better performance, once the exercises are completed. The feedback is a very important element to evaluate the progress of the learner. In fact, many of these programmes are fairly sophisticated and enable the tracking of performances and provide hints,” he says.

Dr Brandle adds that in the educational process there is a need to shift the focus from teaching to learning. “Not that teaching is not important but learning is finally what counts the most.”

There are some multimedia tools that can make a very big difference in how our children learn. None of them are free, but Mauritius needs to explore these innovative avenues and see what it can adapt to the local context. 

The Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), for instance, could test some new learning processes on a pilot basis. Financial, time and human resource constraints are some of the hurdles that the country will have to face but experimenting new learning and teaching methods will only provide better insight into what methods really work locally. Once the concepts will prove to be effective then they may later be spread nationwide.

Dr Brandle says  buying computers for schools will not solve the problem of educational attainment. It's the ability to use them to effectively make a difference in the learning of the students that will be useful.
Another concept he proposes is use of the maximum of human resource possible to help in classrooms. “Using voluntary parents or even retired people in the classroom to help children learn is another possibility. In the US such a system has been tested and proved effective. Of course administration must make sure that the people chosen will not disrupt the teacher's lesson, but this is another possibility to help children get the right feedback on their learning,” Dr Brandle says.