WATCH | How basketball and AI is helping pupils with maths

More than 1,000 children from Joburg stand to benefit from a new maths programme that will take lessons from the basketball court to the classroom, using sport, artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to improve their numeracy skills.

The initiative, announced at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Summit in Johannesburg at Gallagher Convention Centre on Wednesday, forms part of a wider partnership that aims to reach 10,000 pupils across five African countries by the end of 2027.

The pilot begins on Thursday, with South Africa being the test subject of the programme. Teachers have already been trained on how to teach in this particular method.

AWS executive in residence Jonathan Allen said AWS would provide AI and cloud technology to expand the NBA Math Hoops programme, with 1,000 pupils in South Africa set to benefit.

The programme combines basketball with maths, using technology to personalise learning according to each child’s ability.

“We’ll be personalising content to each student’s level, localising it across four languages, English, Arabic, French and Swahili, and giving educators real-time data to improve outcomes,” Allen said.

He said the initiative presented an opportunity to improve maths outcomes among children across sub-Saharan Africa.

Jonathan Allen, Zeph Masote and Calvin Sibert announce a new AWS-NBA initiative bringing maths, basketball and technology together to empower 1,000 South African learners by 2027. @Sowetan1981 pic.twitter.com/06YzfKokhS

NBA Africa’s Zeph Masote said the programme was also designed to instil values beyond academics, including discipline, dedication, tenacity and application.

“I think the focus should be on underserved areas. If a child lives in an affluent area, such as Midrand or Waterfall City, they generally have better opportunities and resources to succeed.

“So the focus really is on giving children from underserved areas a leg-up, which helps address inequality and gives them a better chance to succeed,” he said.

The initiative will also have a specific focus on the girl child, with more than 100 girls set to receive mentorship from the programme’s partners and stakeholders.

Learn Fresh chief mission officer Calvin Sibert said he had witnessed the impact of NBA Math Hoops firsthand when he was still teaching in the US.

He said the programme also helped to improve classroom culture, with learners developing confidence, teamwork and social skills.