K12 Digest® – May 2021 – International Edition – EdTech Companies in the Middle East

MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL

INTERNATIONAL EDITION

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FEATURING INSIDE

MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

AHLEM BAYA CHATTI DR BERTHOLD FRANKE CATHERINE O’FARRELL

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

ALEF EDUCATION

CRAN MIDDLECOAT DR JOSEPH KOTARSKI MANAL ZEINEDDINE MIOMIR DEJANOVIĆ PRADEEP P. VEETIL

BLACKBOARD EDNEX INNOVERA SPECKTRON

PRANATI BAGCHI RANIA LAMPOU SANDRA OSPINA SHADY ELKASSAS SREEJIT CHAKRABARTY DR SVETLANA BELIC TRACY KIRSTEN

ALEF EDUCATION TRANSFORMING THE E D U C AT I O N I N D U S T R Y

K12 Digest May 2021

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12Digest Digest KK12 May 2021 Sept-Oct 2020

K12 Digest Sept-Oct 2020 K12 Digest May 2021

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May 2021

Vol - 2 Issue - 5

EdTech Companies in the Middle East Special Head of Advisory Board Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Special Editor Juan Manuel Pico

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Andrew Scott Joseph Alex

Naomi Wilson Stanly Lui Emma James

Enquiry: admin@k12digest.com

Art and Design Charlie Jameson

Sales & Marketing

Jennifer Anderson Rachel Roy

Monica Davis Anna Elza

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London Connecta Global Ltd. 27, Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom Bangalore Connecta Innovation Pvt. Ltd. Carlton Towers, Old Airport Road, Bangalore - 560008 India Dubai Focus Innovation Technollgies FZE P.O. Box 48299, Dubai Silicon Oasis Dubai, UAE

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

An Exciting Time Ahead for the Middle East EdTech Market

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he never-ending waves of the COVID-19 pandemic have created the largest disruption of education systems in recent history. From preschools to universities, educational institutions, regardless of the size and reputation, have been closed to stop the spread of a deadly virus. According to UNICEF reports, the Middle East and North Africa region alone had more than 110 million children and young people whose education was affected at the peak of lockdowns and movement restrictions.

Now, online learning is not a buzz anymore.

Indeed, it has become a necessity that would stay here for a long time. Like most of the world, the Middle East had a sudden surge of EdTech startups in the market, catering to the needs of parents, teachers, and

schools. Market forecasts predict that the EdTech and smart classroom market in the Middle East and Africa is expected to grow from US$ 3,565 million in 2019 to US$ 7,626 million by 2027 at a CAGR of 9.8 per cent. The EdTech players in this region constantly focus on improving their offerings by adding advanced features and integrating various technologies.

In this issue, with the help of an expert committee of international advisors, we have handpicked “10 MustWatch EdTech Companies in the Middle East – 2021,” which have been phenomenally successful in differentiating their offerings by integrating advanced technologies. On the cover, we feature Alef Education, a global leading education technology company based in the United Arab Emirates.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

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INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Chris Wright

Maarit Rossi

Former International School Principal, Former Group Project Director at a World Class Learning Group, Education Consultant - Wright Solutions, United Kingdom

Founder & CEO - Paths to Math Ltd, Former Mathematics Teacher and Principal, Global Teacher Prize Finalist, Finland

Dr. Stuart Grant Colesky Principal, Rundle College, South Africa

Zeljana Radojicic Lukic Exceptional Educator from Serbia, Founder of Association of the Best Teachers of the Former Yugoslavia, Founder of Magical Intercultural Friendship Network, Founder of Creative Magic - Children’s International Festival, Founder of Magic Village, Serbia

Asst. Prof. Dr. Poonsri Vate-U-Lan Assistant Professor in Education, Ph.D. Supervisor and Researcher, Thailand

Stephen Cox

Elena Shramkova

Chief Education Officer, New Nordic School, Finland

Liljana Luani

Senior Teacher ‘Pashko Vasa’ school Shkodra, Exceptional Volunteer, Albania

English and Literature teacher, Owner of “The Smart Teens Studio of English” in Belgorod, Russia

Ralph Valenzisi Chief of Digital Learning and Development, Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut, United States

Hatem Slimane

Servatius (Servee) Palmans Former Director School Administration & Business Operations (Large Education Group), Chief Operating Officer - BBD Education, Dr. Lilian Bacich Netherlands & UAE Senior Educationist, Author, Keynote Speaker, Co-founder Tríade Educacional, Brazil

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Founder & National President - ATAST, General director of IFEST² the international projects competition in Tunisia, General secretary of MILSET Africa, BRISECC member, Tunisia

Juan Manuel Pico Education Soul Co-founder & HundrED Country Lead Colombia, Colombia

Hidekazu Shoto

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto

Angus Duthie

Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer, Philippines

Former Vice President Security (Large Education Group), Former British Army Officer (Airborne Forces), Senior Advisor – Resilience and Crisis Management (Emerald Solutions Group), United Kingdom & UAE

Innovative English and ICT Teacher, Author, Japan

Ian Deakin

Deputy Head and Dean of Faculty, Dalton Academy, Beijing, China

Shady Elkassas Rania Lampou

Global Teacher Prize Finalist 2019, 15 International Awards on STEM, STEM Instructor, Educator, Neuroscience Researcher, Trainer & Author, Greece

Director of Innovation Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Fethy Letaief Distinguished Senior EFL Teacher, ISA Coordinator with the British Council, Motivational Speaker, Tunisia

Herwin Hamid

Ha Nga

EdTech Specialist, Speaker and Teacher Trainer, Innovative ICT Educator, ICT learning multimedia developer, Indonesia

Revolutionary English Educator, Globally Connected English Studio - Hanoi, Vietnam

Dr. Leonilo Basas Capulso Master Teacher, Speaker and Researcher, Philippines

Kihyun Park Innovative Educator of Online Classroom, Pungsaeng Middle School, South Korea

Mr. Ngô Thành Nam

Technology Academy Manager, Microsoft Learning Consultant, Global Trainer, Vietnam

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU, Thailand & India

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CONTENTS

COVER STORY

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ALEF EDUCATION

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TRANSFORMING THE EDUCATION INDUSTRY

Geoffrey Alphonso, Chief Executive Officer

MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

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INNOVERA A TRUSTED EDTECH PARTNER FOR EVERYTHING

Robert Speed, Group CEO

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BLACKBOARD A TRUSTED TECHNOLOGY PARTNER FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION COMMUNITY

Oleg Figlin, Vice President EMEA

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TO DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Senthil Kugan, Founder

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SPECKTRON

HELPING EDUCATION SECTOR TO BE READY FOR THE NEW NORMAL

Afshin Riazi, Managing Director

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

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EXPONENTIAL TECHNOLOGY, COVID-19 AND EDUCATION: WILL THE HUMAN FACTOR SURVIVE?

Rania Lampou, Multi Award-Winning STEM instructor, ICT Teacher Trainer, Neuroeducation Researcher, Greek Ministry of Education & Religious Affairs, Directorate of Educational Technology and Innovation

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SERVE FIRST, LEAD SECOND: SERVANT LEADERSHIP ENHANCES ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE Dr Joseph Kotarski, International K-12 School Leader, United Arab Emirates

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METACOGNITIVE CREATIVITY IN STEAM: LEARNING HOW TO LEARN WITH A CREATIVE TWIST Dr Svetlana Belic Malinic, Academic Director, Institute for Contemporary Education, LINK Educational Alliance, Serbia

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WHEN THERE IS NO ROADMAP, THERE IS A COMPASS Shady Elkassas, Director of Innovation Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

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FUTURE-PROOFING: GUIDING OUR STUDENTS TO FIND THEIR PURPOSE

Sandra Ospina, Assistant Principal Data and Analysis, Misk Schools, Riyadh, KSA

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STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS Ahlem Baya Chatti, Tunisian Humanities Head of Department, Business Studies Educator & Career Counselor, Al Ittihad NationalPrivate School-Al Ain, UAE

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HOW IS AI SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION AFTER COVID-19?

Sreejit Chakrabarty, Director for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, GEMS Dubai American Academy, UAE

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COMICS AS A EDUCATIONAL TOOL Miomir Dejanović, Teacher, ES ‘’Svetozar Marković’’, Vranje, Serbia

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ST EM ST ORIES

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STEAM GAINING ITS DUE TRACTION

BY INSPIRING YOUNG STUDENTS TO BE INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATORS Dr. Berthold Franke, Director, Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, India

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STEM BEST PRACTICES IN K-12 EDUCATION Pranati Bagchi, Founder and CEO, The Lavender Spaceship Project Singapore, Singapore

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STEM, WHAT IS IT REALLY? Cran Middlecoat, Founder & Aerospace Geek, It’s Rocket Science Adventures, Australia

ADMIN PERSPECT IVE

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NEW LIGHT THROUGH OLD WINDOWS: THE REKINDLING OF A TEACHER’S PASSION AND PURPOSE Tracy Kirsten, Head of Grade 8, St. Mary’s DSG, Kloof, South Africa

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INDUST RY VIEWS

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PHY-GITAL AND ECO-TECHTURE SPACES: REINVENTING THE SCHOOL BUILDING DESIGNS

Pradeep P. Veetil, Founder of Concept Design Consultancy & Author of ‘School Design’ - A Comprehensive Guide, UAE

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METACOGNITIVE LEADERSHIP: THE IMPORTANCE OF BIAS QUESTIONING Manal Zeineddine, Founder, O.R.B.I.T.S. Development Code, Saudi Arabia

BEST PRACT ICES

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ARE SCHOOLS MODIFYING THEIR INCLUSIVE PRACTICE TO REFLECT THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN EDUCATION? Catherine O’Farrell, Head of Student Support Services, Bloom Education, UAE

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STORY

COVER

Geoffrey Alphonso, Chief Executive Officer

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ALEF EDUCATION TRANSFORMING THE EDUCATION INDUSTRY

Alef Education is a global leading education technology company based in the United Arab Emirates. The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to create personalised learning experiences to transform how the world is being educated. Since its inception in 2015, Alef Education has positively impacted the learning experiences of more than 120,000 students in over 400 schools in the United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Canada. In June this year, more than 500,000 students in Indonesia’s madrasah schools will have access to the Alef Platform. The company also has aggressive growth plans in place for markets like Egypt, Lebanon, Netherlands, and many more. “Looking ahead, there are many exciting developments now in progress that will enable Alef Education to continue our growth, not just geographically, but also within the education sector itself, where we anticipate not just schools, but higher education institutions as well becoming users of the platform,” says Geoffrey Alphonso, Chief Executive Officer, Alef Education. In a conversation with K12 Digest, Geoffrey Alphonso talks about Alef Education’s offerings to educational institutions, opportunities he sees in the education market post-COVID, exciting innovations that we can expect from Alef Education in the next 12 months, and much more.

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What has been the impact of technology on education during this pandemic?

How is Alef Education responding to it?

Technology has had a very positive impact on the education sector during the pandemic. It has allowed schools to continue delivering lessons as per their curriculum, allowed parents to continue educating their children while enabling students to continue learning by accessing a variety of online, distance learning tools, such as Alef Education’s award-winning digital learning platform.

For us at Alef Education, the health and safety of students and teachers are our primary concern; and we place the same importance on their love for learning.

At the onset of the pandemic, we responded swiftly and strategically. We provided free and immediate online access to some of our digital learning products to students worldwide, providing millions of students

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the opportunity to continue learning. Schools may have closed, but we at Alef Education are ensuring that education must go on.

We are honoured that our initiative was featured on the UNESCO website as a part of its global list of learning platforms and tools available freely for anyone around the globe. The UNESCO estimates that the pandemic has impacted 1.5 billion students due to the closure of schools in 190 countries throughout the world. Our response has helped address the situation by giving students from any location with Internet connection access to our platform, enabling them to learn independently or with tools such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, which are all enabled in our platform and can be accessed easily with a single sign-on. These tools allowed teachers to deliver remote classes using the curriculum-aligned lessons and content available on our platform.

As part of our quality commitment to the schools that we work with, we always find ways to improve the technical capacity of our platform to ensure seamless delivery of modules while also ensuring our content conforms to recognised government and education standards of quality, relevance, and culture sensitivity.

Tell us a bit about the founding story of Alef Education. How has been the journey so far?

Our journey started in 2015 when we conceptualised our platform. In 2016, we launched an artificial intelligence (AI) powered digital learning platform that was then used by just eight students in a micro-school here in the United Arab Emirates. The impact was inspirational as the students were achieving better learning outcomes, and their teachers were becoming less burdened with nonteaching tasks and were able to focus more on their students. We realised that the platform had the potential to become a transformational agent for change, not just for schools but for the education ecosystem.

Today, Alef Education is a leading global education technology provider that delivers tailored digital learning experiences that

As an EdTech company, what are the significant challenges Alef Education faced when educational institutions move to fully online courses?

It mostly has to do with helping schools with their technical infrastructure and onboarding teachers who are sometimes not confident enough that they have the right technical or digital skills to implement it.

To ensure the success of the Alef Platform, we provide schools and teachers with the support that they need to fully optimise their use of the platform. From IT installation and configuration to training for teachers to help them adopt new technology tools in their classrooms.

Our service includes end-to-end project management to ensure schools can manage their transition to digital distance learning.

Our commitment also includes a hotline that teachers and parents can call if they have any concerns or issues.

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empowers the future 21st-century workforce.

Following the success of our initial pilot program, we continue to revolutionise the education industry and positively impact the learning experiences of more than 120,000 students in over 400 schools in the UAE, the US, and Canada. In June this year, more than 500,000 students in Indonesia’s madrasah schools will have access to the Alef Platform.

In 2019, Alef Education won the Ai Everything Brave Award for our innovative use of AI in education. Our cutting-edge digital platform uses AI to effectively create optimal learning paths for individual students, thus personalising the education experience. In 2020, Alef Education was named a 2020 SIIA CODiE Award finalist in the Best Use of Emerging Technology for Learning in Education category.

This was a special recognition given that the CODiE Awards is the only peer-recognised program in the business and ed tech industries.

Alef Education is now also expanding its services beyond the K-12 sector. We recently signed a partnership with a university in the UAE, whereby our platform will be used by their students and teachers initially for a few subjects with a view to expanding the coverage at some point later.

Looking ahead, there are many exciting developments now in progress that will enable Alef Education to continue our growth, not just geographically, but also within the education sector itself, where we anticipate not just schools, but higher education institutions as well becoming users of the platform.

Tell us about the unique products and services Alef Education offers to educational institutions. How does the company intend to stand out from the crowd?

Alef Education is the preferred choice by a growing number of schools worldwide due to the unparalleled and powerful combination of high-value, standards-aligned content powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Our cuttingedge products and services are powered by an impeccable team of professionals driven by a singular focus to make a difference and deliver our vision to deliver engaging learning experiences that change how the world is educated.

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Our flagship product, the Alef Platform, is mainly for the K-12 education sector and is an AI-driven platform that creates personalised learning experiences for students and has also been instrumental in helping students achieve better learning outcomes. Equally important, it has also been beneficial for educators as it frees up valuable time spent on non-teaching tasks that they can now use to focus on mentoring or coaching their students. The real-time data generated by the platform relays relevant and timely feedback that helps enable this transformative process and has been a critical part of the platform’s success.

Our portfolio also includes Abjadiyat, an Arabic learning app for kids, and Arabits, a mobile app for Arabic language learners. Abjadiyat is a native Arabic K-4 early learners’ program that we offer through schools in the UAE. On the other hand, the Arabits app is on the Google Play Store, and the Apple App Store is available directly to consumers. It was launched in January this year and has already reached 65,000+ downloads.

How has the performance of Alef Education been in the last few years? What has been the progress of the business?

It is overwhelming when we look back at where we started and where we are now within just a few years of operating. Alef Education expects to touch close to a million students by the end of 2021, and that has demonstrated our ability to turn a concept into reality and learners on a global scale.

Beyond the numbers, however, what really drives us as an organisation is our endeavour to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers all around the world. We believe that our platform is truly transforming the education ecosystem in more ways than we originally intended. It’s been a humbling experience that inspires us to learn and continue to innovate our products and services.

At Alef Education, how are you trying to drive employee engagement and keep up the positive spirit?

We believe that our people are our best asset, and we have a strong employee engagement program that looks after their well-being, whether they are in the office or working remotely. Employee well-being is of paramount importance, so we have many initiatives in place that keep them motivated and happy.

Among these include giving our employees the opportunity to work remotely or in the office and having flexible working schedules. To foster better communication, we conduct regular town hall meetings to facilitate interaction; we also set up an email where employees can share ideas, initiatives, or questions, and this also already yielded some great results.

To foster greater camaraderie and wellbeing, we also organise regular mindfulness sessions. Before the pandemic, the company sponsored football games, team activities, and seasonal events. The latest series of initiatives we have implemented to support our employees include financial support for independent training and increasing transparency in compensation practices, especially concerning performance and decision making.

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efforts to reach out to schools in key education markets around the world to share with them the benefits of distance learning, especially if they use the Alef Platform.

While our focus will be on K-12 schools, we are also looking to serve a broader spectrum of educational institutions in our key markets, which includes colleges and universities.

What kinds of technologies would you recommend school systems to adopt in the postpandemic world?

There is a multitude of technological tools and applications that are currently available, and each one addresses a particular need or serves a particular function. But as we see education moving to an online/distance

Employee feedback is regularly measured through feedback and surveys – on average, Alef Education employees believe their opinions count (84%), believe their manager cares about them as a person (88%), understand what they are responsible to achieve (96%), and believe that the ways we communicate together are productive (95%).

What are the top qualities and skills you are looking for when hiring at Alef Education?

