Education

This research paper explores how technology, specifically augmented reality (AR) and offline applications, can be used to improve education outcomes in Africa, provided that infrastructure gaps in electricity and broadband access are addressed.

• Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to transform teaching by replacing traditional whiteboards with immersive apps and gameplay, allowing students in isolated rural areas to engage in practical exercises such as virtual animal dissection for biology or tracking blood flow for medical and nursing training.
• Technology can address basic literacy in regions with limited broadband through offline smartphone applications. For example, the Daariz app, developed by Ismail Ahmed and the Sahamiye Foundation, has taught over 410,000 people in the Horn of Africa to read and write, claiming to reduce the time required to become functionally literate in a mother tongue from 450 hours to 50 hours.
• The ability for Africa to 'leapfrog' in education and move from brick-and-mortar campuses to virtual campuses is contingent upon the availability of electricity and broadband access. Current 'point learning' via the Internet already allows individuals to acquire technical skills, such as smartphone repair, without formal accreditation.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limitations of distance learning in Africa due to limited broadband Internet access, causing students to lose significant education during 2020 and 2021.

APA

Aikins, E. R., & Cilliers, J. (2026). Education. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=11-using-technology-to-improve-education-outcomes

Chicago

Aikins, Enoch Randy, and Jakkie Cilliers. Education. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=11-using-technology-to-improve-education-outcomes.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aikins |first1=Enoch Randy |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=Education |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=21 April 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=11-using-technology-to-improve-education-outcomes |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aikins2026education, author = {Aikins, Enoch Randy and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Education}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=11-using-technology-to-improve-education-outcomes}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }