Volunteer translation of open textbooks in South Africa

Bridget Nash

bridget@siyavula.com

CommunityCommunity

Technolog

y

Technolog

y

Openness

Openness

Siyavula - “we are opening”

Siyavula is a social enterprise built on community, openness and

technology, working to make high quality educational resources

available to every learner and teacher in South Africa.

South Africa

South Africa has 11 official languages Grade R-3: mother tongue instruction Grade 4+ : instruction in English and Afrikaans

80% instruction in English 20% in Afrikaans

Image licence: CC-BY-SA

What we have done

Open processes

Open copyright licences

Open standards

Opensource software

Free (and where possible, open) everything...

Open Licences

Technology enables and enriches

http://everythingmaths.co.za/http://everythingscience.co.za/

500,000 visitors p.m.VideosSimulationsIntelligent Practice

http://www.thunderboltkids.co.za/

ePubsComicsVideosSimulations

Textbook delivery

DBE have printed and distributed around 23 million of our textbooks, 16 million of which are our Gr 4-6

NS&T workbooks

CommunityCommunity

Technolog

y

Technolog

yO

penness

Openness

Community - Volunteers

Community - Management

Annotate and Google Docs

Community

Anything we produce with, for, or by the community,we release freely and openly

Provide a space for people to give back meaningfully to education in South Africa

Volunteers: Postgrad students:

Honours, Masters, PhD Lecturers and senior lecturers Educators People in industry

Community

Volunteering is a personal experience

Always be:Friendly

RespectfulAppreciative

UnderstandingEnthusiastic

Community - Recruitment

Community - Translation

Work with volunteers whenever possible 2012: 54 volunteer translators 2013: 31 volunteer translators 22 textbooks and teachers' guides translated, assisted by volunteers

Community - Translation

Resource info pack

Deadline

Community – Translation Events

Community - Translation

Community - Recognition

Community – Translation Learnings

Be like a Boy Scout – Be Prepared!

Work with translating volunteers that have strong subject knowledge

Friendly check ins

Pros Translation can go quickly Community building – word spreads Good quality work Cost saving (about 20% saving per title)

Cons Can be slow Translation quality differs across chapters and even in one chapter Uncertainty about quality of work (it all depends on who you work with)

Community

? How to ensure we receive consistently good translation work from volunteers?

Training?

Maybe not split chapters?

Try different approaches?

Discuss their translations with each other

Swap work and give feedback

Volunteers use review function on Transifex

What I'm still figuring out...

Siyavula Slate of Open Titles

catalogue of the 50 most crucial textbooks needed for school level STEM performance

engage with education authorities in South Africa for

official review and endorsement at the national level

textbooks distributed widely - some of the most

accessible educational resources in the country

3 year implementation

Looking for sponsors and partnerships

Where to from here?

Bridget Nash

bridget@siyavula.com

www.siyavula.com@Siyavula facebook.com/siyavula