Contextualized Learning Solutions (CLS)
Contextualized Learning Solutions (CLS) is a Non-Profit Company founded in 2021 with the purpose to support the educational sector in Southern Africa in developing 21st century skills amongst teachers and learners. While CLS is operating as a completely independent company it has strong links to Contextualize PTY Ltd. CLS was started as a sister company to Contextualize PTY Ltd as there was a need to separate the profit making side of the business from the non-profit educational projects implemented for public benefit.
Currently our main focus at CLS is to support teachers and learners in implementing coding, robotics and AI into South African Schools. In collaboration with Code School Finland we are able to offer implementation of a world leading curriculum of coding and robotics to South African Schools.
Background information
The Department of Basic Education is moving ahead with the introduction of coding and robotics at South African schools with pilots for grades R-3 and 7 currently in progress. Together with Code School Finland we have already successfully piloted their coding curriculum in four schools in Western and Eastern Cape area with positive feedback from teachers, principals and students.
Teachease
In collaboration with Code School Finland we are able to offer the rewarded Teachease program. Teachease is a turnkey solution for schools to expand teaching digital skills, coding, robotics and AI. Teachease is an annual subscription service for schools that equips and empowers schools to teach digital skills. It includes teacher training, teaching materials, and ongoing support of an expert team. Teachease subscription fee depends on the selected plan and the size of your school. Teachers do not need to have prior experience in coding. Teachease was selected as one of the 100 most impactful innovations that are changing the face of education in a post-COVID world by HundrED Global Collection 2023.
Coding Packages for Primary Schools
Standard Teachease Primary School Package
21st Century Coding Pedagogy:
Compulsory foundational module for all other modules
Code & Create – 24 lessons (grades 3-4)
Create interactive stories and design games using Scratch
Automate – 24 lessons (grades 4-5)
Design and build sensor-activated and intelligent robots
Computate – 24 lessons (grades 5-6)
Diving into the world of technology, media literacy and security through media projects
Develop & Test – 24 lessons (grades 6-7)
Create your own learning game through an iterative design process.
Foundational modules offered
Everyday CT – 24 lessons (grades R-2)
Implementing logical and computational thinking in everyday activities
My AI robot – 24 lessons (grades R-2)
Playful introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Play & Learn – 24 lessons (grades 1-2)
Introduction to computational thinking through play and coding with tablets.
Modules
21st Century Coding Pedagogy
Key pedagogical principles for maximising student learning and engagement through collaboration and creativity.
COURSE TOPICS
1) Building up meaningful and collaborative learning through pedagogical design.
2) Adopting an effective and learner-friendly teacher’s role.
3) Supporting learning and reflection through innovative assessment of coding skills.
Play & Learn
An active course for beginner programmers. It is an introductory course into Computational Thinking (CT) – a set of problemsolving methods and processes involved with programming. The course is partly unplugged and involves physical play and games to practice key concepts and develop the young mind. Children learn to use a visual programming environment and use basic elements of programming while working on interactive stories.
Code and Create
An active course for beginner programmers. Students learn key concepts in programming
such as objects, loops and conditional statements and how to make programs live with sounds and animations. The course introduces students to world’s most used visual programming environment with plenty of hands-on practice for creation of interactive stories. Finally, students design and implement their own quest game with score calculation and an enemy.
Automate
An introductory course for beginner programmers about robotics. Students learn basic concepts in automation and study components of embedded systems such as sensors, processors and actuators. Students design and build sensor-activated access control alarms, combine mechanics with programming and program intelligent robots. Final project is a joint implementation of an security system for an interactive treasure hunt game.