The skill sets vary according to job functions, so there is a wide range of skills that we look for across our business units and teams. As for qualities, we look for people who are driven to make a difference in our community, committed to providing high-quality customer service, and delivering an excellent customer experience, both internally and externally.

As a company, we also put a premium on innovation, so we look for people who contribute to our culture of innovation. This is very critical to our continued progress, as the minute we stop innovating is when we begin to stop being the best for our customers.

Post-COVID-19, what are the opportunities Alef Education sees in the education market?

Looking ahead, we see schools embracing digital distance learning as one of the primary methods for the delivery of education. We are, therefore, intensifying our

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learning environment, it would be best for schools to invest in technologies that will help them offer a seamless learning experience for students.

Moreover, your technology partner should ensure that teachers have the requisite skills to harness these technologies in the best way possible in their classrooms. If not, adequate measures should be taken to provide appropriate training so teachers are geared for success.

What marketing strategies is Alef Education using at the moment and would recommend to other EdTech companies?

Our marketing team has done a wonderful job of communicating about the brand to our target audience and has been instrumental in providing our sales team with the right support for our growth initiatives to succeed. We employ a variety of marketing tools and use marketing best practices in ensuring we achieve both our business and communication objectives.

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What exciting things can we expect from Alef Education in the next 12 months?

We hope to continue making progress on our international growth plan, so hopefully, we can share more good news about new educational institutions being onboarded onto the Alef Platform soon.

I believe we have a robust suite of products and services and exceptional use-cases that we can bring to those markets where we hope to establish a presence.

Given our strong focus on constant innovation, our product development team is dedicated to enhancing our existing products and services, and ideating new developments.

We are constantly exploring and developing ways to make digital learning better, so it is possible we will have some exciting announcements to share in the near future.

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What is your advice to the educational institutions that are looking for a technology partner?

Look for a partner who is committed as they are to the success of the students. Technology is always available, and there will always be something that they can use in their schools. But a partner who is invested in their success is someone who will be with them in the long-term and will provide the service needed long after cheques have been cashed, as it were.

Track record is also vital and something that they should seriously consider whenever qualifying or evaluating a partner. It may be worth talking to some independent references or resources to give them an idea of how a company delivers on its commitments and promises.

Finally, experience is also essential. A company that knows how to do its job well and is immersed in the edtech sector is a better option than those just starting to do the business or is just representing a service provider.

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Phy-gital and Ecotechture Spaces: Reinventing the School Building Designs Pradeep P. Veetil, Founder of Concept Design Consultancy & Author of ‘School Design’ - A Comprehensive Guide

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We have the possibility to design the school building in the most innovative manner, suited to continuous learning methodology

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he concept of school education has evolved over the years. Even today, it continues to evolve and education is no longer restricted to the four walls of a classroom, school buildings or even to human-to-human interaction. Every country is trying to create methods of learning specific to their citizen’s requirements. It started with the advent of different curriculum and teaching methodologies which aimed to address the needs of the student and better equip students for the real world. Today, knowledge is available at our fingertips. Learning is happening beyond curriculum and the classroom.

We are looking at all things digital. With internet penetration at an all-time high and devices to access the internet well within the reach of most, the next step, for educators, parents and students alike, is to fully explore the possibilities of the internet in all aspects of leaning methodologies. We also have to bring in the element of passion, happiness, ethics, ecological balance and morality as part of our lifelong learning experience.

The internet opens up doors to a completely new set of possibilities. Think remote education, custom course content, interactive digital textbooks, digital testing, individual assessments and much more. The present pandemic has made us realize the potential of remote learning. Let’s imagine a new world where students do not need to carry textbooks or take notes, or even need to be present in school to give their exams. We have the possibility to design the school building in the most innovative manner, suited to continuous learning methodology.

Imagine a world where a teacher is able to identify the needs of every individual student and prepare a custom teaching model for each student.

Student and Teacher meet remotely and plan the one to one session in the school building based on the child’s learning needs. These may seem like fantasy but advanced Artificial Intelligence, Internet of things and Machine Learning paired with simple digital learning solutions and courses are able to achieve this with accuracy that is unparalleled by any human being.

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Pradeep is a dynamic multi-tasking professional with exposure in multinational and multicultural setups, Pradeep spearheads startup projects, with experience in design management, operations, and project management for setting up and commissioning innovative built environments.

He is an Architect and has spent his career with global real estate companies, worldclass healthcare and education providers conceptualizing, master planning and implementing the design, construction, and procurement management of projects from feasibility to handover.

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Let us try to understand how it works. Learning and Artificial Intelligence are algorithms or simply put a piece of software that learn from large volumes of data that they are fed and in time are able to make accurate predictions and decisions based on learning. For instance, the customized teaching models for individual students can be formulated and managed by the software. A student takes all their exams in an online setup and is assessed digitally. This assessment data can be fed to a machine-learning model for training. The model then learns from the data and is able to predict outcomes and trends for future data sets. With Artificial intelligence, the system can be trained to identify weak areas or specific needs for the student and suggest a learning plan customized for each student. Artificial Intelligence can also be used to automate tasks such as scheduling, grading homework and tests.

Teachers can spend productive time with the students to develop their ethics, moral education, leadership skills, creativity, passion, teamwork and other soft skills to develop them into a well-rounded personality. Teachers and researchers are also experimenting with Gamification in education.

Gamification, as the name suggests, is making an activity or learning feel like a game. A goal to achieve, a process or tasks to get there and a reward on completion of the goal. Many early learning tools come in the form of games and interactive content. We are already seeing programming becoming a standard inclusion to most curriculum.

Educational needs evolve as per the needs of the society, we are now in a position to create learn, unlearn and learn again real life scenarios in educational spaces. Future generation will have to have multiple skills to pursue multiple professions. To take it a step further, we now have robots

Above concept design is for an Innovation center recently designed and completed by the author for an outstanding British school in Dubai.

to teach young children how to code. These interactive systems operate on the principle of learning by doing and provide real time feedback to the child about the outcome of their code. A paradigm shift in educational methodologies and technologies automatically mandate a shift in the infrastructure and learning spaces of the conventional school models that are still prevalent across the globe. The world has changed and with it our perspectives, our attitudes, our needs, our competencies, our job market, our economy, our buildings, the list is endless. However, the one thing that has not seen much of change is our school and classroom designs. Erudite scholars, radical thinkers, agents of change and most importantly educators need to heed the clarion call that resonates the Gandhian mantra of being the change we wish to see in the world by reinventing the learning spaces to keep pace with the rapid transformations that define not only the future of education but of the world at large.

Even though it is difficult to exactly predict the form and shape of our future educational buildings, it is evident from the advent of hand held learning gadgets, access to internet, development of green building technologies and abundance of free information, the future learning environments will be a mix of physical, digital and green environments.

The future will be plenty of “Phy-gital” and “Ecotechture” architectural spaces with ecological and green technologies as part of the school building designs, where

it would be difficult to differentiate between physical, digital and green learning spaces. The school building will probably be one of the first environments where this synergy will come true, and it will impact on every aspect of the learning experience: on teachers, students, parents, and learning methods. This is a new concept where the positive aspects of the physical experiences are integrated with the useful opportunities offered by technology, for example, the ability to communicate information quickly or record user data.

Augmented reality, virtual simulators and green technologies will become the nerve center of the classroom infrastructure. The existence of a phy-gital environment, where the real-world experiences become more engaging thanks to the interactive mobile technology, is made possible by the Internet of Things, connected objects that trigger physical reactions from digital actions or, vice versa, physical sensors that, when triggered, lead to digital outputs.The impact of technology on the physical environments will open up new possibilities to architects, educators and designers to stretch the limits of creativity in architectural designs.

In the school buildings of the future, partitions and vertical elements will no longer have a “dividing role” but, on the contrary, will become the facilitators of interaction between students, teachers, parents, educational contents & nature. The removal of the blackboard has already begun, and the classroom of the future will demonstrate full interactive screens as its natural replacement. We

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will explore the possibilities of enhancing the interaction between the human sense organs and the five natural elements (sky, fire, air, water and earth).

Not only vertical elements enclosing the space, even furniture will become part of the phy-gital revolution in the school of the future. Tables, storage’s and screens will evolve into interactive multiuse devices, allowing them to submit all assignments from the classroom to their Cloud accounts, where teachers can access to guide them and provide feedback, wherever they are and whenever it is needed.All interior elements, doors, windows, ceiling, staircases can function as learning aid by integrating concepts of mathematics, geometry, measurements, biology, ecology etc. during construction of the building.

The entire school building and the campus will function as education aids to enhance the learning process. It will lead the way and become a place where students are educated about the importance of living in a sustainable manner. Technology will help young people in understanding and following this path, starting immediately from their desks. Monitors and dashboards throughout the school will provide live data on the consumption of electricity, water and sewage disposal systems in the school. Installing solar windows in classrooms, for example, will help reduce the building’s carbon footprint while saving money that can be invested to buy new devices or learning materials.

Students often require to see, touch, and experience in a more authentic way what they learn at school.

Holograms can help to make this happen, engaging learners’ attention and providing them the possibility to better explore the content, literally immersing themselves in it. A completely new sensory experience can be built using these futuristic learning environments.

Real life role-plays, do it yourself, project based learning will create multiple opportunities for

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The future will be plenty of “Phy-gital” and “Eco-techture” architectural spaces with ecological and green technologies as part of the school building designs, where it would be difficult to differentiate between physical, digital and green learning spaces

innovations and creativity in the learning clusters instead of conventional classrooms. Students may get the option of completing the syllabus on their own at their own pace with support and guidance from the teachers. They may also get the option of completing their exams any time they feel they are ready for the assessment. Once the review is completed, the child may get the opportunity to pursue his creativity, passion and skills for the remaining duration of the year.

We teach our children history, inventions and existing technologies in schools and evaluate them based on whether they have acquired the understanding of what we have taught them. These lessons should be integrated into the school environment and children should be able to experience, learn and improve these technologies. Humankind’s search for happiness has led him to discoveries and inventions, which make life easy and comfortable. Architecture and buildings are very critical elements in this search and are interconnected and dependent on other elements aspired by humans. We do have the expertise and technology to create climatic responsive buildings.

Architecture which responds to the local climate and culture of the respective region adopts passive and active measures to keep the interior environment habitable.

Human habitats and especially schools are designed by modern architects and engineers to maintain a range of comfort conditions inside the buildings – Temperature, Humidity, Airflow, Quality of air – Odor & level

of pollutants, Lighting levels – Natural & artificial, Noise levels, Color, texture & ambiance of the spaces, Balance of scale, proportion, harmony, and contrast.

Technological innovations have helped engineers and architects to design and build these habitats using passive and active technologies.

Majority of modern-day architects and engineers keep the above criteria in view while creating innovative architecture. But there are ancient time tested building sciences like Vastu Shastra from the Indian subcontinent

and Feng Shuei with Chinese origin which dwell into astrology, numerology, palmistry to create human habitations which also should be considered while designing school buildings. Throughout the civilizations, creators of human habitations had humans as the focal point and all design decisions were made to cater to his comfort and living requirements. We need to integrate the modern scientific approach and available ancient knowledge to create the future built environment. All aspects of human endeavor and creations should be aimed at making the human being, the society, and the environment happy.

Creating a happy environment is a different approach that I intend to propose. We should add the response to create an ecological balance at the micro-level of the product & interior design to the ecological balance at the macro level of the architectural design and regional planning in the design thinking process. With the advent of contagious diseases, we have to rethink and reinterpret the way we design our future habitations. The way we design, build, and inhabit cities may never be the same.

School buildings should be the live examples for children to experience green building technologies.

Concepts like rainwater collection, wind & solar power generation, green house, hydroponics, biogas from waste, vermiculture, aquaponics, organic farming, water catcher, motion operated fixtures, building management systems, stack ventilation, thermal insulation, orientation of building to gain benefits of sun and wind, basic weather observing instruments should be integrated in the building design and children, teachers and parents should be able to touch, feel, learn and experience these technologies on a daily basis.

This will revolutionize the methodology of education and will drive creation of innovative school buildings with the design becoming the soul of the building, which transcends beyond the physical, social, spiritual and geographical boundaries.

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EdTech Solution Provider of the Year MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

INNOVERA

A Trusted EdTech Partner in the Middle East & Africa I

nnovera is a multi-national EdTech company founded in April 2013. In a short span of time, the company has grown organically by creating EdTech solutions that help address clients’ specific needs in their educational journey. Be it for faculty learners or educational institutions, Innovera provides the best-consulting services and EdTech products available in the market today. Robert Speed, Group CEO, Innovera Middle East, says, “We focus on specific EdTech solutions like Promethean, Zoom, Open LMS, Discovery Education, Coursera and work with leading partners in the Middle East Region like Alef Education. The journey so far has been a confirmation that we are on the right track to improve our standards and service offering continuously.”

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Innovera has sustained organic growth year on year by focusing on its core goal of bringing together a specific set of international EdTech partners to deliver value in the ecosystem of education. Robert Speed pinpoints, “Keypoint here being to address specific roadmap goals around virtual classrooms, front of class technology, learning management systems, digital content and curriculum and professional development. This approach is our core in my view to enabling digital transformation across technology and pedagogy that enables institutions small or large to really make strategic changes that deliver measurable results.”

The international EdTech brands Innovera represents are simply the best in class. As Rober Speed explains, “We

Robert Speed, Group CEO Robert Speed has over a 15-year track record in operational and strategic leadership, engineering go-to-market expansion, and fostering tactical partnerships that deliver significant value. He has served in various senior management roles — most recently as the Vice President for the MEA region at EdTech company Blackboard. Before this, he served as the head of the ME region for Promethean, a leading K-12 EdTech company. Both positions focused heavily on steering growth, delivering productivity and profitability in emerging markets, creating and leading integrated teams, and deepening channel partnerships.

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focus on these as a small subset to ensure that we don’t over-engineer our go-to-market offering but remain focused on the value we can bring that can be measured and monitored. Key to us at Innovera and part of our portfolio are complementary brands

such as Open LMS, Zoom, Class, Promethean, Coursera and Discover Education - all part of the education ecosystem from k-12 to Higher Education; that bring tremendous knowledge and

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expertise to our clients in the region.” In addition, Innovera’s sister company Appenza, one of the Top 10 recognised Application Dev companies in Egypt, is currently building various applications for the EdTech space that will enhance student and teacher collaboration. Therefore, it adds to the comprehensive portfolio Innovera serves to the market.

Responding to the Pandemic Innovera is currently positioned to advise, support and assist in the Middle East region. The company has been called upon over the last ten months by various Ministries of Education and Educational Institutions in K-12 and Higher Education to

engage in digital transformation projects that address the challenges and complexities faced by current gaps in technology, software and professional development to ensure that the academic day does not stop. “It is not about a single piece of technology or software that can solve adoption or drive transformation. It is about developing a partnership with Institutions and providing a mature depth of understanding with the ability to deliver that I am finding when talking to institutions and leaders in the market,” shares Robert Speed.

While day-to-day life will perhaps return to ‘normal’ at some point, for education, there will have to be a new ‘normal.’ Robert Speed

opines, “Learners will now expect to be able to seamlessly switch between in-person and virtual formats, particularly in times of crisis. They will continue to expect the quality education they have paid for — one that will best prepare them for the next stage of their lives.” Educational institutions, too, now recognise online education as pivotal to institutional resilience and academic continuity. Digital teaching and learning have become a strategic priority at almost every school and university.

“A shift in strategic thinking is gaining ground in the Middle East. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have increased the reach and acceptance of online education in

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the region, and institutions are now making plans to incorporate digital tools into their courses permanently. The region’s ministries of education, meanwhile, are encouraging schools and universities to embrace hybrid models, particularly as they consider the possibility of extending distance learning into the next academic year,” explains Robert Speed. Indeed, many institutions were already experimenting with varying degrees of digital teaching and learning before the pandemic.

Reber speed believes that the institutions will return from COVID-19 with a widely shared understanding that digital tools can be highly complementary to face-to-face learning and that teaching and learning with asynchronous and synchronous platforms can yield significant benefits when layered in with face-to-face instruction. He says, “This hybrid model of in-person lessons and distance learning, known as blended learning, will become one of the key models for postpandemic pedagogy. It facilitates flexibility, increases accessibility, allows faculty to track and improve student engagement, boosts student retention, enhances communication as well as peer support, enables personalisation and competency-based learning, and can be costeffective while scaling up efficiency.”

Innovera’s primary strategic marketing approach is around value, and it comes with the data collected from specific projects and programs with the company’s valued partners and customer

Exploring Post-COVID Opportunities In the post-pandemic world of education, institutions will integrate virtual teaching and learning formats and practices into their infrastructures and harness them to develop a more robust system. Innovera’s EdTech technology and software partnerships are built for this very purpose, and the company has quality solutions in place to accommodate the specific needs of each educational institution. Rober Speed states, “We have a seasoned and dedicated resource capacity and can efficiently tackle this surge in demand. We are also proactively collaborating and engaging with our clients in the Middle East to anticipate their current and future usage needs. As faculty and students come back to class, we need to be ready to develop more hybrid learning solutions.”

Many institutions and schools in the Middle East have really solid technology and pedagogy roadmaps in place and have managed the transition to fully online learning extremely well. Although it is an ongoing learning process, Innovera’s approach is to work in a consultative manner to identify any gaps that will be improved for these technology and software roadmaps. As Rober Speed suggests, “Complimentary services are needed to be in place for any technology or software roadmap. The basics that work are robust digital content and curriculum, a pedagogical virtual classroom with features and functions that are not just video. Besides, a scalable and secure learning management system is key for data collection and analytics, an education-specific front of class technology is a must and most importantly, teacher training to support this whole ecosystem.”

