ictQATAR's K-Net offers solutions to managing impact of H1N1 on schools

The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) in collaboration with SEC today held its first meeting for the academic year 2009/2010 with members of the School Knowledge Net (K-Net) project to highlight how K-net can be utilized if students have to stay at home as a result of H1N1.

The meeting, which was held at the Diplomatic Club, also addressed new K-Net features and upcoming activities. More than 180 educators attended the meeting including school principals, teachers, and SEC representatives.

Many schools in Qatar, and the world at large, are realizing the value of technology especially in helping manage the H1N1 situation which is currently causing 10% absence of students worldwide including the most developed countries, and if a school closure is mandated. Schools have been using different ICT methods to keep the education process running such as text messages and emails. But K-Net users can do much more than this.

"K-net is a powerful tool to engage students, teacher and parents. It houses content, discussions, announcements, and assignments, so that students can see everything associated with a particular class. K-net schools are already using the K-Net as part of a blended learning process. If those schools were to close, the learning could continue with virtually no interruption,"

said Dr. Ghadah Omar Fakeih, E-Education Manager at ictQATAR.

During the meeting, a demo was presented by Omar bin Alkhatab Independent School for boys, one of the participating K-Net schools showing a strategy of how K-Net is being utilized for an efficient H1N1 crisis management element at schools. The demo showed how k-net enables students and teachers to log on at specific times throughout the day to hold live discussions, attend live classes, work in small groups, do their homework, all from home.

The demo also presented scenarios where students are unable to attend live online sessions. These sessions can be recorded and archived so that students can keep up with their classmates.

The Knowledge Net, a three-way educational portal connecting users with resources, is one of the pioneering projects that highlight the cooperation between ictQATAR and the Supreme Education Council. From only 8 participant schools in 2005, the project has grown ever since, to reach 37 schools in 2008.