GESS Al Nadi gathers education professionals to discuss mobile learning

The seminar gave attendees the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a topic that is considered the future of education and discuss how to integrate mobile learning in classrooms and curriculum's across the region.

Launched this year, GESS Al Nadi is designed to bring together the Gulf's leading education professionals to network with exhibitors of the Gulf Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) exhibition, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and is in association with the Ministry of Education.

The panellists for the seminar, Patrick Beyrouti, Business Development Manager Education at Arab Business Machine- authorised Apple distributor, Shadi Al Hasan, Managing Director of Flagship Projects, Phil Redhead, Director of ICT & Innovation at GEMS Royal Dubai School and Independent Consultant Richard Stone, explained their thoughts and provided case histories to encourage the use of mobile technology, especially hand-held devices, for educational purposes. The event also served as a platform to discuss how to prepare schools and teachers for mobile learning and how to make a school environment suitable for it.

Discussing the current use of technology amongst students and schools worldwide, panellists Patrick Beyrouti and Richard Stone agreed that it is a key bridge between students and schools. Both speakers urged education professionals to embrace technology to engage young people born in the digital age and understand how it can be used for educational purposes.

Shadi Al Hasan also added on the importance of technology in the life of a student, "Smartphone and tablets are becoming the key transformer from the eWorld to the mWorld (mobile) in technology; this means that a normal user of technological device can be empowered with all tools and apps that keep him connected and make him interact with the world around him while he's on the go. Learning is better known to be a journey, mobile is becoming the perfect and preferred companion you can imagine for the content consumption experience of students."

To demonstrate how mobile devices can be successfully incorporated into classroom and its positive outcomes, case studies were presented to the audience. For one study, Melania Mihalcea, a student from GEMS Royal Dubai School, demonstrated how she uses an iPad application created by its school where mobile learning has already become a reality.

"Our 10 year old student demonstrated the creative power of mobile technology in the hands of our young learners. In publishing her writing and video to the school's iPhone app, and using an iPad to model the process to GESS Al Nadi members and other attendees, she showed just why educators must not wait to embrace these game-changing tools," explained Phil Redhead.

GESS Al Nadi conducted a post-event survey in which almost 90% of attendees agreed that mobile applications can effectively enhance a curriculum, 95% said iPads or other handheld devices would improve learning and student engagement in the classroom and nearly 80% of education professionals said they would deploy handheld devices, such as iPads, in the near future.

Safia Habib, Consultant for the Umm Al Quwain Educational Zone and a member of GESS Al Nadi, said, "The seminar was very engaging and valid points were made on the growth and significance of mobile learning. It is important to have networking events and discussions such as this to help us re-evaluate and improve on what we offer as education professionals. GESS Al Nadi gives us the opportunity to consistently be updated and gain more knowledge on the sector and all the industry-changing innovations."

More insights and case histories on Mobile Learning will continue at GESS and the Global Education Forum, which will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 February to 1 March 2012.