PurpleZA's LaunchPad: Gamified Training for Educators in Africa

PurpleZA, a leader in educator professional development, is preparing for the rollout of an innovative gamified platform aimed at empowering individual teachers to seize control of their professional growth and obtain Google certifications.

The upcoming platform is tailored to ambitious educators, fostering self-directed learning and offering pathways to enhance teaching and learning through technology.

As a recognized Digicloud education partner and a distinguished Google for Education Innovator Project, PurpleZA stands out among African organizations honored with the Google Cloud Specialization in Education Services.

With a commitment to merging educational technology with pedagogy, the organization facilitates the evolution of teaching and learning.

Noteworthy for their interactive nature, PurpleZA's courses incorporate gamification elements like celebratory confetti, badges, and rewards, motivating participants as they progress through various training stages.

Irene Basson, Director at PurpleZA, highlights the efficacy of meaningful, targeted, and applicable training, available to teachers at their convenience.

Workshops, webinars, and online courses offered by PurpleZA not only provide flexibility but also furnish practical examples and editable resources for immediate use.

Basson remarks, "Because the training is gamified, they report that they become ‘a little addicted to the confetti’ that appears on-screen when they get points."

Directors at PurpleZA emphasize the enthusiastic response from educators who willingly participate in professional development sessions during weekends and early mornings to refine their skills and garner fresh insights for effective teaching.

Launching later this month, the new platform, dubbed LaunchPad, will extend access to individual teachers, offering a comprehensive array of PurpleZA courses, including training on Google Workspace for Education, Chrome, Google Classroom, and Google certification courses.

Lindsay Wesner, another Director at PurpleZA, stresses the importance of personalized and differentiated learning.

The LaunchPad platform aims to meet the rising demand from educators seeking independent training opportunities, particularly if their schools do not subscribe to PurpleZA services.

PurpleZA has played a pivotal role in spearheading transformative change in teaching and learning, having trained over 12,500 educators in both physical and virtual settings.

The gamified professional development platform has witnessed teachers completing over 58,000 learning units and 11,500 Google-specific courses.

Notably, PurpleZA has assisted 260 educators in attaining Level 1 Google Certified Educator status, 106 in Level 2, and five in becoming Google Certified Trainers.

Source: Smart Megwai / Innovation Village