Ancient Wisdom, Modern Tools: Mapping Southern Ndebele Tribe’s Stories
In the middle of Mpumalanga, in the beautiful South African countryside, an amazing partnership is taking shape. Along with the endless energy of Rotary, the academic rigor of the University of Missouri (Mizzou), the selfless spirit of the US Peace Corps, and the timeless wisdom of the Southern Ndebele people, this project brings everything together […]
Evaluating Translanguaging in Gaming: Trends, Challenges, and Research Insights
The 10th Annual International Hub for Multilingual Education and Literacies (HuMEL) Conference was held at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, on September 15-16, 2023. There were many different types of instructors, academics, intellectuals, and even young business owners at this annual event. The conference highlighted the successes in language acquisition and literacy, but it […]
Virtual Reality Odyssey: 5 Weeks in and Counting
I’ve started on an exciting adventure into the fascinating realms of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) in my continuing VR course. We are now halfway through the course, so I’d like to provide some reflections on what we’ve covered so far. The Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Spectrum, Part 1The […]
Charting New Horizons: A Dive into GIS 1 and the Synergy of Virtual Reality in Instructional Design
The upcoming fall term instills in me a sense of expectation that goes beyond simple delight as the autumnal colors start to paint the world’s canvas. It signals the beginning of a remarkable academic journey that will seamlessly combine two fascinating fields: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and the alluring world of Virtual Reality (VR)-enabled Instructional […]
Gaming for Multilingualism: Uniting with Grendel Games and African Initiatives in Language Preservation
The video game business is becoming a potent platform for preserving and advancing linguistic variety in a society where language and culture constitute the foundation of our identities. A growing movement of cooperation aims to promote cultural heritage and conserve indigenous languages as the internet sphere continues to unite people and bridge boundaries. Disney made […]
Mastering the Game: A Summertime Quest to Improve Gaming Skills
In this blog, I’ll be discussing the thrilling experience of my summer graduate game design coursework. I’ve had the chance to go deeply into the mechanics and learning objectives of my game design document while enrolled in the School of Information Science and Learning Technologies program at the University of Missouri Columbia and working with […]
Preserving Ndebele Art and Culture: Unveiling the Legacy with Esther Mahlangu in a Race Against Time
We are excited to have you join us on this blog as we work to preserve the Ndebele people’s vibrant artistic and cultural heritage. Our goal in creating this digital map three years ago was to provide a fun and engaging approach for young people in South Africa to learn about and appreciate their indigenous […]
Unlocking the Power of Collaboration Among Community Partners, NGOs, Universities, Psychology and Mental Health Professionals: A Comprehensive Project on Mental Health
Mental health and psychology professionals are increasingly working with community partners, NGOs, and universities to explore the power of collaboration to improve access to and the quality of mental health and psychology care. Collaboration is a powerful tool in the pursuit of improved mental health care. By coming together, we can create innovative solutions that […]
Harnessing the Power of Wakanda: Empowering Rural Students with Sepedi Linguistics, Game Design and Research for Meaningful Impact!
Our recent trip to Johannesburg’s Wits University was educational and inspiring. Dawn, Dr. Leketi’s capable personal assistant, made sure our visit was fruitful even if our scheduled appointment with the professor did not happen. Our major aim was to investigate the significance of the evaluation we performed earlier this year for the structure of our […]
Collaborating for Good: Using STEM as a Platform
When NGOs work together and build networks, they can have a greater effect on society as a whole. Peniel joined Rotary in September of last year in an effort to broaden our influence and reach among local adolescents and adults. We think that in order for non-governmental organizations to accomplish their aims and have the […]