Inside Innovera Robert Speed understands that increasing productivity and profitability are key to ensuring the business has returns on investments. He shares, “It is always important to focus on this aspect of the business. The team

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Our

Partners We work with valued partners in EdTech in the Middle East and Africa as part of the Innovera EdTech Platform.

CONTACT US DUBAI OFFICE Al Rasis Building, 5th Floor, Office 502 Phone: +971 50 324 2274

CAIRO OFFICE District 95, Industrial Zone - East Katameya Phone: +20 1025 224 771/ +20 1111300100

innovera.me

at Innovera is driving this across all platforms we use. As we drive the business forward, we ensure each employee has a clear understanding of the vision, our goals and the approach we are taking.” As an EdTech business, Innovera needs to align to various personas in the EdTech industry - be that Deans of e-Learning, key faculty or tech leaders in IT. Robert Speed adds, “Searching for candidates that fit ‘ideal’ scenarios are not easy to find in the traditional sense. We look to onboard and grow skills in-house and develop a new breed of talent that has a wider understanding of the EdTech ecosystem and the value needed to be brought forward.”

Innovera’s primary strategic marketing approach is around value, and it comes with the data collected from specific projects and programs with the company’s valued partners and customer. In fact, this is the real evidencebased material that one can lean on and trust that can drive key marketing programs forward. “This is what we construct in our go-to-market approach that leads into white papers, webinars, speaking engagements, as well as various social media activities. It is really important to use real-life examples of work delivered by faculty or Institutions to ensure the voice of the customer is shared,” pinpoints Rober Speed.

In the first half of 2021, Innovera focuses on delivering some key EdTech projects in the Middle East around digital transformation in education. The company is now supporting the UAE and Egypt with some real, impactful programs in association with Alef Education.

“We are working with a wonderful team under the leadership of Geoffrey Alfonso and developing important collaborations with Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar at Al Ghurair Foundation, who are delivering on a specific charter for education programmes in the region. These projects really have an impact on the development cycle with short, medium and long-term impact activity with measurable results of student success, and that is what we strive for,” explains Rober Speed.

Today, clients’ needs are at the heart of everything Innovera does. The company tailors its work to perfectly match the clients’ project, followed by professional training to guarantee excellent outcomes. However, Inniovera’s support does not end there. As Rober Speed says, it is just the start of a long-term relationship of constant support and guidance whenever needed. He adds, “Accountability and transparency are key. Being trusted with change management and to accommodate the various challenges around implementing technology and software that can lead to measured student success or institutional change is a large responsibility.” Rober Speed and his team Innovera knows the importance of having the right EdTech partners who can understand the challenges with experience and knowledge to deliver a customer-focused ecosystem. “At Innovera, we are fortunate to be working with some of the EdTech industries best in class, and that brings a specific set of attributes to ensure we are a trusted partner,” concludes Rober Speed.

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MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

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K12 Digest May 2021

O

ver the years, we have seen the Middle East region focussing a lot on new technology and the future. This can be seen in the education sector too.

Several schools are well prepared for the digitization of education, almost as if they have been waiting for this change. The government, students, and schools are equipped to make this shift which is a huge advantage of starting an EdTech startup in the Middle East.

As the world changes, these companies are working to help students and corporations keep up with it. Furthermore, EdTech is an industry that has seen a rise in demands during the pandemic. With various niches and unique pain points, EdTech startups have found unique ways to differentiate themselves from the rest. As the industry grows, it is interesting to see what the future might hold for us. Each one of these EdTech startups in the Middle East is working to make learning easier and more fun.

Through K12 Digest’s ‘10 Must-Watch EdTech Companies in the Middle East - 2021’, we intend to bring these stellar EdTech Companies to the forefront, hoping they will stand as a beacon of transformation to their peers.

The companies named in this issue have showcased an outstanding record of providing students with a holistic education, avenues to upskill, and proper forums to chart out a roadmap for their future.

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MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

Company Name Alef Education

Almotahida Education

Blackboard

Classera

Ednex

Innovera

Mirai Partners

Nischint

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Website www.alefeducation.com

www.almotahidaeducation.com

www.blackboard.com

www.classera.com

www.ednex.me

www.innovera.me

www.miraipartners.co

www.nischint.com

Specktron

www.specktron.com

Teacherly

www.teacherly.io

Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?

K12 Digest May 2021

39

MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

BLACKBOARD

A Trusted Technology Partner for Global Education Community F

rom Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to virtual classrooms, the education technology (EdTech) industry has seen rapid growth, leading to an influx of massive investments worldwide. If global EdTech venture capital funding in 2019 was around $7 billion, in 2020, it reached $16,1 billion! The future of EdTech looks promising. “The importance of distance education in an increasingly uncertain world of global pandemics and other dramatic disruptions is without a doubt. Institutions can certainly benefit from integrating virtual teaching and learning formats and tools into their

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infrastructures and can harness it to develop a more robust system,” comments Oleg Figlin, Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa atBlackboard, an EdTech solution provider with over 150 million users in more than 80 countries. In 2020, Blackboard recorded tremendous growth in its user base around the world, across the K-12 as well as the higher-education sector.

“At the onset of the pandemic, and the subsequent school closures, our goal was clear: we needed to work hand-in-hand with the education community to facilitate the smoothest possible transition to online

Oleg Figlin, Vice President EMEA As the Head of Blackboard EMEA, Oleg is commercial executive leader responsible for Blackboard operations and client success across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Oleg is responsible for creating a digital strategy that aligns sales, partners, products and channels that deliver deeper customer relationships across the region.

Oleg joined Blackboard in 2015 with a specific focus on spearheading the company’s international expansion of consulting services. He was instrumental in creating an innovative services portfolio and building a world-class team of experts to help institutions meet their challenges in several areas, including student retention, programme design, technology adoption and professional development.

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learning, and we needed to help them do so in a severely compressed timeframe. We needed to help ensure academic continuity and learner success, regardless of the method of delivery,” shares Figlin. Blackboard formed partnerships with several institutions worldwide and extended its existing partnerships to deliver uninterrupted learning across hybrid and fully remotelearning models. Figlin adds, “We have expanded our regional teams to provide better, more handson, comprehensive support to our growing network of partners. We have helped drive technical fluency in educators and administrators through webinars, discussion and feedback forums, and solution-agnostic professional development courses.”

Now, Blackboard is working on tackling the next wave of challenges — whether this means keeping students engaged in the face of continued online learning or embracing hybrid models as some regions return to in-person classes. With tools and solutions to advance learning, the company helps students stay connected to their instructors and to each other and drives student engagement across different modes.

Pushing the Boundaries of Learning Founded in 1997, Blackboard is a global EdTech leader offering a portfolio of connected capabilities that support learners through their learning journey in K-12, higher education and professional training environments. Blackboard’s mission is to advance learning together with the world’s education community so that all students, educators and institutions can realise their goals today and prepare for tomorrow. We believe everyone, regardless of geography, financial situation, stage of life or disability, deserves access to education

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and a connected support system. “It’s why we’re focused on providing the technology, tools, and support to continuously transform and meet the specific needs of schools and their students by delivering experiences that are connected, insightful, and personalised,” explains Figlin.

Blackboard’s cloud-based technologies, including its learning management system (Blackboard Learn), virtual classroom solution (Blackboard Collaborate) and accessibility solution (Blackboard Ally), allow educators to deliver personalised experiences, fuelled by data, to advance learning. Being in the cloud enables zero downtime, access to its latest features and updates, increases reliability. The company also provides personalised support through various channels, as well as work to increase technical fluency across its user base.

Figlin says, “Blackboard Collaborate, in particular, allowed us to stand out during the pandemic.” The virtual classroom solution offers both synchronous and asynchronous course capabilities. Blackboard Collaborate connects students and instructors via desktops and mobile devices and promotes collaboration, engagement and accessible learning through features such as hand raising, whiteboard, chat, breakout groups and polls. It also integrates seamlessly with all leading learning management systems.

Offering Personalised Support “The shift from traditional, in-person classrooms to digital teaching and learning is often layered and presents challenges ranging from compatibility to be able to leverage the technology effectively. We continuously engage with the education community

Founded in 1997, Blackboard is a global education technology leader offering a portfolio of connected capabilities that support learners through their learning journey in K-12, higher education and professional training environments

and the institutions we partner with to understand their specific challenges. And we have seen that when transitioning to digital infrastructures, institutions are most often concerned with ensuring continuity, training faculty to effectively leverage technology and ensuring the content they deliver online is engaging, accessible and inclusive,” explains Figlin. Blackboard has dedicated additional resources to address these concerns capably and efficiently.

Blackboard has installed cross-functional teams to ensure its technologies can meet increased demand while maintaining continuity of service across all its solutions. The company also proactively collaborates with its clients at regular intervals to anticipate their usage needs. As Oleg Figlin mentions, “We work alongside our clients and support them every step of the way. They expect more personalised experiences, as they experience engaging in a digital platform in many other aspects of their daily lives. I think this has only been amplified over this past year with the accelerated digital transformation we experienced during the pandemic.”

Indeed, personalisation across the industries begins once a critical mass of users engages consistently in a digital platform. Then, it leads to the aggregations of data associated with that engagement to derive a specific insight. The massive shift in education has opened the possibilities for personalisation. “Since no one could predict precisely how personalisation would unfold in the other industries, we cannot predict exactly how personalisation in education will take form over the next decade. But we do know the progression will follow what we have seen in other industries” states Figlin.

For the past few years, Blackboard has been laying the technology foundation to enable personalisation.

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Specifically, moving its clients to the cloud, migrating to an EdTech platform architecture with a common look and feel across products, and all underpinned by a data platform that aggregates and secures data from across its client’s ecosystem. With that in place, the company is now working on the fun part, which is to elevate insights into the user experience. Figlin explains, “For example, we are working on a feature now that will give instructors teaching inside our virtual classroom insight into student performance with a gallery view data overlay from our LMS so that instructors can personalise their instruction to meet their class’s unique needs.

That is an early example of leveraging data pulled together from across the ecosystem and elevated into the user experience where it can impact outcomes for learners. No one else in the market can do that.”

Eyeing the Post-Pandemic Market Opportunities With a whopping 4800 per cent increase in its virtual classroom user base, the pandemic accelerated the

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adoption of Blackboard’s digital tools in 2020 compared to 2019. The company saw a 400 per cent increase in Blackboard Learn SaaS usage and 495 M launches of third-party tools through Blackboard Learn. In addition, blackboard Academy that offers courses in six languages conducted 24, 728 hours of free professional development to support the continuity of education to 13, 684 participants from over 38 countries and awarded 2, 095 Digital Teaching and Learning Series Certifications.

“Now that it’s been over a year since the outbreak of the pandemic, the K-12 sector’s needs are varied and continuously evolving: some schools are opting to continue with remote learning, some have reopened, and some are allowing learners to choose between face-to-face and distance learning, which means they need the infrastructure to support both formats simultaneously,” pinpoints Figlin.

The pandemic has made abundantly clear that technology is not enough — not when transferring the face-to-face learning experience fully online.

Only institutions that had the digital infrastructure

With a whopping 4800 per cent increase in its virtual classroom user base, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of Blackboard’s digital tools in 2020 compared to 2019

and a trained faculty were able to transition online quickly. Figlin adds, “We believe institutions will continue to invest in empowering educators — this will help design flexible, transferrable courses that will be crucial to post-pandemic pedagogy.

We have received feedback that our courses left participants feeling prepared. So outside of the need to adopt digital tools, we see the growing need for professional development as one of the opportunities the sector presents.”

Accessibility will also be pivotal to post-pandemic education. Oleg Figlin says, “Accessibility practices will become a natural part of every instructor’s course-design workflow.

To become an inclusive campus, accessibility best practices like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles must be built into courses from the start.” Blackboard continues to emphasise inclusion in its conversations with the clients.

The company is working towards familiarising its clients with Blackboard Ally, an awardwinning, revolutionary solution that integrates seamlessly into any LMS. It helps institutions improve the student experience by helping them take clear control of course content with usability, accessibility and quality in mind. “Ally

automatically checks digital course content for accessibility issues and generates alternative formats using advanced machine-learning algorithms. It also provides feedback to guide instructors to improve the accessibility of their course content and institution-wide reporting on course content accessibility,” explains Figlin.

Education technology is key to the contemporary learning and teaching experience, as it impacts almost every aspect of education.

For parents, teachers, and school district staff, that makes selecting the right technology partner important than ever. With an extensive portfolio of products and services that support learners throughout their life-long journey, Blackboard has been a trusted EdTech partner serving higher education, K-12, business and government clients worldwide. “When implementing online education tools, it is important to find a technology partner that understands and helps you navigate your specific needs and challenges — often, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Also, local, customised support is crucial to the success of digital teaching and learning and empowering your educators to leverage technology effectively. Find a partner that can provide you with both,” concludes Figlin.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Exponential Technology, COVID-19 and Education: Will the Human Factor Survive?

Rania Lampou, Multi Award-Winning STEM instructor, ICT Teacher Trainer, Neuroeducation Researcher, Greek Ministry of Education & Religious Affairs, Directorate of Educational Technology and Innovation

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If ethical issues arising from technological developments are ignored, there is a great probability that society may regress to a state of imbalance, a state that is not conducive to progress

I

nnovation is an integral component of human progress. One of the best expressions of innovation in society is technology. The Fourth Industrial revolution led human history to an exponential growth of technology driven by information technologies.

Part of the great technological advancement of our times is educational technology.

During the covid-19 pandemic distance education and teleconferencing are being widely used because they are absolutely necessary for homeschooling which is the only answer to the problem of school closure. Online learning is undergoing massive experimentation to provide unprecedented solutions. Machine learning and computers that can act and react without being explicitly programmed to do so open endless new possibilities and challenges.

Grounds for concerns Despite the giant leaps of contemporary technology that have transformed human life and society there are grounds for concerns that technology does not always bring progress. If ethical issues arising from technological

developments are ignored, there is a great probability that society may regress to a state of imbalance, a state that is not conducive to progress.

Technology without the predominant role of the human factor can become a nightmare. Therefore, humans should defend their position in their own creation.

Subsequently, teachers should protect their important role in the educational process. What happens if selflearning machines replace humans like the self-driving cars can replace drivers? Will teachers be replaced by self-learning educational digital tools?

Computers may be much better than humans at tasks that can be organized into a set of rules but there are many things that computers are not very good at and should be left to humans (at least for now). The tasks that can be better addressed by humans fall into three categories: a. problems that require creativity, b. situations where communication and social interaction are needed, c. non routine manual tasks.

Despite the drawbacks, technology has the advantage to give us freedom from hard work and elevate the quality of our lives as we can have more time to interact with

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Rania Lampou is a Global Educator, a multi award-winning STEM instructor, an ICT teacher trainer and a neuroeducation researcher in Greece. Currently, she is a STEM instructor at the Greek Astronomy and Space Company (Annex Salamis) and she is also working at the Greek Ministry of Education, at the Directorate of Educational Technology and Innovation where she writes STE(A)M projects for Greek schools.

She has been awarded many national and international prizes (so far 73) and she is a “Global Teacher Award 2020” (AKS Awards) winner and a “Global Teacher Prize finalist 2019” (Varkey Foundation). Recently she has been selected as “Global Icon 2020” featured in “Passion Vista” Magazine, among the top 20 women entrepreneurs featured in “Fortune India” and among the 100 most successful women in business featured in an Amazon book. She promotes STEM vision by introducing STEM in astronomy and physics projects and combines STEM with Language Teaching. She is the founder of eight innovative international projects that focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Furthermore, she is an author of scientific books for kids, a social activist, a Global Peace Ambassador and she has received many humanitarian awards from International Humanitarian Organizations. She is an Editorial Board Member of many journals. She has presented her research in numerous international conferences and e-conferences, she collaborates with many organizations and she has published work in various journals.

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each other and be creative. As longevity is steadily increasing the free time that we will be available to every one of us will be steadily increasing too.

However, people should set limits and these limits should be imposed by international councils.

It’s imperative to set a groundwork of principles that we should all agree upon because digital ethics is an uncharted territory and a subject that humanity didn’t have to deal with throughout history. Digital ethics is our new compass that becomes more and more necessary as time goes on and as technology advances.

Digital ethics is even more important than technology itself because examining the unintentional results of advanced technology can prevent serious problems in the future. Technological industry bases its decisions on profitability and efficiency.

The moral boundaries should be set from the outside because it’s naive to believe that a profitable industry will limit its options by itself on the grounds of ethics.

There are five core human rights that technological advancement should respect: 1. The right to remain natural.

We shouldn’t have to have technological devices in or on our bodies in order to function as normal citizens in our everyday lives. 2. The right to be less efficient than machines.

We should not give priority to efficiency versus humanity.

We can’t sacrifice human authenticity as we are striving for efficiency. 3. The right to disconnect from the network. We should be able to become invisible when we choose so. 4. The right to be anonymous when we connect to networks.

We can’t be tracked down all the time especially when we don’t do harm to anybody. 5. The right to employ or involve people instead of machines. Companies should be protected when they choose to employ people instead of machines.

In the very near future, it will no longer be about whether technology can do something (the answer

will almost always be yes) but whether it should do something—and why. We should always ask questions starting with when, why and who as far as technology is concerned. Especially the questions that start with who are very important since technology is a great source of power.

We should also ask a lot of questions in order to evaluate our progress and the boundaries between humanity and machines. Most of the times the answer won’t be a straight no or yes but it is still important to ask questions.

The most important question to ask is: Will technology increase inequality, or serve to lessen it? The digital divide that is increasingly becoming obvious during the lockdown has already given us a hidden answer.

In addition, social distancing that is inevitable during the pandemic has been facilitated by technology.

However, it seems that humans may not be as productive when they are away from each other even if they can use state-of-the art technology.

There is scientific evidence that the best solutions develop when people interact in close proximity which is the opposite of physical distance.

Further research has shown that communication declines when there is distancing. The closer we are, the more we communicate, and the more we communicate, the more and the better we create. The ability to innovate in collaboration will become more important as technology advances.

Face-to-face is still a more effective way to interact but if the online meeting is the only choice, groups with high RME (Reading the Mind in the Eyes) scores will produce the best results. Face-toface interaction is more effective, but, if the meeting has to be carried online, people with high RME scores are more effective than others. Another conclusion from research is that women can make the group smarter. Thus, interaction in a group becomes more

Digital ethics is even more important than technology itself because examining the unintentional results of advanced technology can prevent serious problems in the future

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efficient when women take part in it. On the other hand, competing for status poisons a group’s effectiveness regardless of gender composition. It destroys the performance advantages that women bring to a group.

Values like empathy and collaboration seem that they are even more important in the exponential age.

On the other hand, there are always exceptions to the rules as far as humans are concerned. Putting people together can often prompt groupthink which is a phenomenon that reinforces each other’s already acquired long-held beliefs. That means that groupthink is against creativity. Moreover, in groups in which people don’t trust each other there is no creativity. That’s why the most creative groups of all are groups of few people.

Exponential technology in education and training Exponential technologies are impacting: a. what we need to learn, b. how we view schooling and society and c. how we will teach and learn in the future.

Computer skills are increasingly becoming as important as writing and reading and are taught to children as young as five. Moreover, helping young people to develop complex task skills is the best way to prepare them for future jobs. Another interesting topic in education is the set of 21st century skills that the World Economic Forum released in the New Vision for Education Report.

In the coming years people should have a full understanding of technology and science because they will live in a world where technology will make things more simple and more complicated at the same time.

Educational technologies that can promote STEM education STEM education is about technology and can be promoted by technology. Technologies that can be very helpful to STEM practice are: Virtual reality. VR is important in education because it engages students as it is an immersive technology that it has also been used in game industry.

The three-dimensional nature of VR aids with learning and the virtual reality experience is more motivating for students. Studies show that a virtual environment can stimulate learning and comprehension.

“Clickers” or “key-pads”. “Clickers” or “key-pads” is classroom technology that allows students to respond and interact through small hand-held transmitters.

Clickers usually have a 10-digit numeric keypad and not only send a signal but also indicate whether it was received.

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Each clicker has a unique signal and as a result the student who answers can be identified and recorded.

Answers can be displayed on the projection screen.

Clickers are an effective tool especially in large classes because they engage students by enhancing their active participation and enjoyment of the class. They increase attendance and retention. They are most effective when they are combined with peer and cooperative learning.

The anonymity of clickers offers many advantages to students who say that they like keeping their answers private because it’s easy to block their neighbors’ view when they use a keypad.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). A MOOC is an open online course that is open to a large audience.

Research proves that the student population who attends the courses are mostly young and well-educated males.

They are also employed and a majority of them comes from developed countries. Many platforms supported by universities and colleges offer MOOCS on a great variety of subjects.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of connected physical real objects with embedded computational and networking capabilities. In this way, the physical world is linked through the web and smart buildings, homes and cities can be created. This improves the way we live and learn and it changes the way we work and play.

In addition, there is “Internet of Me” that includes smart watches, smart clothes (smart glass), head mounted cameras, etc. Wearable technologies have many possible applications in education and training. With wearable technologies learning can happen anywhere and anytime.

Cloud computing provides access to resources that can be requested and configured by the user. In education, cloud computing can provide e-learning services, (e.g., virtual worlds, simulations, video streaming). It gives teachers the necessary tools for lectures and labs according to the learners’ needs. New scenarios and innovations are possible through cloud-computing.

Conclusion Making the most of current opportunities rather than setting long-term plans is a winning strategy since the world is changing rapidly. Furthermore, the current situation includes opportunities but also alarming signs.

Technology is a great tool as long as it serves humanity.

The same applies even more to education because education is a process that celebrates the innermost nature of humanity. Technology should never take over and replace the interaction between teachers and students.

If this ever happens the very essence of education will be lost.

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K12 Digest Higher Education Digest May 2021 October 2020

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Serve First, Lead Second: Servant Leadership Enhances Organisational Performance Dr Joseph Kotarski, International K-12 School Leader, United Arab Emirates

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Existing literature on leadership tells us that leaders personal and professional values impact organisational performance

P

oet and Civil Rights Activist Maya Angelou once said, A leader sees greatness in other people. He nor she can be much of a leader if all they see is themself. As an experienced school leader and graduate of a Doctorate Organisational Change and Leadership program, Angelou’s words orient me to my “north star” of educational leadership which is servant driven.

Leaders and Followers Leaders must work to win over their employees as “followers.” An employee that is a follower of their organisation’s leader is likely to trust and buy-in to their leader’s ability to communicate and act on the purpose, vision, and mission of their organisation while non-followers are likely to be suspect of their leaders ability to articulate and deliver their stated organisational ideals. Plain and simple, the more followers a leader has then the more productive and successful the organisation. Servant leaders are best positioned to maximise their followers leading to enhanced organisational performance.

What is Servant Leadership?

Existing literature on leadership tells us that leaders personal and professional values impact organisational performance. By embracing servant leadership values effective servant leaders are able to attract and influence followers of their organisation by building trust and empowering their employees in turn leading to returns on employee performance and organisational productivity.

Servant leaders are characterized and driven by six key behaviour traits: Servant Leader Behaviour Traits • Conceptualizing: Understanding the organisation • Emotional intelligence • Put followers first • Support followers growth and success • Behave ethically • Empowerment Conceptualising Servant leadership practise begins with the leaders ability to effectively conceptualise their

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organisations purpose, vision, and mission and use their conceptual understandings to address opportunities and challenges that arise within the organisation. By understanding their own organisational context, servant leaders are positioned to practice high leverage behaviours that enhance the relationship with their followers. By conceptualising a servant leadership mindset, leaders are better poised to strengthen the identity, articulation, and reinforcement of their organisational vision.

Dr Joseph Kotarski has over 15 years teaching and educational leadership experience across the USA, UK, and MENA region. He holds his Doctor of Education in organizational change and leadership and his research interests aim to evaluate the use of teacher performance assessments in developing teachers new to the profession; particularly videobased teaching segments that can be utilized to model best practices.

He began his teaching career in the U.K. and later progressed to teaching and middle leadership in the U.A.E. where he supported his school with its inaugural and subsequent KHDA inspections in Dubai. Later he was a founding member of a Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. where he led social-emotional and curriculum enrichment initiatives. Later he led a non-for-profit K-12 school in Morocco where he led the school through its accreditation candidacy.

Dr Kotarski leads school accreditation reviews for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and also is a reviewer for joint NEASC, Council of International Schools (CIS), and International Baccalaureate (I.B.) school accreditation visits.

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Emotional Intelligence Servant leaders exercise high emotional intelligence. By being aware of and responsive to their followers personal concerns and well-being, servant leaders put followers first by communicating and taking actions that let their followers know their concerns are being addressed; servant leaders build trust with their followers by recognising and aiming to resolve their problems by empathising and nurturing their needs.

Put Followers First Building relationships with followers is a paramount characteristic of servant leadership. In order to cultivate essential stakeholder relationships and build leadership capacity servant leaders aspire to exercise a serve-first mindset that is focused on empowering and uplifting all stakeholders in their organisation through accountable autonomy. Actions and words from the leader are demonstrable as servant leaders address followers concerns as a top priority and put their needs ahead of their own. Servant leaders are prepared to break from their own tasks to support their followers with their tasks.

Support Followers Growth and Success By serving, as opposed to imposing, showing humility instead of brandishing authority, and placing razor-sharp focus on enhancing the development of organisa-

tional learning through growth mindset and mindfulness practices, employees are primed to be developed in ways that unlock potential, creativity, innovation, and maximize performance. Organisational effectiveness increases when leaders are trustworthy and, in turn, place visible trust in their team by empowering them to be contributing designers and key drivers of initiatives. Servant leaders are aware of their employee aspirations and support and mentor their teams to become self-actualising in realising their full potential.

Behave Ethically Servant leaders do not compromise their ethical standards in order to achieve success.

Instead, leaders are focused on being open, honest, and fair with their employees. It is essential that servant leaders solicit input when making decisions from people who could be negatively impacted by the decision, especially where appropriate, from people who usually do not agree. Regardless of the outcome, servant leaders must be effective communicators by informing and explaining circumstances to key stakeholders before implementing key decisions. The most powerful teaching tool a leader has is leading by example, which is occurring all the time, whether intended or not, conscious, or not. Therefore, leaders must always demonstrate integrity. In practice, leaders always do as they say they are going to do by keeping commitments; equally important leaders are the first to own their own mistakes and genuinely apologize as soon as possible expressing appropriate leadership humility.

Empowerment Leadership in the 21st-century calls for a shift away from the traditional role of leaders as “managers” to instead serve as “facilitators, mentors, and coaches” of organisational growth and learning. Servant leadership calls on leaders to make space for employees to have the freedom to make decisions on their own, be independent, and self-sufficient.

Servant leaders build collaboration systems that facilitate power sharing with followers.

By doing so followers develop a heightened sense of confidence in their own abilities and capacity to think and act on their own as a result of leader empowerment.

Building relationships with followers is a paramount characteristic of servant leadership

Organisational Returns on Service Leadership The model of servant leadership leads to greater employee self-actualisation. This can be seen as a favourable outcome as employee roleperformance improves leading followers to be more accomplished at meeting requirements and demands of their job expectations. Another expected result of servant leadership is that followers are positioned to become servant leader themselves with their colleagues in the workplace; the model of servant leadership utilises caring and ethical behaviour and this in turn has the capacity to build shared cultural practices. There are several well-grounded studies that suggest when servant leaders are leading their teams that followers are likely to go above and beyond the scope of their core responsibilities leading to enhanced organisational returns.

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MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

EDNEX

To Discover the Future of Experiential Learning T

he world currently is going through a crisis that is unprecedented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the education sector, the challenge is humungous with the education of 300+ million students disrupted worldwide, leaving the universities and schools to deal with a situation that they were never prepared to handle.

However, thanks to the advancement in technology, today we can ensure that education continues despite widespread and uncertain lockdowns on educational institutions and have positive learning experiences and outcomes, including technical education, which is so

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strongly dependent on hands-on learning. Nevertheless, extending the traditional hands-on laboratory settings over the online virtual and remote lab remains a challenge for education in engineering.

“Traditionally, engineering education and hands-on laboratories have been an essential part of undergraduate engineering and vocational programs. Concepts taught through lectures are often complemented with laboratory experimentations,” says Senthil Kugan, a techentrepreneur and a visionary with an endless passion for education and innovative technology solutions

Senthil Kugan, Founder

Senthil Kugan’s unwavering commitment to improve the classroom and to shape the path in which students learn in the future has set new benchmarks in the industry. He has been instrumental in pioneering many pathbreaking initiatives such as Integrated STEM Labs, Innovation Labs, Fab Labs, Makerspaces, and prestigious competitions such as the Robotics Olympiad, 3D Printing Olympiad, First Lego League, etc. Senthil has presented at many prestigious events and conducted several technical workshops in STEM, Robotics, Coding, and many more.

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for learning. Founded by Senthil Kugan, EdNex is a futuristic experiential learning and training consultant and solutions provider for K-12, Higher Education and Vocational & Industrial organisations.

Ednex has been creating awareness on Virtual lab management Platforms in Partnership with leading Virtual lab solution providers Intelitek, Learnmate and Quanser Qlabs. Senthil Kugan shares, “We have created virtual lab management packages for various labs and delivering the platform with the lab management systems to interface with the existing LMS in the institute. They can also manage the lab with the management system provided by Ednex.” Besides, EdNex also provides virtual lab management certificate training for lab engineers to get them certified in a lab, including Mechanical & Mechatronics, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical & Electronics, and Instrumentation & Process Control.

“There are various studies conducted about the effectiveness of virtual and physical lab. Both labs offer significant experience, skills and knowledge. Hence, virtual labs are a great supplement to the physical lab rather than alternative,” comments Senthil Kugan. In fact, the focus of modern universities should be on designing hybrid laboratories and also altering the curriculum accordingly to combine the positive aspects of Physical and Virtual lab to ensure that all the learning objectives of engineering laboratories are achieved in full.

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Founded by Senthil Kugan, EdNex is a futuristic experiential learning and training consultant and solutions provider for K-12, Higher Education and Vocational & Industrial organisations

Senthil Kugan pinpoints, “Hands-on education allows students to experience the concepts and practising skills, conducting experiments, observing dynamic phenomena, testing hypotheses, learning from their mistakes, and reaching their own conclusions. With the rapid progress of the controls and communication technologies like IoT, more and more labs can be conducted online Virtual lab can be reconfigured and controlled remotely. These new functionalities have been making remote hands-on training via internet possible.” New possibilities in the way lab exercises are performed include the simulation of the lab environment online without the license issued to student computers. Student can access this lab through the Virtual Lab management system of the university/ vocational school. Currently, there are two approaches to conducting labs online, virtual and remote labs.

Indeed, there is a lack of awareness in the educational community who either do not know many details about them or do not know them at all. What are their benefits? Which examples of virtual and remote labs for engineering and vocational education can be found in the virtual lab and remote, and how spread and popular are they? What are the current trends and issues in the

implementation and deployment of these tools? And the future ones?

What is Virtual and Remote lab?

“The Virtual lab is based on the software Java applet, Flash, Matlab/Simulink, Labview and other software to simulate the Labs like Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical & Electronics, Manufacturing, Control,” explains Senthil Kugan. Virtual lab simulations are used along with the hardware in laboratories traditionally. Now, these virtual simulations are available through cloud-based online portals, which enable the institution to allow the student to access this virtual lab without issuing a license to the students’ devices.

“Remote lab, by definition, is an experiment conducted and controlled on the lab hardware remotely through the internet with the web interface software.

The experiment conducted to use the real hardware in the lab or different location,” states Senthil Kugan. This remote lab can be equipped with features based on the lab requirement and safety requirement of the hardware.

Student can be allowed only to collect the data, or they are allowed to control the parameters remotely. This

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is based on the hardware control features for a web interface. With new IoT enabled controls, digital twins possible in future labs. Already leading educational lab manufacturers like Quanser and Intelitek adopted the remote lab control and digital twins features in their lab equipment.

Benefits of Online Virtual and Remote lab Beyond the pandemic, the Virtual and Remote lab has great potential and need to be adopted across the Universities and Vocational schools.

• Enable the student to access the Lab 24x7, • Universities can adopt virtual lab along with hardware for expensive labs like CNC, CIM, Robotics and Automation and other control labs to extend the hands-on learning to students at any time.

• Virtual labs allow students to repeat an experiment multiple times, giving them an opportunity to test the experiments with various parameters and outcomes • The most important benefit of a virtual lab is to let the student learn from Failures without causing any real damages, which is also the objective of engineering education laboratories.

• Student can gain more skill by allowing them to work on this virtual lab without time restriction.

What are the labs currently available in the Virtual lab for Engineering & Vocational Education?

Most of the Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical & Electronics, Robotics & Control labs are currently

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available in popular Virtual lab portals, Learnmate & Qlab.

1. Engineering Foundation labs 2. Electrical & Electronics E-learning with Virtual lab 3. Material Testing 4. CNC/CAD/CAM/CIM 5. Pneumatics/Hydraulics/Sensor/PLC 6. Robotics/Vision 7. Control lab 8. Instrumentation & Process control Challenges in Implementation & Deployment of Virtual lab Despite the virtual labs in existence for more than a decade, the importance of online virtual lab is widely discussed during this pandemic. It became essential for universities and vocational schools to continue to deliver technical education with standards.

• The main challenge is the lack of awareness and training for Existing Lab Engineers and Faculties to adopt this virtual lab part of their education systems • Universities and Vocational Schools has to adopt the Virtual lab management tools as part of their learning management system LMS • Training required to lab engineers and faculties on virtual lab to deliver and manage lab assessment report • Migration from existing lab management tool to online assessment tool for labs • IT infrastructure and resources for deploying the cloud-based Virtual lab

TAILOR-MADE EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS www.edusoul.com.co

VIRTUAL FACTORY As digital content creators for schools and corporations, we are focused on adding value to your brand through a learning process concept.

Whether you are looking for Lifelong Learning Digital Skills or Tailor-Made Educational Projects, Education Soul brings you its capability to design, structure and operate your Virtual Learning Factory

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All our initiatives are in Spanish

K12 Digest May 2021

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Metacognitive Creativity in STEAM: Learning How to Learn with a Creative Twist Dr Svetlana Belic Malinic, Academic Director, Institute for Contemporary Education, LINK Educational Alliance, Serbia

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To think creatively, we generate ideas and let them incubate for a while. While they are cooking, they will get sprinkled with inspiration before the “a-ha!” moment known as illumination

I

t might have been the shape of the Moon or the Sun that inspired a prehistoric man to invent the wheel around 3,500 B.C. Surprisingly though, it had been first used by potters to create amazing artifacts before it was used in transport some 300 years later. In Ancient Greece, legendary artificer Daedalus used his design skills to lock a monster Minotaur in a complex labyrinth of walls. Leonardo da Vinci made unthinkable linkages between science and art in his sketches, inspiring both artists and scientists in centuries to come to invent machines that changed the course of history. The more recent times witness some innovators whose ground-breaking ideas and creative minds brought us technological delights, space explorations and scientific advances that are benchmarking Industrial Revolution 4.0.

So, we have been creative creatures for centuries before the first concept of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) was introduced in schools. Why were art, creativity and design forgotten in this STEM square? Children’s skills to learn and deduct from observation, visualisation,

tactile experiences and subjective interpretations provide a strong argument for transforming STEM education. The A, that is Arts, is Alpha for STEM. It brings virtue to it by empowering students to live their learning experiences and connect their emotions with scientific evidence. Thus, the STEAM concept is born, an upgraded and enhanced version of STEM. It scaffolds children to think outside the box and spice their problem-solving with a secret sauce of creative thinking.

Creative thinking: momentum for STEAM According to the World Economic Forum, upskilling and reskilling in the next five years will be a global demand and creativity is one of the most important skills. In response to this trend, a large multidisciplinary PISA 2022 survey will be launched, aimed at determining the creative thinking skills level among 15-year-olds. It will place a greater emphasis on an individual’s malleable ability to generate new ideas, which brings creativity into correlation with problem-solving skills.

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To think creatively, we generate ideas and let them incubate for a while. While they are cooking, they will get sprinkled with inspiration before the “a-ha!” moment known as illumination. With all these brilliant ideas in mind, we can now try them out and verify their application in reality.

The key to creative thinking are questions!

“Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler did not solve an old problem, they asked a new question, and in doing so they changed the whole basis on which the old questions had been framed”, holds Sir Ken Robinson, a fierce advocate for creativity in education. When asking questions, we should try putting different hats on, change our perspectives and create new solutions to situations, issues or problems.

We should use these hats to bring creativity to our teaching and illuminate new paths to learning. Here are some guidelines:

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● Let students tap into intrinsic motivation. Assign them tasks that they like to do enthusiastically. ● Let students embrace their choice and own their learning. ● Provide scaffolding along the way. Empower students to match the challenge level to their ability level. ● Try to minimize distractions as this might help students focus on their learning. ● And finally, encourage metacognition.

Metacognition: think about thinking, learn about learning Metacognition is often an overlooked component of learning, yet it empowers students to learn planning and goal-setting while monitoring their own progress. When challenged, they should put their hats on and assess the tasks, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and plan how to proceed. While discovering alternatives to

An educational thought leader, Dr Svetlana Belic Malinic has been inspiring teachers to experiment with new teaching approaches for more than 20 years. With a digital growth mindset and creativity, Svetlana has shaped educational trends in the region and ideated innovation at many levels.

Her creative ideas have been greatly appreciated in the wider academic community, putting her forward as a finalist for the Global Teacher of the Year Award, recipient of John Haycraft Scholarship for Classroom Exploration and author of many educational projects with deliverables at the state level.

Svetlana is an Academic Director at LINK Educational Alliance, where she shares her learning enthusiasm and professional expertise with educators from across the world. She is also a Cambridge Assessment Specialist and an accredited Cambridge PDQ Programme Leader, who advocates for the values of intercultural competence in international education.

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their learning strategies, they engage in creative thinking and let their ideas illuminate the path. The more freedom and support they get along the way, the more creative they grow.

Therefore, when creating tasks to foster metacognition, we have to think of how to balance challenge and skill levels. When we strike the right balance, the students are “in the state of flow”. They like what they do and they do it enthusiastically. They are happy, and happy students learn best. However, if a challenge level is set high and students struggle with their skills, then we create learning anxiety, which is obviously not good. On the other hand, if there is little challenge and students are quite skilled, they get bored.

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It is, therefore, important to inspire students to “think about thinking” and “learn about learning”.

Students process metacognition in various ways. Tacit students are unaware of learning and quite indifferent to acquiring new knowledge. Students who are aware of metacognition might use some strategies such as finding evidence or correlations, but their efforts are not deliberate or planned. Strategic students use higher-order thinking skills to generate creative alternatives, but they do not learn beyond good grades. Reflective students go a step further. They are curious, inquisitive and understand the value of evaluation and adaptation. They ask new questions and think outside the box.

We want to inspire students to think about ways to bring about creativity and creative thinking. We want them to reflect on how to own creative ideas and follow their flow. Here are some ideas how to do it: ● First of all, assign intrinsically rewarding tasks. ● Set clear goals and develop a sense of progress. ● Make sure to provide clear and immediate feedback. ● Allow students to own their learning and understand how a personal control or agency affects the task. ● Help them understand what is going on and focus on how much they know now.

Metacognitive creativity: a perfect blend for STEAM During the thinking process, we give our thoughts new perspectives through the incubation and illumination of ideas. By seeking inspiration in new ideas, our process of “thinking about thinking” gets a new dimension, and this is actually where metacognitive creativity is born.

So, let’s go back to the metacognitive cycle and see what it looks like now with a creative thinking twist: ● Assess the task but with a state of flow in mind.

Adjust challenge and skill levels to ignite intrinsic motivation and learning enthusiasm. ● Use the six hats to evaluate your tasks and give them various perspectives. ● Then plan by incubating and illuminating ideas. Don’t be afraid to let them swarm and buzz around. ● Use feedback when applying and adapt accordingly. ● Reflect on the progress and allow yourself to make mistakes. After all, they are part of the learning process.

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MUST-WATCH

EDTECH COMPANIES IN THE

MIDDLE EAST – 2021

SPECKTRON

Helping Education Sector to be Ready for the New Normal A

s per the statistics published by HolonIQ, education was a digital laggard with less than 4 per cent of overall expenditure allocated to digital, presenting a serious challenge given the scale of what is to come.

However, the global education system is in a rapid state of digital transformation as students and faculty get accustomed to the new way of learning and teaching.

Afshin Riazi, Managing Director of Specktron, who has more than 25+ years of business and leadership experience in the IT/AV market in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia, says, “Technology

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has been at the forefront during these challenging times and has been instrumental in the continuity of education during this pandemic. Traditional modes of teaching and learning have taken efforts to move to remote learning and teaching.”

Technology has provided learning continuity in many situations when students cannot be physically present in their classrooms. However, it has not been accessible to many in countries with low and middleincome sectors. Specktron, being an innovative and leading audio-visual technology company that offers an

Afshin Riazi, Managing Director

Afshin Riazi is responsible for the worldwide operation of Specktron, and he has introduced Specktron in more than 60 countries by establishing channel partners after-sales service in all of these regions. He likes travelling and is a technology enthusiast. He believes focus, energy, passion, integrity and creativity are the core for success but with the speed of change in technology today, being open-minded, flexible and responsive to the changes is essential to stay successful.

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Specktron was established in 2011 to introduce high quality, reliable, and competitive products targeted at the education sector

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extensive range of products and solutions for various environments such as meeting rooms, presentations, classrooms, and living rooms, has responded well to the pandemic. Afshin Riazi shares, “At Specktron, we have introduced a variety of new entry models to address the issue without compromise in our offerings.”

Specktron has improved its offerings by adding a wide range of products to support the education industry. Some of the most popular products include all-in-one Interactive Displays, Professional Signage, Laser Projectors, and Whiteboards. The company has also partnered with leading software providers that integrate seamlessly with its products offering schools and universities access to multilingual content and curriculum. “With the rise of technology adoption in educational institutions, challenges

have come in the way as well, like teacher readiness, access to digital resources and support devices, and support for students at home. We offer online programs to train all our partners through webinars and address these challenges,” points out Afshin Riazi.

Making Life Simple Specktron was established in 2011 to introduce high quality, reliable, and competitive products targeted at the education sector. Since then, we have come a long way by expanding our offerings in Displays, projectors, LED, and signage’s for various verticals. “Over the years, we have enabled multiple industries with seamless solutions for classrooms, meeting rooms which have exceptionally benefited during this pandemic,” says Afshin Riazi.

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From the onset, Specktron’s prime focus has been on building quality products and solutions.

With these attributes in mind, the company has progressed and are now widely accepted by customers. In the last few years, Specktron has established itself as a leading brand in the EMEA region. “Customers across verticals are quite aware of what they want. The success of our business is largely dependent on the way our customers perceive us,” pinpoints Afshin Riazi.

The team at Specktron has taken steps to enhance the customer experience by mapping the buyer journey and providing tailored content to various verticals like the Education Industry.

An example of this would be Email Marketing.

“We send out monthly tips to our customers on how they can use Specktron Displays for Remote Teaching. Some of the tools we use are Retarget marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Tailored content marketing, Video Marketing, Social Media, and Pay per Click Marketing,” explains Afshin Riazi.

Specktron believes in creating a futuredriven culture and values employee feedback and opinion to encourage autonomy at work.

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This, in turn, helps their employees grow and function as a team. They are looking for candidates who are energetic, talented, and passionate about their work and should be team players, flexible, creative, and focused on the company’s end goal. Looking ahead, Specktron is looking to provide large LED display solutions that can be connected to their interactive screens in auditoriums and conference halls.

With the challenges that the education sector faces, Specktron’s prime focus is to improve the lines of communication between teachers and students. Sharing of ideas, social engagement, and online activities will be at the forefront of Specktron’s offered solutions.

Selecting the right technology partner can make a huge difference. It’s not always about having a great brand or product but the seamless implementation and practical use that makes the difference. “To execute a flawless solution within your premises, EdTech companies should have relevant years of experience in implementing technology and the know-how of what technology is right for you,” concludes Afshin Riazi.

12 Digest Higher EducationKDigest May 2021 December October January 2019 2020

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

When There Is No Roadmap, There Is A Compass Shady Elkassas, Director of Innovation Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

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There was no roadmap to guide us throughout this pandemic, but efforts and passion created the compass

I

n 2020, the whole world faced a resilient microscopic enemy that reshaped all the human activities on Earth. Covid-19 had a devastating impact and a negative influence on many aspects of our lives. One of those was the economic sector which caused a major crisis in many countries.

The health sector was obliged to fight against the lack of resources and the incredible number of patients.

However, we cannot ignore that this circumstance has created many other opportunities. Covid-19 has sharpened our saw, expanded our perception, and strengthened our abilities in adapting to this global challenge. As educators, we shifted to distance/ hybrid learning models. These models were new frontiers that allowed our teachers, students, parents, policymakers, and curricular designers to explore.

There was no roadmap to guide us throughout this pandemic, but efforts and passion created the compass.

Technology had to help us adapt to all these sudden changes quickly. Some of the things technology affected were quality of instruction and classroom collaboration. Covid-19 led to the closure

of schools and other education facilities, which led to a paradigm shift in education delivery. This shift led educators to quickly adapt to an education system that they were not familiar with or prepared to use.

Furthermore, E-learning tools like MS Teams had to play a crucial role in this pandemic to ease the switch to online learning. Such a switch and heavy reliance on online learning might also have a positive impact. An excellent example of this advantage is the decreased difficulty for physically challenged people because they require less mobility. The quality of online education depends heavily on the experience of information and communications technology (ICT) by both educators and learners.

Some ICTs are inclusive and have options that allow teachers to create courses and different skill enhancement programs. Such options may be beneficial because they give students and educators more tools to help them develop the vision they aim to have for their classroom. These tools might also enhance Project-based learning by providing students with a more rounded experience that includes chats, video calls, and more accessible

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Shady Elkassas is a multiple awardwinning and passionate Egyptian educator working in the United Arab Emirates. Since his childhood, he looked forward to a career in teaching, and become a committed educator providing high standards and practices in the education of young people.

Shady is a popular STEM advocate and speaker in the Middle East region. He has taken initiatives to adopt project-based learning (PBL) and inquiry-based learning (IBL) methodologies to create a new foundation of STEM learning in school.

file storage. It also helps students better follow a rubric-based system created by their educator to understand better and execute their submitted projects. However, all these options lead to a rise in unique challenges. One of these challenges is caused by the accessibility, inclusivity, and affordability of online learning. Innately motivated learners feel like such a switch does not affect them because they need minimum supervision and guidance to perform at high standards.

However, the group consisting of students who are weak in learning will face more difficulties with the lack of one-on-one advice. This weakness might cause a drop in the overall academic performances of different institutions. That drop in performance for these academic institutions may also be caused by the fact that schools are no longer able to provide the vital resources needed leaving vulnerable members of the population trailing behind. This will lead to several weaknesses in the coming years where educators will have to educate their students whilst keeping in mind that some students may not be at the

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level intended for them due to the challenges created

by Covid-19.

Another thing to address is the effect of technology on project-based learning. Projectbased learning is popular amongst educators for it encourages student engagement with the curriculum.

It also shifts the classroom dynamic, giving students increased flexibility, reliability, and experience with real-world applications. Education technology greatly benefits PBL in numerous ways. It creates an interest in innovation and new ventures by enabling them to have complete control of their projects through new technology hence motivating and engaging students. It also empowers students by giving them more freedom instilling a sense of independence in them. Covid-19 might have led to many challenges to the education sector, putting educators and students on a road that they haven’t trodden before. Education technology acted as a compass that led us back on track. It empowered and prepared us for the new frontier of education; a new chapter of innovation.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Future-Proofing: Guiding our Students to Find Their Purpose Sandra Ospina, Assistant Principal Data and Analysis, Misk Schools, Riyadh

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I fervently believe we need to rethink curriculum priorities, putting the development of soft skills on an equal footing with academic learning so that young people leave school with more than a set of examination results

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here is much debate about how best to prepare students for an unpredictable job market when most of the curricula and practices in use today were developed for mass training young people to work in factory-style jobs. There are no easy answers, but the pandemic has shown us that now more than ever, we have to make courageous decisions to change the course of our education systems.

According to the World Economic Forum: “Building future-ready (and pandemic-proof) systems requires designing curricula fit for the 21st century, coupled with the delivery of an accessible, basic educational foundation for everyone that prepares them for a lifetime of adapting and developing new abilities. In addition, specialized education should focus particularly on in-demand skills and address the disconnect between employer needs and existing instruction.”

In this article, I would like to expand on the idea of preparing students: “for a lifetime of adapting and developing new abilities” and illustrate how helping them find their purpose liberates and empowers them to do precisely that.

I start with the premise that when young people understand their purpose, they engage more deeply, becoming eager and motivated to learn. Inevitably, they discover that in order to pursue their ‘why,’ they will need not only academic qualifications but also a host of other, less tangible behaviors and competencies.

For example, they will need to be focused and resilient because achieving life goals takes time and is never straightforward. They will need to think creatively and communicate convincingly because securing support requires ingenuity. And they will need to hone their leadership and teamwork abilities because no man is an island.

So how do you go about incorporating this kind of self-exploratory development work into curriculum time and making it tangible?

Fortunately, a lot of work has been done in this area, and so we have excellent studies and thinking to draw from. Models such as Costa and Kallick’s 16 Habits of Mind and Sean Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful Teens provide practical frameworks for young people, helping them to understand what kind of

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Sandra Ospina is Assistant Principal Data and Analysis at Misk Schools in Riyadh. With a background in science education, she is currently doing a Master’s in International Education Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sandra has over a decade of experience teaching from nursery to college freshman.

Technology has always been an essential tool in her teaching. She is an early adopter of technologies at any organization she works with.

Sandra’s top interests in education include: Global education, STEAM, lifelong learning, neuroscience of learning, data, and the personalization of learning. For the last seven years, she has been working in the Middle East and is inspired by the rapid and positive changes she has seen in the educational sector in the region. She is excited to be part of that change as a leader and educator.

capabilities and dispositions they need to navigate life successfully. These are just two of many models that are available to support us as we nurture and develop our students.

It is frustrating that such valuable materials are readily at hand and yet apparently rarely embraced within formal curricula.

I conclude it’s because they focus on socalled soft skills rather than on preparation for summative assessments in traditional

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core subjects, which most education systems still view as the ultimate purpose of school.

I fervently believe we need to rethink curriculum priorities, putting the development of soft skills on an equal footing with academic learning so that young people leave school with more than a set of examination results. Having just delivered a curricular unit using Sean Covey’s model, along with the Japanese concept of Ikigai, I

can attest that the impact can be exceptional – even life-changing for some.

Ikigai is something I discovered only recently. The idea roughly translates to having a purpose in life and is beautifully simple.

You find your purpose in the core of the overlapping circles: What you love to do, What you are good at, What the world needs, and what you can get paid for.

Using the Ikigai philosophy, I tasked students with pinpointing their purpose. I then introduced activities that highlighted Covey’s Seven Habits and used coaching techniques to ensure these were thoroughly understood.

The process took some time and was not linear. My role was as a facilitator. I asked questions, encouraged students to dig deeper, be more aspirational. We made lists of strengths and preferred activities, and ultimately, each student was able to develop a personal mission statement. Some reflected short-term goals, and others captured a longer-term vocational ambition. The impact was significant. For most students, I observed a new sense of selfworth that translated into enhanced levels of engagement and commitment.

One student, in particular, said she had never thought about what she likes or loves doing and that the question of how to plan for the future had never been put to her. The schools she has attended had not given her the space to think about these kinds of things. As she began to become conscious of what she loved and was good at and what she could make a career of based on what the world needed, a transformation started to happen.

She displayed signs of confidence and clarity, and excitement about what opportunities life could hold for her. Almost immediately, she understood what competencies would help her become better equipped to pursue her purpose.

These included acquiring entrepreneurial skills and improving her financial understanding.

She had a clearer vision of what she needed to succeed. She could think much more clearly

about potential internships to help her decide her career path and help her think about the likely universities to attend. But personally, for me, the most transformative moment was when she thought about the impact she can have in society, and she became keener in service learning.

Students finding their purpose should be at the core of education, and we as educators need to find ways within our curriculum to facilitate that for our students

To summarize, students finding their purpose should be at the core of education, and we as educators need to find ways within our curriculum to facilitate that for our students.

If we have more students with a purpose, it will not be far-fetched to say that we will have better, happier, and more equitable societies.

So, I will encourage my dear fellow educators to try something different today, whether you do it in one class or at a district level. Let us disrupt to create a better tomorrow!

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Students Engagement: Challenges and Solutions Ahlem Baya Chatti, Tunisian Humanities Head of Department, Business Studies Educator & Career Counselor, Al Ittihad NationalPrivate School-Al Ain, UAE

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No matter what your topic, your delivery and manner of speaking immeasurably influence your students’ attentiveness and learning

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n education, we always talk about students’ engagement, we always evaluate a class based on how much students are engaged and involved in learning. Student engagement refers to the degree of attention, involvement, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are being taught. The more students are engaged the more they will be motivated to learn and to grow up in their education.

It is proved that learning improves when students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired, and declines when students are bored, dispassionate, disaffected, or uninspired. “Engaged Students” affects the quality of teaching and learning. Students will have the ability to better understand, analyze, interpret situations and think critically.

Especially nowadays with the remote learning, “Students Engagement” is considered to be one of the hardest challenges faced by almost all teachers.

In light of this, the following elements may help increase students engagement behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively, therefore positively affecting students learning and achievement.

1. Psychology and teacher’s enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is great eagerness to be involved in a particular activity which you like and enjoy or which you think is important. An enthusiastic teacher spread the excitement, enjoyment, and engages students to participate; and stimulates them to create and innovate.

Thus, Teacher enthusiasm motivates students to engage behaviorally and academically.

But sometimes, with an extremely boring teacher, students are behaving well and getting high grades.

The difference here is that these students have to follow rules, submit homework and study to avoid being in trouble. However, with the enthusiastic teacher, which is a psychological technique where emotions, energy, knowledge and skills are shared between teachers and student. This enhances students’ abilities and willingness to perform and master more challenging tasks, and higher order thinking.

2. Teacher’s way of communication: “No matter what your topic, your delivery and manner of speaking immeasurably influence your students’

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Ahlem Baya Chatti is a passionate and ambitious Tunisian Humanities Head of Department, Business Studies Educator & Career counselor at Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, UAE with more than 8 years of experience.

Started her education field since 2013 at Al Adhwa Private School- Al Ain as a Business Studies/Economics teacher where she discovered her love and adoration to this field.

She holds a bachelors’ degree in Finance from the ISG Tunisia.

Her leadership skills, holistic commitment and strategic vision helped her to strive and grow up into her career to occupy a position as a school board of directors’ member in 2014 with Al Aldhwa School.

She believes that being an educator is much more than a teacher. Educators inspire young people, motivate them, guide them to explore and discover, and show them the path of innovation, creativity and success.

She strongly believes on the new teaching methodologies like the Project Based Learning (PBL), Thinking Based Learning (TBL), Design Thinking, and Gamification…

She had the opportunity to participate and win awards in many entrepreneurship competitions organized by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, Rochester University of Technology Dubai (RIT), Abu Dhabi Port and much more. Also she has taken many initiatives to organize and launch Entrepreneurship competitions inside the school as well as the initiative of implementing the peer tutoring –Volunteering program in the whole school.

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attentiveness and learning.” The above quote is from “Delivering a Lecture,” a chapter in Barbara Gross Davis’ classic text Tools for Teaching.

The teacher communication includes the visual messages (PPT slides, worksheet), verbal message (the words said by the teachers- prepared or improvised) and physical presence.

Regarding the physical presence, some teachers are skilled and are naturally public speakers but also these skills can be learned with the time and with more practices. (“The Act of Teaching: Theater Techniques for Classrooms and Presentations” from Harvard University’s Nancy Houfek on improving your physical presence in the classroom.)

3. Interactive learning: Interactive learning is a more hands-on, real-world process of relaying information in classrooms.

Passive learning relies on listening to teachers’ lecture and memorization of information. But with interactive learning, students are invited to participate in conversations, debates, collaborative work, role-playing group…

Online Sessions can be enjoyable and easier if teachers follow the following tips: • Present clear, simple and organize materials.

(Simple, effective and realizable objectives to be taught every session).

• Interactive concepts explanation using real life situations. (target what the students love) • Call students by their names to answer questions, give chances and help them to get the answer. (by their nicknames is preferable).

• Get students to take action on what they have learned: Students have to immediately apply what they have learned. Every lesson should consist of a piece of information and a student action.

These application tasks can be done using one of the following educational tools: Nearpod / Socrative / Padlet / Quizzes/ Quizlet/ Classkick Students have to solve the problems/questions assigned in one of the programs during the session.

Teacher will give feedback on the students work.

Passive learning relies on listening to teachers’ lecture and memorization of information

• Regular feedback: Regular feedback makes students feel more secure, engaged and motivated to progress. Teachers can ask the students to go further, elaborate, or think of the topic from another angle—anything that helps them revisit what they’ve learned and make it stick.

• Make time for fun: It’s often held that it’s harder to maintain your student’s attention through online interactions than it is through the classroom. Fun will make teachers have a rock-solid engagement plan and win the students’ hearts and minds. Indeed, some interactive fun games / Story telling will change the routine and make students feel better.

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STEM STORIES

STEAM Gaining Its Due Traction

by Inspiring Young Students to be Interdisciplinary Innovators

By Dr. Berthold Franke, Director, Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan

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STEAM can be a great source of inspiration for young minds and help develop their personality without confining it to mere course books

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ver the last few years, the field of education has evolved into a significant driver of economies worldwide and has had a tremendous impact on the growth of individuals, especially in their initial years. It is, thus, imperative for educational institutions and universities to adopt an approach which brings out the best in students and offers them opportunities to grow.

For long, education systems worldwide have focused on academic courses mainly encompassing science, technology, engineering and mathematics, making the entire schooling STEM-centric. STEM has been dominating and regulating school syllabi while making students accustomed to a specific way of learning. However, with changing needs, the outlook to teach is undergoing a paradigm shift. The long due integration of Arts to STEM subjects, now known as STEAM, introduces a new way of educating students by exploring diverse concepts through problem-based learning methodologies and creative thinking.

STEAM v/s STEM Driven by competition, ambition and success, students these days are becoming keener to explore new horizons and tap into diversified and interdisciplinary career options, which are in alignment with their strategic planning for career progress. This trend is a strong reason for governments and education boards to support and advocate quality education for the future leaders of the world. The combination of arts with tertiary subjects is expected to be an immensely helpful tool for children in forming new visions and adding new perspectives to their studies. The blending of arts and humanities elements with science can well be a catalyst for boosting creativity and innovation among students.

In a world where people are open to exploring opportunities, now more than ever, and breaking all kinds of stereotypes in personal as well as professional spheres, preparing students for the ‘good jobs’ is not sufficient anymore and neither is it relevant.

While STEM focuses on instilling analytical

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and critical thinking skills in young minds, STEAM subjects make students more equipped to share ideas, keep an open mind, learn outside the classroom, and think out-of-the-box. STEAM can be a great source of inspiration for young minds and help develop their personality without confining it to mere course books.

Dr. Berthold Franke is a social scientist and has been with the Goethe- Institut since 1988, with postings in Warsaw, Dakar, Stockholm, Paris, Brussels and Prague. He studied Music, German Literature and Social Sciences and worked as musician, journalist and university teacher. From 2009 to 2013 he was Regional Director South West Europe and Delegate for European Affairs in Brussels. After his stint as Regional Director Central Eastern Europe in Prague from 2014 to 2018, he moved to India as the Director of the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan in New Delhi and Regional Director of the Goethe-Instituts in South Asia. He regularly publishes articles in German magazines and newspapers on topics of culture, cultural policy and foreign cultural policy.

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Adding value to students’ lives Notwithstanding the debate on how arts meddling with science, technology, engineering and math could disrupt the quality of education, STEAM subjects in fact help students to grow as individuals and apply a dynamically creative approach to their logical thinking process. It is no surprise that STEAM is revolutionising the education system and proving the value of liberal arts in real life. Through remodelling conventional ways of education, it is adding a hint of expression and inventiveness among students while also inspiring them to balance their passion and profession.

Given the increasing number of possibilities in the world of modern arts and shattering of stereotypes, STEAM is gaining popularity through minor hiccups and proving itself as the tool for growth in the near future, one that will come to be seen as the pronounced difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

Inspiring change-makers Students who dream to become change makers can count on STEAM to provide them with just the right kind of hands-on learning experience that they will benefit from in the long term. Fuelling the curiosity and imagination of students, the combination of science and arts will be an enabler for young students to learn and have fun simultaneously.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

How is AI Shaping the Future of Education after COVID-19?

Sreejit Chakrabarty, Director for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, GEMS Dubai American Academy

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AI platforms can identify different learning styles. And they can provide an experience to match the comfort level of individual students

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ith the advent of COVID-19, AI (Artificial Intelligence) has played a phenomenal role in keeping us sane. It is in the healthcare industry. It is assisting in drone deliveries.

And AI is transforming the future of education, too.

Education no longer revolves only around books and notebooks. Teachers interact through the screen, teach using slides and videos, and take tests through online forms. On-demand lesson access, 24/7 chatbots and teaching assistants are helping kids learn at their pace.

And it is just the tip of the iceberg.

AI is a key technology behind autonomous vehicles.

It is widely used by Amazon and Netflix to provide you with useful recommendations. AI is also used in Alexa, Siri and Google. And all such applications can be helpful even in the field of education.

So, here, we are exploring the ways AI can shape education in this post-pandemic world.

1. Personalising the flow of learning With 30-40 (or more) students in each class, it’s difficult to pay attention to the specific needs of each.

But the use of AI facilitates a personalised learning curve for everyone. AI-based tools can determine what a student knows and what he/she is struggling with. AI can, thus, create a custom study schedule for each student.

Century Tech is one such platform that uses data analytics to create personalised learning plans. By tracking progress and taking regular feedbacks, it recommends study topics to the students.

AI platforms can identify different learning styles.

And they can provide an experience to match the comfort level of individual students.

Several other companies, like Carnegie Learning, also are working to help customise learning systems.

They want to do so by identifying knowledge gaps and redirecting students to topics they’ll find helpful.

2. Creating smart syllabus AI techniques are being used in creating digital textbooks and study guides. Such educational content can be customised into various formats. They can be turned into bite-sized lessons like flashcards, or converted into visual information.

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Sreejit Chakrabarty is the Director for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at GEMS Dubai American Academy, the flagship school for GEMS Education, one of the world’s largest independent K – 12 education providers. He is also the Center Director of the Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence. He is from Mumbai, India. Before joining GEMS, Sreejit worked as an external consultant supporting schools in implementing Robotics and STEM-based solutions; including curriculum development, research, training, and Professional Development. He has also worked extensively with the Ministry of Education in UAE, Oman, Qatar, and India in developing strategies for incorporating STEM and Robotics in their respective curriculums, and has trained ministry teachers across the region. Sreejit holds a Bachelors of Electronics Engineering from Mumbai University, a Master’s in Business Administration from MGU and several professional recognitions from Harvard, IIT (Mumbai) and Carnegie Mellon University in Robotics and Maker Centered Learning. His passion for researching emerging technologies and finding ways of extracting educational benefits out of them is what gets him excited. Sreejit is also working closely with GEMS X (the R&D wing of the company) and is the GEMS Network Leader across all GEMS school Globally for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & STEAM.

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For example, Quizlet, an online platform, uses machine learning and data analytics to outline smart syllabus for every student.

It uses data from various study sessions to look for patterns and learn what’s beneficial for whom. Such digital content is easier to navigate through.

AI can generate simulations and AR-based study environments to make education as hands-on as possible. And teachers and students should be prepared to get the most out of such technology.

AI can even update lessons to keep up with the latest information. Such automation can make the syllabus comprehensive.

3. Promoting holistic education AI-based study systems can engage students in a variety of activities for overall growth. Apart from studies, these can help with creating psychometric assessments. These tests can help identify and

measure the mental capability and behaviour of individual students.

Such tools can aid teachers in understanding each student and teach them in a better way. They can record and track the life skills of students and promote holistic progress.

Cognii, for example, makes AI-based products to facilitate virtual learning. The chat assistant asks questions with open-format responses to analyse critical-thinking skills. And it provides real-time feedback to help improve students.

Kidaptive is another such tool. It analyses perceived strengths and weaknesses.

4. Taking care of admin tasks AI won’t be replacing teachers anytime soon.

But wouldn’t it be nice if kids can register their attendance themselves, using facial recognition and fingerprints? By automating such admin tasks, more time will open for teachers to spend with the students.

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Various other tasks like assessing written responses, grading them and sending the results to students are time consuming. AI can be beneficial in such a scenario. It can handle repetitive and administrative tasks.

Machines can already analyse and grade multiplechoice questions. But with developments in AI-powered solutions, they will be able to scan and understand handwriting too.

Such AI software can make the grading process faster and more efficient. They will give automated responses based on the grades received. And they can help with enrolment and admissions processes.

5. Ensuring access for the special ones AI-based tools can enable access to education for all.

These can help students with learning disabilities to have a custom learning curve for themselves.

They are even creating new ways of interaction. AI can facilitate learning for anyone, anywhere across the globe.

For example, students who have limited mobility or struggle with writing properly can take help from Nuance. It is a speech recognition software that learns how different individuals talk. It can then transcribe their speech to text.

The software is also helpful for hard-of-hearing students. It can transcribe, in real-time, what teachers are saying.

Video communication tools like Meet, Teams and Zoom also come with AIpowered real-time captioning. They display what’s being said by the teacher.

Teachers can train AI chatbots to answer common questions. They can teach them to solve specific problems. And they can also load the database with relevant resources. Later, as the database grows, these bots can learn to solve problems on their own.

And when students need help with a challenging topic, they can pull relevant content and links from the chatbots. So, parents no longer will have to struggle with explaining algebra, or the nervous system, or even basic rules of grammar.

Whether students need help with their homework, or for tests, they can have access to AI-powered virtual assistants.

Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has fast-forwarded the adaptation of an AIenabled digital world. It is helping in carrying out different jobs remotely. AI is impacting almost every industry you can imagine.

And it is also creating of new job roles.

Since AI has such widespread applications, everyone should be familiar with it. Schools must introduce the concepts like AI, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing in their regular syllabus. And kids should be familiar with AI techniques to stay ahead in the post-COVID world. We, at GEMS Dubai American Academy, have a full-fledged AI curriculum and a dedicated Center of Excellence focussed on AI and emerging tech.

We were honoured to be selected as a Cool School in the World Education Summit, thanks to our robust and future focused AI offering. Please have a look at our AI offering Video which gives a small glimpse of what we do.

AI won’t be replacing teachers anytime soon. But wouldn’t it be nice if kids can register their attendance themselves, using facial recognition and fingerprints?

6. Tutoring as and when required And with the help of AI, you can also have 24/7 tutors for every student.

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STEM STORIES

STEM Best Practices in K-12 Education Pranati Bagchi, Founder and CEO, The Lavender Spaceship Project Singapore, Singapore

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The STEM-ready students of today will become the STEM-ready workforce of tomorrow

Pranati is the Founder and CEO of The Lavender Spaceship Project, an online STEM learning platform for primary and middle school girls. It offers personalized classes based on coding, robotics, digital design and engineering; and connects girls to women roles models in STEM to build awareness and confidence. This Singapore based company also offers STEM trainings and workshops for corporations, schools and NGOs.

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TEM stands for Science Technology Engineering Mathematics, an approach to teaching and learning that aims to inculcate 21st-century skills in students. STEM is becoming increasingly important these days as our world undergoes rapid technological change. Innovative solutions driven by technology are required to facilitate our everyday life and tackle dire problems our world faces today like food and clean water shortage, the need for sustainable energy sources and curing novel diseases like Covid19. As a result, our economy’s demand for STEM workers is rapidly increasing. Passionate individuals with a strong STEM background are highly sought after.

Clearly, the scientific advancement of our society depends on the availability of scientific talent in the current economy. The STEM-ready students of today will become the STEM-ready workforce of tomorrow.

Hence, developing interest in STEM among children - especially during primary and secondary education

(the ‘K-12’ period) is crucial in building a future-ready community of young adults. To facilitate that, emphasis on building a solid STEM program during K-12 years in schools, which goes beyond the traditional science and mathematics program becomes very important.

There are six fundamental elements of a cohesive and meaningful STEM program that when applied in the right way, can build a strong STEM foundation among students: 1. Purposeful implementation of the STEM framework: The ethos of a STEM program is that the process is more important than the outcome of the project. Helping students go through an inquiry cycle guided by a design framework like the Engineering Design Process is extremely important. It is through this cycle that students attain transferrable skills like Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration, that go beyond minimum competencies and nurture STEM thinking. This iterative cycle consists of, but not limited to students:

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Pranati is an experienced teacher and ex Head of Mathematics department. She specialises in curriculum design, education technology and entrepreneurship.

Pranati holds a Master of Science degree in Mathematics from India, and a Master of Education from Rutgers University, USA. She is also a STEM certified teacher from National Institute of STEM Education, USA. Pranati serves as a Board Member and Lead for Youth Initiatives for the Singapore chapter of Girls in Tech, a global non-profit organisation focused on the engagement, education, and empowerment of women in technology. Pranati has also been selected for a Vital Voices Grow Fellowship 2021, a leading global accelerator program for women entrepreneurs that are making social impact.

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a) Imagining what the problem is and empathizing with the audience for whom they intend to solve the problem b) Planning different viable solutions to the problem c) Creating prototypes and solutions d) Testing prototypes e) Reflecting on the success of the prototype and finding ways to improve it f) Communicating solutions to the audience 2. Inquiry-based and student-centric classroom with collaborative atmosphere: A strong STEM program is inquiry-based that is driven by student interest. At its core, STEM is all about solving real-life problems, and choosing the right topic that is relevant to the students is a great place to start . A STEM classroom boasts a learning environment where teachers and their students codevelop the topic of study and collaborate as active learners. Teachers providing plenty of opportunities for teamwork to solving complex problems help students improve upon each other’s ideas to achieve the common goal.

