Educational and community activities called for expanding the application of the distance learning system, after the end of the Corona crisis, proposing that it be applied during the month of Ramadan each year, and during the period from the end of April to before the exams, which is the period that witnesses a rise in temperature, in addition to its application in During periods of volatile weather and heavy rains.
They said that the application of the system in these cases obviates the decision not to go to schools for students, in the interest of their safety, under any emergency circumstances, noting that e-learning contributes to overcoming many challenges of traditional education, enhances the tools of the teacher, and ends the problem of classroom congestion.
The Ministry of Education had confirmed upon the start of the application of the system, last month, the possibility of benefiting from it at any period, as a result of climatic conditions or any conditions experienced by the state.
In detail, educational and community activities confirmed that e-learning in the Emirates has become an important tributary of the education system, by providing specific scientific curricula, which are placed within the reach of educational institutions, students, teachers, and parents, especially after the "distance learning" system has proven its effectiveness and capacity To overcome geographical and temporal challenges, and promoted open and continuous learning options, especially in light of emergency or exceptional situations, which require providing students with self-learning skills in a manner that contributes to enhancing innovation, and further developing and improving the educational process, Dah teachers' efforts, and to strengthen the scientific and cultural knowledge and capabilities of students.
The legal advisor, Dr. