Ukuba isikolo sakho samabanga aphantsi sizimisele ukufundisa ikharityhulam esemthethweni yeKhowudi neRhobhothiki kusetyenziswa iimayikhrokhontrola (microcontrollers) zokoqobo ezifana ne-BBC micro:bit, qalani nge-Microsoft MakeCode. Ukuba igumbi lenu leekhompyutha alinabahlelo lwemali lwezixhobo zokoqobo (hardware), linonxibelelwano lwe-USB olungathembekanga, okanye ligxile kuphela kubalisa amabali emultimedia noopopayi, qalani nge-Scratch.

Kwizikolo ezininzi zamabanga aphantsi eMzantsi Afrika ezilungelelanisa amagumbi eekhompyutha ekwabelwana ngawo, amaxesha axineneyo ezifundo, kunye neemfuno ezingqalileyo zeNkcazo yoMgaqo-nkqubo weKharityhulam noVavanyo (CAPS) yeSebe leMfundo EsiSiseko, i-MakeCode lolona khetho lusebenzisekayo nolufezekayo lokuqala. Ifundisa iingcamango eziqhelekileyo zokudwelisa iinkqubo kusetyenziswa iibhloko (block-based programming) ngokulinganisa kwiscreen, ngelixa isusa ubunzima bokudlulela kwizixhobo zombane zokoqobo kamva.

Ukwahlukana Okungundoqo Kwezendlela Zokufundisa: Ii-Sprites vs Iziganeko kunye nee-Pins

I-Scratch, eyaphuhliswa yi-MIT Media Lab, yakhelwe kumajelo ezibalo neekhompyutha. Indlela yayo engundoqo yokucinga ifana neyeqonga lemidlalo yeqonga: iqonga (stage), izilungelelanisi zendawo ($x$ no-$y$), imifanekiso yangasemva (backdrops), kunye nee-sprites ezinxibelelana ngokuthumela imiyalezo. Abafundi baqonda iilophu (loops) kunye neemeko ezichazayo (conditionals) ngokwenza ikati ihambe enqumla kwisikrini, ibuye xa ichukumisa unqamezo, okanye ithi ‘Molo!’ kwibhaloni yentetho.

Le ndlela yokucinga isebenza ngokugqwesileyo kulwazi lweedijithali kunye nokusebenzisa iikhompyutha ngobuchule bokuyila. Noxolo, ayibonakalisi indlela ezisebenza ngayo iinkqubo ezakhelwe ngaphakathi (embedded systems) okanye irhobhothiki. Kwi-Scratch, ‘intshukumo’ ithetha ukuhambisa iiphikseli kwindlela yezilungelelanisi zika-Cartesian kwiscreen.

I-Microsoft MakeCode—ingakumbi leyo ijolise kwi-micro:bit—ilungiselela ikhowudi ijolise kwiziseko zezixhobo zokoqobo ukususela kusuku lokuqala:

• Indlela yokusebenza: Ikhowudi isebenza ngaphakathi kwiibhloko ezicacileyo ezifana no-on start kunye no-forever, ezihambelana nesakhiwo esiqhelekileyo sokuseta-kunye-nelophu (setup-and-loop) seemayikhrokhontrola.
• Ukuqwalaselwa kweegalelo neziphumo (Input/Output): Endaweni yokucofa i-sprite yopopayi kwiscreen, abafundi bavula ikhowudi ngeegalelo zokoqobo: ukucofa amaqhosha, ukuthoba okanye ukujika isixhobo, izalathisi zekhampasi, iziphumo zezivamvo zokukhanya (light sensors), okanye imiqondiso yombane kwiiphini ezingasecaleni (edge pins).
• Imida yesibonisi: Isiphumo asiyomizobo ye-2D engenamida, kodwa yimatrisi yee-LED engu-5×5. Oku kunyanzela abafundi kuselithuba ukuba bacinge ngokumelwa kwedatha, i-arrays ezisisiseko, kunye nemo elula endaweni yokulahleka kukuyila iimpahla zabalinganiswa.

Xa umfundi weBanga lesi-4 echitha imizuzu engamashumi amane ekhetha izandi kwaye ezoba iimpahla zabalinganiswa kwi-Scratch, usenza ubugcisa bedijithali, akenzi zibalo zangaphakathi zekhompyutha. Izithintelo zokubonwayo ze-MakeCode zigcina ixesha lesifundo lijolise ncam kwii-algorithms kunye nesakhiwo esisengqiqweni.

Ukunxulumana Kwenyani ne-CAPS

Ikharityhulam yeKhowudi neRhobhothiki yoMzantsi Afrika yabhengezwa ngokusemthethweni kwigazethi ngoJuni 2024 (Isaziso sikaRhulumente 4946) ukusukela kwiBanga R ukuya kwelesi-9. Nangona ikharityhulam inganyanzelekanga kuzo zonke izikolo kwaye ingeniswa ngokuthe ngcembe apho amandla ekufezekiseni ekhona, indlela yayo yemfundo icacile:

• Isigaba Esisisiseko (Amabanga R–3): Esona sigxina kuko kukucinga ngokwekhompyutha okungasebenzisi zixhobo zombane (unplugged computational thinking), ukufumana ulwalathiso lweendawo, kunye nokulandelelanisa izinto okulula. Izixhobo zedijithali ziphawulwe ngokucacileyo njengezinokukhethwa ukuba zikho.
• Isigaba Esiphakathi (Amabanga 4–6): Kuthathwa ngokuba isixhobo sekhompyutha sikhona. Abafundi kulindeleke ukuba babhale ikhowudi yeebhloko elawula iinkqubo ezizisebenzelayo nefunda iinguqu ezingqongileyo (environmental variables).
• Isigaba EsiPhakamileyo (Amabanga 7–9): Ihlala isebenzisa iibhloko kuphela kwaye ayimiseli lulwimi luthile lusekelwe kumbhalo (i-Python ayinyanzeliswanga kuxwebhu lwe-CAPS olupapashiweyo).

I-MakeCode idibanisa le nqubela phambili ngcono kakhulu kune-Scratch. Kwi-Scratch, ukudibanisa imayikhrokhontrola yokoqobo kufuna izandiso ezingekho sikweni zabantu bangaphandle, isoftwe ye-Scratch Link, okanye unxibelelwano lwe-Bluetooth oludla ngokungaphumeleli kwiilaptops zezikolo ezilawulwayo. Kwi-MakeCode, loo ndawo inye ifanayo iqhuba isifanisi-software (simulator) esisebenzisanayo kwiscreen kwaye ifake ikhowudi ngqo (flashes) kwii-micro:bit zokoqobo kusetyenziswa i-WebUSB ngonqakrazo olunye nje.

Imiqobo Yezixhobo Nempahla Kumagumbi Okufundela oMzantsi Afrika

Izigqibo zesoftwe yegumbi lokufundela azinakuthathwa ngokungathi zikwimeko efanelekileyo yobugcisa engenamingeni. Izikolo zaseMzantsi Afrika zijongene neemeko zokusebenza zokwenyani ezinokonakalisa ngokukhawuleza ukumiselwa kobuchwepheshe obuntsonkothileyo.

Khawufan’ ucinge ngemeko eqhelekileyo yenqwelo ekwabelwana ngayo yeelaptops elungiselela abafundi abangamashumi amane kwisithuba semizuzu engamashumi mane anantlanu. Ukuba izixhobo zokoqobo zifuna ukufakwa kwee-driver, amalungelo omlawuli (admin rights), okanye amakhonkco e-Bluetooth angazinzanga, isiqingatha sesifundo silahlekela ekusombululeni iingxaki ezisisiseko ze-IT. Nge-MakeCode, ukuba izixhobo zokoqobo zitshixiwe, ziphelelwe ngumbane, okanye azikho, iklasi iyaqhubeka isebenzisa isifanisi esakhelwe ngaphakathi ngaphandle kokutshintsha nesinye isicwangciso sesifundo.

Ngaphezu koko, i-MakeCode ivumela abafundi ukuba bajonge ngaphaya kweebhloko babone i-Python okanye i-JavaScript ngonqakrazo olunye. Nangona i-CAPS ingafuni ukudwelisa ngetekisi kumabanga 7 ukuya ku-9, ukuba nalo msele wokudlulela ngaphandle kokutshintsha amaqonga kuthintela abafundi abadala bamabanga aphantsi ekufikeleleni kumda ongaphaya kwamaqhina.

