Extending education and social benefits through 'hub schools'
Ronald Noel Beyers · Progressio South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice · 2010
The Meraka Institute is involved in researching and developing a number of affordable and sustainable solutions designed to meet the social and economic needs of communities. The realisation of the 'hub school' concept relies heavily on the use of many of these innovative solutions to layer additional value-added educational and social services on top of an information communication infrastructure, to deliver a broader service to rural communities. The educational value of interconnecting schools can enable virtual interactive classrooms with access to shared resources, such as teachers and other digital content, other schools, and teachers and learners' homes, to create connected learning communities. The presence of digital doorways, using a minimally invasive approach and other technologies, can provide a platform for applying the concept of a living laboratory for research to unravel the inherent potential of communities.