An initiative endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Education, ‘Smart Learning’ is orchestrated
by an autonomous entity called TRA which owns the fund and manages the program’s
delivery for at least the initial five years. The program aims to create a unique and new
educational environment, and this entails the distribution of tablets for all students and
the provision of all state schools with 4G high-speed networks. The initiative is part of
the UAE Vision 2021 and will be introduced in four stages over five years.
The UAE has a vision to create a new learning environment in its schools with the
ultimate goal of developing 21st Century skills and building a truly knowledge-based
society. TRA were in need of a tool that would help teachers produce digital learning
materials easily and efficiently in an intriguing manner.
ITWORX, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and education expert in Microsoft education
solutions, was selected by TRA to deploy its innovative tools, AuthorKit and AuthorKit
Reader, which were re-branded as Smart Author and Smart Reader. Smart Author is a
desktop application that allows teachers to create interactive e-learning resources in a
short time and at a reduced cost. Smart Reader is a Windows 8 mobile app that allows
students to receive and review e-learning materials anytime and anywhere.
Smart Author includes ready to use pre-designed lesson templates, and provides the
ability to define the structure and sequence of the learning resource. Teachers can easily
embed in-line questions for self-assessment choosing from different types of question
format.
Smart Author also provides the opportunity for personalized learning, since teachers can
tailor their lessons according to students’ preferred learning styles by embedding HTML5
interactive objects, YouTube videos, documents, presentations, images, videos,
multimedia files, or audio narration. Teachers can insert scientific and mathematical
equations.
The authoring tool also supports the Arabic language, including the ability to build in-line
questions in Arabic, which is a key point for over 20 countries whose primary language is
Arabic. In addition many competitive products do not provide the capability to open PPT
files, which is possible with Smart Author.
Smart Reader enables students to study more effectively anytime and anywhere without
an Internet connection. Students can review e-lessons in a standardized view similar to ebook
readers, and have the ability to highlight, bookmark or add comments to any text.
They can also asses themselves through answering self-assessment questions and viewing
the correct answers.
Time and effort saving
Smart Author enhances teachers’ effectiveness and overall productivity. It empowers
teachers to do a better job and reach out to students with different learning styles. It
enables teachers to prepare lessons in alignment with lesson planning functionalities and
produces reusable learning objects, which saves time and enhances productivity. For
students, Smart Reader provides a mobile means for reviewing and studying e-learning
material. Self-assessment also helps students to understand their own weaknesses and
strengths.
Supporting UAE initiative
Through the Smart Learning initiative, ITWORX enabled the UAE to transform traditional
classrooms and learning to meet the economy’s future needs. ITWORX supported the
UAE’s vision of building a knowledge society and developing a workforce with 21st
Century skills.
Transforming the educational experience
ITWORX redefined the learning experience for teachers and students in state schools in
the UAE. ITWORX products help students build 21st Century skills like digital-age literacy
and enhance learning productivity. Smart Author is specially designed for the education
sector, supporting curriculum standards.