Ixesha Apho i-Scratch Iselolona Khetho Lufanelekileyo

Ukwenza kucace, i-Scratch ayiphelelwanga lixesha. Isengomgangatho ogqwesileyo kwiinjongo ezithile zekharityhulam:

• Ukubalisa amabali okuhlanganisa izifundo: Ukwenza iingxelo zeencwadi ezisebenzisanayo, imibuzo yeemviwo zembali, okanye iingxoxo ezinopopayi kwiiklasi zeelwimi zesiNgesi okanye isiBhulu.
• Oomatshini bemidlalo: Ukufundisa ijometri yezilungelelanisi zendawo, imithetho yenzululwazi yokuhamba kwemidlalo yamaqonga (platformer physics), kunye nokubona ukungqubana kwezinto (hit-box detection).
• Izikolo ezingenazicwangciso zezixhobo zokoqobo: Ukuba isikolo sazi ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba asizukutyala imali kwiimayikhrokhontrola, iikiti zerhobhothiki, okanye izivamvo zombane ukuya kutsho kwiBanga lesi-7, i-Scratch inika indawo ecebe ngakumbi yokubonwayo yobuchule bokuyila isoftwe kuphela.

Ukuba isikolo sakho sifuna ukwazisa ukukowuda njengesixhobo sokuvakalisa iingcinga sokufunda nokubhala kwidijithali kunye nobugcisa nomculo, i-Scratch ayinakugqweselelwa. Kodwa ukuba injongo kukwanelisa ingqiqo yezobugcisa yeKhowudi neRhobhothiki ye-CAPS—ukulungiselela abafundi ukuba baqonde ukunkcenkceshela okuzisebenzelayo, ialamu zokhuselo lwabangeneleli, ukurekhodwa kobushushu, kunye nezakhiwo ezinemoto—i-MakeCode sisiseko esinoluleko ngakumbi.

Indlela Yokulandelelanisa Endululwayo

Endaweni yokuphatha oku njengokhetho lokuba le okanye leya kuphela, izikolo zamabanga aphantsi zinokucwangcisa ukufezekiswa koku ngendlela esengqiqweni ngokwezigaba:

1. IBanga lesi-3 / Ekuqaleni kweBanga lesi-4: Yazisani ingqiqo yeebhloko nge-Scratch. Vumelani abafundi baphonononge ukulandelelana, iilophu, kunye namasebe eemeko ezahlukeneyo ngamabali alula anopopayi. Impendulo ekhawulezileyo ebonakalayo yakha ukuzithemba ngaphandle kokongamela ingqondo ngolwazi oluninzi.
2. Embindini weBanga lesi-4 ukuya kwiBanga lesi-7: Tshintshelani ngokupheleleyo kwi-Microsoft MakeCode. Qalani kwisifanisi se-MakeCode ukufundisa igalelo, isiphumo, iinguqu (variables), kunye neengcango zengqiqo (logic gates). Xa uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali okanye izicwangciso zezifundo zivuma, yazisani iibhodi zokoqobo ze-micro:bit. Abafundi baxhoma ibhodi, bafake ikhowudi yabo ekhoyo ngqo kuyo, kwaye babone kwangoko ingqiqo yabo isebenza kwihlabathi lwenyani.

Kwizikolo ezidizayina ikharityhulam yazo yedijithali yeminyaka emininzi okanye eziphucula izakhono zootitshala abangengobachwepheshe ukuze baqhube ezi meko, i-Sheen Robotics ibonelela ngoqeqesho lootitshala olulungelelanisiweyo kunye nezikhokelo zokufezekisa ngeenkqubo zethu ze-nkonzo zekharityhulam yezikolo kunye nezifundo zootitshala kwi-Sheen Academy.

Ngokuphatha i-MakeCode njengenjini yakho ephambili yelogic yerhobhothiki nezivamvo, uxhobisa abafundi ngeengcamango ezidlulela ngokuthe ngqo ukusuka kwiibhloko ezikwiscreen ukuya kwizixhobo zombane zokoqobo ezisebenza ehlabathini.