College of Science, Engineering & Technology

I-SET robotics in Sepedi…and Xitsonga coming soon

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Inspired towards Science, Engineering and Technology (I-SET) is a community engagement flagship project of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) at Unisa.

The I-SET team, under the leadership of Dr Patricia Gouws, in collaboration with Dr Napjadi Letsoalo, lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages in the College of Human Sciences, is excited to commemorate South Africa Heritage Day 2020 by presenting an Introduction to Robotics in Sepedi! And the Xitsonga translation is near completion.

Spreading this exciting news, Letsoalo was interviewed on 21 September 2020 on Ditlalemeso, a morning programme on Thobela FM. The interview focused on the use of language to preserve culture and heritage. His interview revolved around the I-SET Robotics project and the initiative for robotics to be taught in Sepedi. According to Letsoalo, the feedback was vast, as people did not expect that indigenous languages can be used in science, engineering and technology, and most people seem to be excited and cannot wait for the initiative to be implemented.

The current focus is the presentation of I-SET Robotics Introduction in all eleven national languages. The long-term goal of the project is to translate all I-SET Robotics MOOC presentations into all eleven national languages. This will support the teaching and learning of robotics in all South African schools by 2021. It is envisaged that this will promote the inspiration and excitement of robotics and science by getting the learners more involved in the FUNdamentals of robotics in their home language.

Please watch the space for an invitation to the following:

  • I-SET Robotics - An introduction to Robotics in Sepedi as narrated by Dr Napjadi Letsoalo and Kabelo Pheeha, I-SET Engagement Officer
  • I-SET Robotics - An introduction to Robotics in Xitsonga as narrated by Delvah Mathevula, lecturer in the Department of African Languages (Xitsonga), and Andzani Sibiya, I-SET Communications Administrator

This is an exciting journey for the I-SET project. We are all looking forward to greater collaboration and inspiration in Science, Engineering and Technology.

For more info on I-SET visit our Facebook and Twitter pages.

* By Andzani Sibiya, I-SET Communication Administrator, and Patricia Gouws, I-SET Project Leader

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Publish date: 2020-09-23 00:00:00.0

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