3. Open-ended projects: STEM classrooms are flipped classrooms where teachers inspire innovation, creativity and critical thinking, showcasing that there are multiple ways to solve a problem. It is imperative that STEM projects have openended solutions that give students a chance to tap into their experience, background and come up with a solution that is unique to them. The students take charge of the learning by experimenting with different problem-solving tools and coming up with creative prototypes, wherein all these learning experiences are carefully designed and implemented by the teacher.

4. Challenging interdisciplinary lesson: When we solve problems in real life, we use knowledge from multiple domains that can help us get closer to our goal. Similarly, in a STEM lesson, students are encouraged to use knowledge from a combination of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

At its core, STEM is all about solving real-life problems, and choosing the right topic that is relevant to the students is a great place to start

disciplines that can aid them in solving the problem at hand.

Teachers carefully curate learning opportunities for students to help them make connections between these subjects and seeing them as viable problem-solving tools.

5. Well-defined learning outcomes and purposeful assessments: While the classroom environment during a STEM project might seem less structured where the students are engaged in different tasks working in multiple groups, it becomes even more important for the teachers to design solid assessment tools to track student learning and assess the effectiveness of the lesson.

During the course of lesson planning, teachers should clearly identify the learning goals and corresponding measuring tools every step of the way. Formative assessments are especially valuable in STEM classrooms.

It demonstrates that all ideas are welcome and valued. It is here, in the STEM classroom, where a failure is an option because it is seen as a learning opportunity and not as an end result. It is important to note that assessments in STEM should evaluate student learning based on how thoughtfully they approached the problem and built their prototype within the framework, not simply based on the end product.

6. A flexible workspace and sufficient resources: The goal of STEM classroom layout is to inspire students to think, question, innovate, research and prototype in teams.

Sufficient physical space with a flexible layout is much required to facilitate that.

Technology also plays an integral role in a STEM classroom. It is used both as a tool and an outcome. During the project, students are expected to research information, enter data, and illustrate results on digital devices. They may be designing graphics, 3D printing their prototypes or coding a webpage. The students need both digital and non-digital resources to bring their vision to life. Therefore, having a well-planned workspace with sufficient materials is an important aspect of an immersive student learning experience in a STEM classroom.

Children with strong STEM skills will become capable STEM professionals of tomorrow. Educational institutions should strive to develop STEM programs with a goal to provide students with the knowledge that is relevant in today’s world and skills that are transferable in different contexts.

In conclusion, when done right, a STEM program complements the Science and Math curriculum in schools and equips students with innovative and creative capabilities that they can apply to solve real-life problems.

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BEST PRACTICES

Are Schools Modifying Their Inclusive Practice to Reflect the Digital Transformations in Education?

Catherine O’Farrell, Head of Student Support Services, Bloom Education, UAE

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As school leaders, we need to start with the student and end with the student – taking a deep dive into your data to carefully appraise where the greatest areas of need are

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hat percentage of students are identified internationally as having individual learning needs?

Approximately 12%, but this percentage has dropped significantly over the past year and a half in the MENA (anecdotal evidence) due to the effects of distance learning.

UNESCO’s Guide for ensuring equity in education 2017 notes that further efforts are needed to minimize barriers to ensure all learners experience genuine inclusion while the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

Why are our identified numbers dropping?

The shift to online learning has created a huge barrier for teachers in identifying special educational needs in students from KG through to university level.

The multiple and complex nuisances that we pick up in the classroom are being lost through the interface of digital platforms resulting in a great reduction in referrals and therefore support for our more vulnerable students. This will undoubtedly have a severe and knock-on effect on student performance and progress, potentially having lasting effects for many years.

Under identification is not entirely a new phenomenon and has been an issue of concern for years, now extenuated by the sudden and rushed shift to distance learning.

So, what can we do about it?

Inclusive practice is driven by inclusive schools and leaders. UNESCO notes 4 dimensions of devising inclusive policy: Every leader should be asking the following questions: • Is the school’s ethos?

• Inclusive in its nature?

• Does it mention inclusivity and equity?

• Is it clearly understood, and is it valued across the school’s community?

• Is this value reflected in policy statements that inform practice, and is it facilitated and supported by positive systems and structures creating positive feedback loops that reinforce inclusive practice?

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The answer to each of these questions should be a resounding YES – if it’s not, a review is needed!

How is this different in the online setting?

Well, it shouldn’t be, but in reality, it is. Delivery of support has changed completely, where students with profound and extreme needs are struggling to access their education online.

There has been a huge drop in the uptake of support in the MENA region. SEN students attendance is down around 40% in many schools (anecdotal based on reporting from c.200 school leaders) across the UAE and MENA, while many families have given up completely on online education for their children with profound needs.

What can we do?

As school leaders, we need to start with the student and end with the student – taking a deep dive into your data to carefully appraise where the greatest areas of need are.

Are the families with the most profound needs being supported in a meaningful and practical way by the school?

Do they know who to talk to if they have concerns or trouble accessing delivery? The school’s safeguarding teams

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are invaluable in supporting the inclusion teams in engaging and supporting families and students. This is achieved through regular and meaningful communication and live conversations with families – gaining insight into the realities behind the screen and challenges families are facing.

Modifying delivery and content to facilitate students’ individual needs is key- the inclusion team should work hand in hand with the teacher and parents to ensure that realistic goals are being set.

Adapting existing documentation and paperwork such as the IEP to reflect online delivery or blended learning.

A simplified, easy access IEP should be implemented to reflect the more complex setting of online learning, fitting the goals to suit the new environment and ensuring that students are being challenged to achieve their goals.

The simplified IEP should reflect 5 key areas and always be fully SMART. • Student information • Student’s learning style • Classroom (digital or F2F) accommodations • Targets • Stakeholders

Catherine began her career with a B-Ed from DCU in Dublin, teaching in Ireland and Australia for 6 years before moving into psychology. She gained a BSc Psych from The Open University in the UK and began counselling and coaching in the UK and the UAE. Catherine is a fully qualified counsellor and psychotherapist with diplomas in Forensic Psych, Counselling & multiple certifications in varied approaches. Catherine completed her MSc in Systems Thinking with The Open University following her move into Senior Management, where she saw the need for Strategic Systems Optimisation. She has since completed a PGC in Business Administration.

Catherine has been consulting in education, schools development and improvement and inclusion internationally for over 6 years and has been published on 3 continents. She is currently the Group Head for Bloom Education in the UAE.

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Are we challenging our more able learners?

How are we ensuring that our more able learners are provided with the opportunity to grow and thrive independently and at pace?

Roughly 10% (Smutny, 2000) of students are deemed to be gifted and or talented through multiple and often co-occurrent dimensions: • General intellectual ability or talent • Specific academic aptitude or talent • reative and productive thinking • Leadership ability • Visual and performing arts • Psychomotor ability Smutny (2000) speaks about supporting more able learners through enhancing the learning environment by: • creating learning centres • compacting the curriculum • providing a variety of learning methods • allowing for flexibility in grouping • offering choices • encouragement of creative thinking and brainstorming Engaging flipped learning is an excellent means of challenging more able learners.

What is Flipped Learning?

In flipped learning, the learning content takes place outside of the classroom while the application takes

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place within. This allows students to accelerate and through content at their own speed and to bring their knowledge to the class where they can create and synthesize their learning.

You can set up Teams, Google Classroom, Edmodo, Moodle etc., to track students independent progress through content through access, quizzes or attendance. This can facilitate tracking of behaviour over time, allowing for a more individually tailored learning plan.

You can set these up to speak to your data tracking system, iSams, Sims, etc. and track performance regularly.

By triangulating your data, you can easily monitor and track student progress and ensure that more able students are continuously accelerated and challenged.

This requires continuous appraisal and monitoring. Don’t be afraid to trial and trial again – By constantly appraising the systems in place in the school, data can be analyzed in detail, giving clear pictures of each individual students’ needs. This can be levered by teachers to ensure that needs are being met in a real and impactful way.

By modifying practice based on data and appraisal, teachers are better informed, progress is consistent, and the school can adequately and efficiently tailor delivery to meet the needs of all students.

The whole sTudenT view Our assessments provide a deeper insight into your students’ capability, struggles, learning barriers, current and comparative performance and rate of progress. With this information you are better able to personalise learning according to each individual student’s need. our assessments provide robust, standardised external data for: • Supporting decision-making across teaching, learning and pastoral needs • Identifying areas for school improvement • Preparation for inspections and accreditations.

• Benchmarking and value-added • Informing staff professional development requirements • Showing prospective parents what the school has to offer and he effectiveness of teaching

international@gl-education.com

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Metacognitive Leadership: The Importance of Bias Questioning Manal Zeineddine, Founder, O.R.B.I.T.S. Development Code

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Thinking that adults are always conscious of the rational process is not always right and thinking that professional educators are always cautious is not always wise

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mid the walls of school campuses, and recently, amid the digital windows of virtual schools, the same marathon continues, as school communities, particularly leaders, go throughout their days. A myriad of daily curriculum, instruction, and assessment observations, practices, and agendas are the bullet points that leaders attend to every day. As part of their professional prowess, that is a familiar, clear, and visible stream. However, behind the curtains of their minds, both conscious and subconscious, lies another stream, that is not familiar, not clear, and not visible.

Having been a leader for 13 years, witnessing challenges, obstacles, and even pressures, I found myself asking serious questions about others, and mostly about myself. Any person who cannot leave details of process and conduct unnoticed will eventually ask questions, as he/she navigates the world of problem-solving and decision-making - two core aspects of leadership. That is why metacognition, a type of reflection, is crucial.

Thus, a significant question arises: Do leaders safeguard themselves against their own thinking

fallacies, the way they do against external dangers, and recently COVID-19 “new normal” schools?

Thinking that adults are always conscious of the rational process is not always right and thinking that professional educators are always cautious is not always wise. Although rationalization is by nature scientific, convincing, and therefore, more accepted, it remains to be shrouded by assumptions.

Moreover, it is governed by a host of factors, that can either be easily noticed or hidden. Defining the problem, identifying, and weighing success criteria, brainstorming suggestions, and selecting the best suggestion are steps that professional leaders usually follow to reach a solution. While this is a constructive, positive method, it might not lead to SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely), which are expected to lead to smart solutions. The reason behind that is not the “faulty” rational decision-making steps because most of the time, competent thought leaders are using data analysis to navigate towards their solutions, and if not fully, they resort to their intuition, the experiences spectrum, to solve some complex situations.

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Complaints about non-academic school owners interfering with the educational school system or leaders handling more than their areas of expertise, unfairness in evaluation reviews and recruitment have been recurring in most educational communities

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Whether within the range of objectivity and evidencebased spectrum, or within the range of subjectivity and experience-based spectrum, there are questions that reverberate biases and fallacies, which have been the subject of many experimental psychology literature because they are part of human nature. These cognitive biases are basically flaws, that occur during the processing of information, leading to erroneous decisions.

Three of the various main biases that occur in schools are domain dependence, action bias, and halo effect. Complaints about non-academic school owners interfering with the educational school system or leaders handling more than their areas of expertise, unfairness in evaluation reviews and recruitment have been recurring in most educational communities.

Domain dependence is an effect resulting from the failure to transfer knowledge and insights from a sphere to another. This might involve any leader in the school community, whether this leader is an investor, owner, principal, director, head of academic or non-academic department, or subject coordinator. Due to the need in some schools to downsize or to start with a small staff, two or three positions are sometimes entitled to one person. A leader might be driven by excitement and enthusiasm to handle more than one position and supervise more than one area. Others might be driven by overconfidence, which was shown in Robyn Dawes’ research, as the simple perceptual judgement vs the intellectual judgment, the latter being more vulnerable to overconfidence since it involves general knowledge, testimonies, abstraction, and reasoned differentiation. There are obviously other reasons for this phenomenon, but the core concern is that mastery in one domain does not lead to the mastery of another, and it is only with the proper training that this could be avoided. This is similar to the phenomenon of Out-offield OOF or Teaching Across Specializations TAS, which has been a common problem in many schools around the world because it has been happening without the ample training and development. Expertise, disciplines, backgrounds, both educational and social-emotional, will remain to intervene. That is why conscious leaders need to observe themselves and others as they consider the domains and disciplines in their schools.

Action bias is the pushing tendency to act no matter what the result would be, just to avoid being inactive. It is the fight or flight, but not freeze. This is more common in emerging and unclear situations, when leaders tend to take action, as this is what leaders are expected to do - another

Manal Zeineddine is a Global Education Consultant, quality management expert, and the founder of O.R.B.I.T.S. Development Code, a transdisciplinary approach for creating conscious leaders and communities. She is a professional development expert, who has long been experiencing, implementing, evaluating, and enhancing a view, that education exceeds teaching and learning.

Manal has trained hundreds of leaders and teachers and is a certified quality education review member. She has designed indicators to measure performance TransKPI Track, Climate and Culture, and ORBIT MODE, along with other programs.

Manal is also Chief of Education for Professional International Network for wellbeing.

example of Kahneman & Miller’s norm theory.

In other words, the norm is to act. However, in certain situations, leaders would better neglect the norm, temporarily until the matters are clear.

Evading other people’s judgments for inactivity or delay of action, concealing one’s lack of courage or uncertainty, and ignoring the need to wait and reflect can lead to impulsive, vehement acts, and consequently, unpleasant results. Some actions are even disguised as intervention, while in reality, they are a type of control, that is often ineffective and impotent. Others are disguised as self-defense, when in the field they are a strategy to “win” the situation or the conflict. Given their nature, control and winning are two aspects that can easily be twinged by ego. Ego-based decisions are known to deviate a person from collective goals and community achievements, placing needs for attention, appreciation, and sometimes glory at the forefront of the person’s thinking.

Halo effect is the blinding first impression taken from one outstanding trait or feature and building an everlasting same impression regardless of what follows. This is one cognitive bias that heavily strikes reasoning, as leaders are driven by early judgements. Leaders, thus, find themselves compromising on fundamental matters, discriminating in recruitment, general conduct, and evaluation of their staff, or implementing appealing programs and activities without prior study plans. The overall impact is social and economic disproportions, the core factors of unhealthy climate and culture in schools.

Conscious leadership is not only about integrity, accountability, motivation, and achievement. It is also about self-awareness and metacognition. Although this is not always controllable given the complexity, uncertainty, and volatility of life, leadership must be linked to wisdom – wise decisions, because the wellbeing of a school community relies on effective leadership. By observing thoughts, interpretations, behaviors, and attitudes of oneself and others, leaders can save themselves from running the risk of distorting their clear decisiveness, empowering efforts, and good intentions.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Comics as a Educational Tool Miomir Dejanović, Teacher, ES ‘’Svetozar Marković’’, Vranje, Serbia

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Comics enrich children in a fun way, because precious life messages are unobtrusively conveyed through comics

How long have you been in the teaching profession?

I have been hanging around with students as a teacher for twenty-five years, and that has enabled me to learn a lot about children and from children. Of course, I also try to have the children learn as much as possible from me too.

I believe that I manage to be the kind of teacher I would like to have if I were a student – a teacher who is ready to rise to the level of a child and live in the same world with children. The job of a teacher unites most of my interests, it allows me to flourish. I like to write, draw educational comics and illustrations, to make short educational films, but also to pass on my interests to young people.

Fortunately, what is interesting to me is in most cases interesting to the students as well. It is nice to work and talk with children, because they raise topics that are much more interesting and cheerful than the topics that adults deal with.

How did you come up with the idea to introduce comics in teaching as an alternative model of learning and adopting materials?

As a child, I was fascinated by comics. I started as an avid reader, but of course, over time, I wanted to draw

something myself. My boyhood dream was for my comics to be published somewhere. That dream came true later, so almost everything I’ve drawn so far (both in terms of comics and in terms of illustrations) has been published in newspapers and magazines, so that children and adults alike can read those comics to my and – I hope – their satisfaction.

As soon as I became a teacher, I thought about how to pass on my love for comics to students, how to apply comics in teaching. It is known that children have a strong desire to create and it would be a great pity if this children’s desire to express themselves through drawings is not used in a modern school. Curricula have been set, but the way in which I will approach their realization is not, so I choose the way - it depends on me how I will bring the contents closer to the students. I like to convey important messages to children through comics and play, because it is close to them and significantly increases their participation in the teaching process. Students remember the classes in which they participate, they enjoy them.

The comic in the classroom resembles a game, fun, but in fact it enables the learning contents offered to be learned faster and remembered longer through a combination of text and drawings, in an effective

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Creativity is the highest range of knowledge and that is why I will constantly encourage my students to create in the future, in order to experience the beauty of creation

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and efficient way. We make comics with students in classes of native language, art culture, in classes of free activites, within comic workshops, on different topics: ecology, children’s rights; according to fairy tales, fables; based on texts by well-known children’s writers, or grammatical content that students learn much easier through comics than when they are taught in the classical, old-fashioned way.

Communicating information in the traditional way (oral presentation by teachers) is too uniform and dull for students. However, if we offer the same information through comics, children will adopt it much easier and keep it in their memory longer.

Comics enrich children in a fun way, because precious life messages are unobtrusively conveyed through comics.

The use of comics and comic material in the scholl process also encourages creativity in students – over time, they illustrate and draw comics themselves based on what they have read. In this way, they enrich and refresh the teaching, because they create original teaching aids, which the teacher can use efficiently in his future work.

When I was declared one of the best educators in Serbia, I used the monetary part of the award to print a collection of children’s and my own educational comics, entitled ‘’Let me draw it out for you!’’. In this way I found myself in the same book as my students. In the introductory part if this collection, I wrote about the wide range of possibilities of using comics and comic material in the teaching process and supported it with appropriate examples, followed by student and my colored comics.

