https://sputniknews.in/20230320/how-middle-easts-education-sector-is-undergoing-a-rapid-digital-revolution-1219981.html
How Middle East's Education Sector is Undergoing a Rapid Digital Revolution
How Middle East's Education Sector is Undergoing a Rapid Digital Revolution
Sputnik India
The Middle East's billion-dollar electronic learning and artificial intelligence sectors are transforming education for students. Across countries like Saudi... 20.03.2023, Sputnik India
2023-03-20T11:09+0530
2023-03-20T11:09+0530
2023-03-20T23:00+0530
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A couple of years ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the prime minister of the UAE and leader of Dubai, announced that a new generation of schools will be built in the UAE at a cost of AED 1.5 billion ($408 million). These schools will include laboratories for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).The "Ajyal (generation) Schools" model has been functioning since last year and has over 14,000 students studying under the new educational system. It is a part of the emirates' plans to develop the educational system and it will be applied to all students from grade one to four in 10 schools under the supervision of the Emirates Schools Establishment. The establishment aims to expand the number of schools implementing the model to 28 within three years.The launch of the "Digital School," the first integrated digitally enabled school which provides hybrid learning, was recently launched by Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, minister of state for artificial intelligence, and digital economy. The school aims to provide contextualized and validated education opportunities guided by innovative digital ecosystems and partnerships to improve access and learning outcomes.Over the years, education has become a top priority sector in the UAE, as it aligns with its national strategy on innovation and the UAE's national strategy for AI, the first of its kind in the region. "We want the UAE to become the world's most prepared country for artificial intelligence," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said.It aims to boost government performance at all levels, use an integrated smart digital system that can overcome challenges in medical, transport and other sectors and to make the UAE the first in the field of AI investments in various sectors by creating a new vital market with high economic value.Similarly, in Saudi Arabia the eLearning market reached $1.6 billion in 2021, with forecasts suggesting it will more than double in size by 2027. eLearning, or electronic learning, is the delivery of lectures and training through digital resources. Although eLearning is based on formalized learning, it is provided through electronic devices such as computers, tablets and even cellular phones that are connected to the internet.Last week, during a forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, chief United Nation's statistician Yanchun Zhang said that research shows that public investment in schooling creates better, and more sustainable societies.Zhang further explained that public funding is very important in improving education systems, even if expensive, because it opens doors to culture, science, and technology.Today technological advancements are changing the way young people in the Middle East are taught as traditional educational systems are adapting to new tools, techniques, and teaching arrangements.Enhanced Learning ExperienceMany schools across the Middle East have taken digital learning beyond the combined physical and online teaching model by introducing classes through artificial intelligence. Private tutoring and online tutor banks are likewise adopting the latest technologies in AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics, and blockchain.Following this trend, in January this year KITMEK, a new interactive digital school was officially launched across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).It took three years to develop the KITMEK digital school, as it aims to provide a global curriculum from kindergarten to fifth grade. Apart from all of the regular subjects the school also offers extra-curricular interactive classes covering a range of topics including phonics, life skills, communication skills and financial literacy. The most incredible nuance is that it costs just $1 to register with the program.To further ease the learning process the platform offers a multi-lingual and multisensory mode of teaching; providing 3D models to improve a child’s learning experience.Digital revolution in the shape of platforms such as KITMEK make it affordable for underprivileged children to receive education as well. For just $1, the program can be downloaded from an app store and afterward, once it is on a computer or phone, there is no need for an Internet connection for it to work.Hence, children going to school can use this platform for tuition, and for those who cannot afford to go to school, this becomes a home school.Knowledge-Based SocietiesGeek Express, a MENA-based online coding school, is another pioneer in this digital revolution. At Geek Express, students can learn to develop video games, websites, apps, and AI models by participating in coding courses and programming camps across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.Furthermore, the students can join Microsoft-certified trainers on Zoom to develop their own projects in a student-centered, gamified learning experience.Innovation and development of such cutting edge learning platforms is made possible with government support and allocation of funds in the education and innovation sectors. In 2018, the UAE government introduced its Madrasa platform, which provides free learning materials to more than 50 million Arab students around the world.This free eLearning platform provides 5,000 free Arabized videos in general science, math, biology, chemistry, and physics. It also provides 11 million words of educational content to students from kindergarten to grade 12. Students can access the platform on their personal computers or mobile phones through the Madrasa app, which is available on iTunes.On its website the platform explains what it aims to achieve, and some of the points include: to bridge the knowledge gap in the Arab world, to remove the barrier that Arab pupils encounter when they search for resources and information available in English and to create a new generation of qualified Arab researchers, scientists, innovators and inventors capable of building knowledge-based societies and shaping better future of their countries.Now more than ever, digital tech use for the education of school children is becoming integrated into curricula in the Middle East, as it is worldwide. According to Forbes, there are around 270 such start-ups in the region, and the number is growing each year.It must be noted that access to education in the Middle East has been uneven, especially in countries burdened with economic challenges and conflict such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, and Libya.However, those Middle Eastern countries that have peace, stability, and public investment such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, are moving toward a strong educational sector that contributes to the progress of their nations.
