Learning Innovation Design Lab Information

The Learning Innovation Design Lab is a not-for-profit initiative that was launched by Formula D interactive in 2014. The goal of the project is to find solutions to problems within the context of education here in South Africa, and beyond, by bringing together designers, technology partners, learners and teachers, whilst creating a showcase and testing space for existing innovation. Education and formal learning need design and creative thinking in order to bring innovation to the system that has, over the last few decades, largely proven unresponsive to urgent educational needs and technological opportunities. The world of technology is growing at a rapid pace, but most schools don’t have the resources to keep up. We believe youth should be empowered by learning coding and design skills at an early age. Game Lab is the current initiative of Learning Innovation Design Lab; an 8-week long, after-school program that teaches children how to design, develop and program their own video games using an online tool called Scratch. To some, choosing to teach video game design may seem like an out of the box idea, but the process actually reinforces educational outcomes and helps the students develop their English and storytelling skills, mathematics and logic competencies and improves social awareness and other interpersonal skills.