The book also contains student comics what won first places at national and international art competitions, and some of them were exhibited at the 20th Balkan Festival of Young Comic Authors, among the works from authors

Miomir Dejanović draws comics, illustrations and employs them as teaching aids. Award winner for development and popularisation of Balkan comics for the years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Declared as one of the best educators in Serbia. Has the award/title ‘Best teacher in the former Yugoslavia’. His rich work biography can be found in the Lexicon of creators in education that mark Serbian education. With his versatility and special approach to teaching, teacher Miomir Dejanović attracted the attention of the general public. In turn, many newspapers dealing with upbringing and education wrote about his work with students, and several television reports were made about him. He was featured on the website of the President of the Republic of Serbia, in ‘Best of Serbia’ category.

from around the world. The collection ‘’Let me draw it out for you!’’ was created in teaching, but it is also intended for teaching, so I believe that it will serve as useful literature and as a teaching tool in working with future generations of students. In the desire for the book of educational comics to reach as many readers as possible, I gave copies to students, colleagues in Vranje and Serbia, the city library, libraries of schools, kindergartens… I do not want to enrich myself, but the readers!

Of course, comics are not almighty, but the effects of its application in teaching are undoubtedly great. It can be used in almost all subjects, and it has numerous and diverse effects on children. It does not require large investments, nor expensive technical devices in interpretation, but only the good will and talent of the cartoonist (talent is not crucial either, because it is possible to use other people’s suitable achievements). That is why we should try to get the comic out of the shadow of more expensive, but certainly not more powerful teaching aids as soon as possible.

What do you think about the digitalization of the education system?

Although I constantly follow modern trends and achieve notable results in the field of digitalization, I am still in favor of moderate use of technology in teaching.

Modern technology, as a mediator between students and teachers, will never succeed in replacing the warmth of human contact and the beauty of the interaction of children and teachers in the classroom.

I think that the most important thing in teaching is the idea. An idea from the head of a creative teacher can overcome and outlive all technological wonders. My students and I give great contribution to the successes and

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promotion of our school and we are showing everyone that for top achievements, expensive teaching technology is not needed, only enough people with an idea, who use pencil and paper to create something valuable out of nothing.

What are your plans for the future?

Creativity is the highest range of knowledge and that is why I will constantly encourage my students to create in the future, in order to experience the beauty of creation. Of course, I will motivate them by personal example.

Without creative and versatile teachers, there are no versatile and creative students. A mentor is very important for every student, someone who encourages him and strengthens his will to persevere. In the beginning, I provide more

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significant help to students in their work – I lead them and ‘hold their hand’, but over time, they become independent and then I let them ‘walk alone’. Schools are full of talented students, you just need to discover them and work patiently to nurture and hone their talents.

So far, my students have won numerous first places in national and international competitions with comics, which I consider to be my success and recognition for successful mentoring work.

I tell children to work persistently and with love, because only through love we do sublime deeds. In my opinion, art is everything that man creates out of love, and not out of greed.

Money loses value over time anyway, and human deeds last!

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ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

New Light Through Old Windows: The Rekindling of a Teacher’s Passion and Purpose Tracy Kirsten, Head of Grade 8, St. Mary’s DSG, Kloof, South Africa

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Too much content pushing often leads to disengagement on the part of the students, training the students to be helpless and dependent on ‘spoon-feeding’ from the teacher

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s a fan of the singer-songwriter, Chris Rea, I have always loved the title of his album, New Light Through Old Windows; the shifting play of light through the windows on the album cover evokes images of hope and possibility - the ability to reimagine and reinvent one’s self. In the here and now of 2021, following a seismic shift in education, these words have become profoundly personal to me and symbolic of the reawakening and rekindling of my passion and my purpose.

When a level 5 lockdown was announced in South Africa last year and we had to revert to fully remote teaching, there was a collective gasp from teachers all over the country, and a scramble to become edified in the art of digital instruction. As an ‘older’ educator, I considered myself fairly au fait with most of the commonly used technology.

However, when faced with the enormity of the task ahead of me, I was overwhelmed and contemplated walking away from the profession to which I have dedicated 30 years of my life.

I have much experience in the classroom, having taught Biology and Physical Sciences in several very

different high schools. Due to various circumstances over the years, not least in trying to cope with the demands of a voluminous curriculum, I have been through stages where I was just going through the motions of standing in front of a classroom and imparting knowledge. Teaching had become somewhat like walking through a desert for me - a parched and arid landscape where survival is your only focus, and the clouds bringing life-giving rain are nowhere on the horizon. I had become good at survival mode in the desert, but perhaps this was the time for me to surrender my teaching career to the desert.

After many pensive nights, I decided to embrace my growth mindset, and draw on the inner strength that has made me who I am. I joined social media groups of teachers from all over the world, read many articles, went to numerous training sessions, watched countless YouTube ‘how to’ videos, and was mentored by various experts in their fields.

I surrendered myself to faith and hope instead of allowing the voices of the desert to take over. It started to rain on that desert of mine…slowly at first, and then a deluge. My teaching desert was

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Tracy Kirsten has been an educator for more than 30 years, teaching both Biology and Physical Sciences to high school students from Grades 8-12. She currently teaches at St. Mary’s DSG, an independent school for girls, situated on the outskirts of the city of Durban, in South Africa. Tracy is committed to empowering young women to follow and act on their passion for the sciences, to challenge gender and racial stereotypes and help shift the male scientist paradigm that has existed for so long. She believes that inquiry-based learning, stimulating curiosity and continuously reinventing her teaching methods is the golden thread to achieve this.

irrigated again, and new life started to emerge. My thirst was quenched by a different kind of rain.

The problem, I believe, is that many science educators, like me, have become disillusioned, as we have lost sight of taking the time to allow our students to drink in the wonderment and awe of science. We have become more concerned with pushing content than stimulating curiosity. By the time a student has reached Grade 10, (15 years old, in South Africa) their mindset should already be one of growth and creativity. They should be developing innate curiosity, be starting to think critically, and taking ownership of their learning, for the sake of learning itself.

When I think of the years that I sat in classrooms without my curiosity being sparked, or not sparking curiosity, my reawakening has made me determined not to perpetuate this practice. We should be extracting thinking from students

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to empower them to identify what they need to learn.

Posing more questions requiring creativity, evaluation, analysis, and critical thinking to revert to student-centred classrooms is what we should be aiming for. Teaching students that a scientist is not so much concerned about getting answers, as asking better questions. We should aim to use inquiry-based learning. Many of us already think we do this, but after what I have learnt over the past year, I believe we can do it so much better, and be intentional about how we do it.

Many will be familiar with the official phrase, InquiryBased Learning. From a student point-of-view, inquirybased learning focuses on investigating an open question or problem. The students use evidence-based reasoning and creative problem solving to reach a conclusion. From a teacher point-of-view, inquiry-based teaching focuses

on moving students beyond general curiosity into the realms of critical thinking and understanding by asking the right kind of questions and supporting them through the investigation process.(1) The 5E Model of Instruction for inquiry-based science education, developed by curriculum-building and STEM education experts Rodger Bybee and Nancy Landes,(2) embraces these principles. I have tried to incorporate this model in five digital science books I wrote to use with my Grade 8 students (13 years old), using a dynamic and innovative EdTech programme called NODMA (www. nodma.com). Using these principles in my e-books enabled my students to enjoy virtual experiential learning in an exciting and engaging manner, which sparked their curiosity. This has been another factor in rekindling the fire in my teaching.

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The 5E Model provides a carefully planned sequence of instruction that places students at the centre of learning. Teachers first ENGAGE students by probing for prior knowledge, probing curiosity, and making them wonder. Next, there is EXPLORATION by the students themselves, using their processing powers through observation. Only then does the teacher EXPLAIN what they have experienced, introducing the correct terminology for the first time, linking patterns observed. There

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is then ELABORATION, an opportunity to test ideas and apply their knowledge. Finally, there is EVALUATION, an opportunity to reflect on and review the whole process.

The interactive e-books that I created encouraged my students to explore and experience the science for themselves before I explained it. I used to be the prime culprit of NOT doing this, because I was too impatient to impart my knowledge to them. We, as teachers, should not

actually be the source of knowledge, merely the facilitators. Too much content pushing often leads to disengagement on the part of the students, training the students to be helpless and dependent on ‘spoonfeeding’ from the teacher. ‘Explore before Explain’ should be our mantra, to pull ideas out of students.

To use Newton’s 2nd Law as an analogy, the resultant force of learning should produce the acceleration of our students to analyse, synthesise and evaluate as a result of the pulling force of thinking from the students minds being stronger than the pushing force of content by the teacher.

Dr Mark Salata, a science pedagogy expert based in San Diego,(3) has inspired me to use inquirybased science education more effectively, and to rekindle curiosity in my classroom once again. He has provided endless hours of mentorship and sage advice in the use of the 5Es, and tutorship in the NODMA programme.

A culmination of these different influences has been the spark to my embers, and the rains to my drought. This is what has inspired me to alter my pedagogy with my Grade 8 students, to transform their learning to be more student-centred. After planting these seeds with my junior grades and seeing the fruits of my efforts, I was now challenged to do the same in my senior grades. It has crystallised how I frame my lessons and it has sparked more curiosity, engagement, and metacognition amongst my students.

The NODMA programme has provided greater autonomy for my students and some ownership of their ideas by giving them their own books - books that are much more about reflection and sharing ideas, interactive presentation and engagement than any textbooks could be. Moreover, it is in their

currency - their own digital science diaries, designed and delivered in such a way as to personalise their learning experience. I have found it especially effective with teaching girls, as a tool to help me advocate gender equality in the sciences. Historically, science has been a male dominated world, and I am committed to try to help girls believe they can DO science and contribute towards the shift to a society where girls can also feel they are true scientists.

Learners are made, not born. We are lifelong learners, as all teachers have discovered in the last year. Philosopher Henry David Thoreau was the epitome of a lifelong learner. Thoreau was known for his ability to inspire students, and to foster creativity.

He believed education should inform a community’s ethos, turning all members of society into a team of mutually supportive learners.(4) “I am still a learner, not a teacher, feeding somewhat omnivorously, browsing both stalks and leaves.”

My aim is to be a teacher who keeps on learning, inspiring and motivating my students to greater heights. Curiosity is a spark to a flame, a powerful driving force in teaching. I want to encourage you to fan that spark to ignite the fire in your students and thereby reigniting your passion. No matter what your style of teaching is or has been, it is never too late to learn and try new approaches to make a difference in science education, for current and future students.

Journey together with me, along the path of perpetual learning. I am no longer alone in that desert landscape. There is water, and seeds that are growing into firmly rooted trees. I am building houses in that desert, with concrete walls of new ideas. I have kept the old windows in my houses - they have character, texture and were made to last. New light is shining through my old windows.

References: (1) Guido, M., 2017. What Is Inquiry-Based Learning: 7 Benefits & Strategies You Need to Know (Online). Available at: https://www.prodigygame. com/blog/inquiry-based-learning-definition-benefits-strategies/ (accessed 11 August 2020) (2) Bybee, R., & Landes, N. M.,1990. Science for life and living: An elementary school science program from Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). The American Biology Teacher, 52(2), 92-98.

(3) Mark Salata, PhD. VP of Partnerships, North America/Europe at Amdon Consulting Pte Ltd. https://www.linkedin.com/in/educzen (4) Ruehl, R. M., 2015. Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) (Online). Available at: https://iep.utm.edu/thoreau/ (accessed 19 February 2021)

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STEM STORIES

STEM, What is it Really?

By Cran Middlecoat, Founder & Aerospace Geek, It’s Rocket Science Adventures

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We are using our imagination far less now. Our children don’t know life without a smart device

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cross the ages, humans have been given a great deal of advice, emphasizing the importance of imagination and how it is a necessary ingredient to achieve success. Despite this, most of the world’s governing bodies responsible for education continue to produce curriculum documents that place extraordinarily little credence on the value of imagination. These are the very documents that their nations’ teachers are duty-bound to deliver lessons from.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM. What is STEM? The Australian Curriculum has clearly defined subject matter for Science, Technology and Mathematics, but not specifically Engineering. It’s a reasonable argument that Engineering encapsulates all three of the other subjects. If you were to Google the Australian Curriculum and search the word imagination, you’ll get a total of 156 references across all thirteen school year levels, with not a single one being found in the STEM subjects. If we refine the search to the word imagine, we do slightly better. A total of 235 references are available, with

a grand total of two being found in the STEM subjects of the Primary Years and still zero in the Secondary Years.

What does this acronym that is so widely used in education today really mean? What is the purpose of STEM? I believe that STEM is an exercise for the imagination.

During the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union were in a race to space, with the goal of being the first to get a man to walk on the moon. The US team was further motivated by the pledge made by the late President John F. Kennedy to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Project Apollo was the program that would get the US to the moon. Engineers were putting in huge hours, and crews were engaged in continuous training in preparation for their missions. It was early evening on the 21st of February 1967. The crew of Apollo One was doing what was called the “plugs out test”. This involved having the Saturn 1B Rocket being fully powered by its own independent systems, running the procedure right up to the point where the rocket would ignite engines and lift off.

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This included pressurizing the crew cabin to sixteen pounds per square inch of pure 100% oxygen.

The test was dragging on and on. There were major problems with radio communications and the astronauts reported a strange smell in the air that was circulating in their suits. All this resulted in lengthy delays. Most of the ground crew had phoned their families to let them know that they would be home late. Then, at 6:31 pm, the unmistakable word “FIRE” was heard on the communications loop, followed by “We’ve got a bad fire – Let’s get out!!!” The crew hatch was made up of multiple layers that closed from the inside. With the cabin fully pressurized, it took five minutes to get the hatch open, by which time astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White & Roger Chaffee had perished. During the investigation that followed, it was discovered that a spark had jumped, igniting nylon netting under Gus’s seat. In an environment of 16 PSI of pure oxygen, the one spark turned the crew compartment into an inferno within seconds. The crew never stood a chance of survival.

NASA put astronaut Frank Borman in charge of the investigation. During the court inquiry, Borman was asked what caused the fire. He said: “Failure of imagination”.

Borman went on to say that a fire on the launch pad was never

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Born in Brisbane, Cran has had a lifelong obsession with all things aerospace. Being a pilot since the age of 16, his career has taken him from flying clinic runs for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in outback Australia to being qualified on multiple commercial jet airliner types. Cran most recently flew the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with one of Australia’s leading international airlines.

Another keen interest shared jointly with his sons is rocketry. During Australia’s first International Model Rocketry meet in 2015, Cran witnessed how engaging rocketry was for children of all ages and developed It’s Rocket Science Adventures to promote the significant educational benefits that the science of rocketry and flight could offer all school students across multiple subjects. With his love of public speaking and passion for aero-science, it is Cran’s desire to inspire the aerospace professionals of tomorrow.

really considered a risk and that the concern was a fire happening in space 200 thousand miles away from the nearest fire station.

So, what possible relevance could this story have to STEM education? It was a “failure of imagination”. What concerns me the most is that this incident occurred in 1967, decades before any kind of social media. Back then, if our friends Fred and Wilma went on a tropical holiday, we would imagine what it would be like for them. We would imagine Fred sipping on a cocktail, while gently swinging back and forth on a hammock, suspended between two palm trees. Nowadays, we don’t need to imagine anything because right there on Facebook is a photo of Fred. We are using our imagination far less now.

Our children don’t know life without a smart device.

While I acknowledge that a sound understanding of digital technology is absolutely essential for the student of today, in Australia, at least, the curriculum is far too heavy on the digital side. I see students that baulk at tasks that don’t involve a screen, perceiving the job as almost insurmountable.

Recently I was called to assist students with building model aircraft. The task involved students using a ruler and a pencil to measure and mark three points and then draw a line. The students were each assigned a work buddy. One pair asked for help. I explained the task a second time. Instantly, the response was: “Can you do it?” They were not comfortable with using a ruler and a pencil.

What was most concerning, these students were in Year Ten. So how can teachers get students to effectively exercise their imaginations when: A- there is a little specific requirement to do so if the Curriculum is strictly followed, and B- teachers have little freedom to move within the Curriculum? One method is Pull Learning.

Push learning is how most of us reading this were taught at school. It is the traditional learning technique where learners are informed of what to learn, then given a timeframe to develop an understanding of the content.

Pull learning puts the learner in the driver’s seat.

It allows the individual to have control over what they learn and when they learn it. Pull learning is, in a sense, learning on-demand where the learning experience is tailored to the student’s needs.

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When delivering my rocket science STEM workshop, I leave questions unanswered. I allow my students the freedom to decide which variable to test. For instance, I let the kids decide how much water they want to use to fuel their rockets, and I let them choose their launch angle. I force them into firing up the neurons of the brain by making them imagine the possible outcome. Sometimes I get the class to vote on what outcome they think is most likely. While I’m pumping up the rockets with air, I use the time to quiz them: “What units do we use to measure angles? An acute angle is less than how many degrees? How many variables do you change when doing fair testing?” We then launch the rockets, students observe the flight; the upper primary students use a trundle wheel to measure how far their rocket flew. We then

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repeat the test with a different launch angle or a different fuel quantity, and the students pull the answers themselves.

From time to time, we must allow ourselves the freedom to daydream. This exercises the imagination. When we see learning opportunities that may not strictly conform to the Curriculum, we must be brave enough to seize them. We must be brave enough to step outside the box and to think outside the box. But before we can think outside the box, we need to know what the box is. How? We first must imagine what the box is.

Most important of all, we must allow ourselves to fail. It is only then that we use our imaginations to extract the lesson from the failure. After all, fail is not a word - it’s an acronym meaning First Attempt In Learning.

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