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How Middle East's Education Sector is Undergoing a Rapid Digital Revolution
11:09 20.03.2023 (Updated: 23:00 20.03.2023) The Middle East's billion-dollar electronic learning and artificial intelligence sectors are transforming education for students. Across countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, classrooms are undergoing a grand technological change with a new mode of teaching.
A couple of years ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the prime minister of the UAE and leader of Dubai, announced that a new generation of schools will be built in the UAE at a cost of AED 1.5 billion ($408 million). These schools will include laboratories for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).
The "Ajyal (generation) Schools" model has been functioning since last year and has over 14,000 students studying under the new educational system. It is a part of the emirates' plans to develop the educational system and it will be applied to all students from grade one to four in 10 schools under the supervision of the Emirates Schools Establishment. The establishment aims to expand the number of schools implementing the model to 28 within three years.
The launch of the "Digital School," the first integrated digitally enabled school which provides hybrid learning, was recently launched by Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, minister of state for artificial intelligence, and digital economy. The school aims to provide contextualized and validated education opportunities guided by innovative digital ecosystems and partnerships to improve access and learning outcomes.
Over the years, education has become a top priority sector in the UAE, as it aligns with its national strategy on innovation and the
UAE's national strategy for AI, the first of its kind in the region. "We want the UAE to become the world's most prepared country for artificial intelligence," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said.
It aims to boost government performance at all levels, use an integrated smart digital system that can overcome challenges in medical, transport and other sectors and to make the UAE the first in the field of AI investments in various sectors by creating a new vital market with high economic value.
Similarly, in Saudi Arabia the eLearning market reached $1.6 billion in 2021, with forecasts suggesting it will more than double in size by 2027. eLearning, or electronic learning, is the delivery of lectures and training through digital resources. Although eLearning is based on formalized learning, it is provided through electronic devices such as computers, tablets and even cellular phones that are connected to the internet.
Last week, during a forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, chief United Nation's statistician Yanchun Zhang said that research shows that public investment in schooling creates better, and more sustainable societies.
Zhang further explained that public funding is very important in improving education systems, even if expensive, because it opens doors to culture, science, and technology.
Today technological advancements are changing the way young people in the Middle East are taught as traditional educational systems are adapting to new tools, techniques, and teaching arrangements.
Enhanced Learning Experience
Many schools across the Middle East have taken digital learning beyond the combined physical and online teaching model by introducing classes through artificial intelligence. Private tutoring and online tutor banks are likewise adopting the latest technologies in AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics, and blockchain.
According to Imbesat Ahmad, CEO and co-founder of Filo, an instant-tutoring app, "School students have started using AI. Its usage is a certainty and its capability to tackle complex numerical problems in physics, chemistry and math is appreciable."
Following this trend, in January this year KITMEK, a new interactive digital school was officially launched across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
It took three years to develop the KITMEK digital school, as it aims to provide a global curriculum from kindergarten to fifth grade. Apart from all of the regular subjects the school also offers extra-curricular interactive classes covering a range of topics including phonics, life skills, communication skills and financial literacy. The most incredible nuance is that it costs just $1 to register with the program.
To further ease the learning process the platform offers a multi-lingual and multisensory mode of teaching; providing 3D models to improve a child’s learning experience.
According to Anand Kadian, CEO of KITMEK, "The future is digital schooling and AI teachers as they can deliver the highest quality education, customized to the child’s learning capabilities. All sectors have had a digital revolution and now it’s time for the education system to evolve."
Digital revolution in the shape of platforms such as KITMEK make it affordable for underprivileged children to receive education as well. For just $1, the program can be downloaded from an app store and afterward, once it is on a computer or phone, there is no need for an Internet connection for it to work.
Hence, children going to school can use this platform for tuition, and for those who cannot afford to go to school, this becomes a home school.
Knowledge-Based Societies
Geek Express, a MENA-based online coding school, is another pioneer in this digital revolution. At Geek Express, students can learn to develop video games, websites, apps, and AI models by participating in coding courses and programming camps across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Furthermore, the students can join Microsoft-certified trainers on Zoom to develop their own projects in a student-centered, gamified learning experience.
Innovation and development of such cutting edge learning platforms is made possible with government support and allocation of funds in the education and innovation sectors. In 2018, the UAE government introduced its Madrasa platform, which provides free learning materials to more than 50 million Arab students around the world.
This free eLearning platform provides 5,000 free Arabized videos in general science, math, biology, chemistry, and physics. It also provides 11 million words of educational content to students from kindergarten to grade 12. Students can access the platform on their personal computers or mobile phones through the Madrasa app, which is available on iTunes.
On its
website the platform explains what it aims to achieve, and some of the points include: to bridge the knowledge gap in the Arab world, to remove the barrier that Arab pupils encounter when they search for resources and information available in English and to create a new generation of qualified Arab researchers, scientists, innovators and inventors capable of building knowledge-based societies and shaping better future of their countries.
Now more than ever, digital tech use for the education of school children is becoming integrated into curricula in the Middle East, as it is worldwide. According to Forbes, there are around 270 such start-ups in the region, and the number is growing each year.
It must be noted that access to education in the Middle East has been uneven, especially in countries burdened with economic challenges and conflict such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, and Libya.
However, those Middle Eastern countries that have peace, stability, and public investment such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, are moving toward a strong educational sector that contributes to the progress of their nations.
