Mobile phones have helped bridge the digital divide in Africa by providing access to students who otherwise have poor conditions for accessing technology. A project at the University of Cape Town developed an anonymous SMS tool called DFAQ to empower marginalized voices and allow students to share knowledge anywhere through their ubiquitous cell phones. DFAQ works by assigning forum codes to topics that users prefix to SMS messages to contribute answers, comments, or questions anonymously. It has been used for a variety of educational purposes including exam preparation, collaborative work, and student counseling.

1. Mobile Learning in Africa: a case of anonymous SMS Dick Ng’ambi University of Cape Town Keynote presented at Mobilefest, Rio de Janeiro 26th May, 2010 1

2. Africa & South Africa 2

3. Cape Town, South Africa 3

4. University of Cape Town 4

6. 70 % personally own a cell phone5

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8. Source: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/ict/index.html 7

9. Source: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/ict/index.html 8

10. Source: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/ict/index.html 9

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15. Project goals To empower ‘silenced’ , ‘dominated’ & ‘marginalised’ voices to become co-producers of knowledge To leverage institutional resources (i.e. computer laboratories) through use of devices already in student hands with which students carry all the time To widen students’ access to peers based on the content of contribution and not on who they are To create a learning evaluation tool that ensures quick identification of students’ learning challenges 14

16. An anonymous knowledge sharing tool called Dynamic Frequently Asked Questions (DFAQ) was designed and developed (by presenter) at the Centre for Educational Technology (CET) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Some DFAQ features (see later) are being integrated into SAKAI Learning Management System at UCT. 15

17. Anonymity 16

18. Text as expression of thought 17

19. Technology Mediated Expression 18

20. 19 Transformation of mind

21. How DFAQ works Messages are sent to a short code [+27 XXXX] Each DFAQ forum is assigned a code (such as Puc2010). Prefix a message with a forum code. Puc2010 Where is mobilefest 2010 being held? A successful posting is assigned a unique number, for example 14 User can either answer or comment on a posting or add their ‘voice’ to it. To answer SMS: Puc2010-14 Rio de janeiro To add to an existing posting: Puc2010-14 + How many times has it been held in that city? 20

22. To check on latest answer or comment to a post, send: Send message: Puc2010-14 To read from a forum noticeboard for latest news: Send message: Puc2010 To post a message on the noticeboard from authorised mobile numbers: Send message: Puc2010-news Don’t miss Mobilefest at PUC this week 21

23. Other features of DFAQ Any previously posted message can be added to and extended by anyone Users have access to both the web interface (when on campus) and a mobile interface (when away from campus) All messages in DFAQ can be forwarded to a mobile phone DFAQ has been used to address different educational challenges (see below) 22

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29. Uses enabled by DFAQ 28

30. Scaffolding critical reading 29

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32. SMS for exam prep 31

33. Virtual noticeboard 32

34. Open consultation 33

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36. Student counseling 35

37. Collaborative memos 36

38. Decision making 37

39. Collective questioning 38 Aggregation of ideas – mediated my anonymous SMS

40. Some free SMS 39

41. “The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything” Edward John Phelps (1822-1900) Speech at Mansion House on 24 Jan 1899. 40

42. Thank you Contact: Dick Ng’ambi Centre for Educational Technology University of Cape Town South Africa Email: dick.ngambi@uct.ac.za 41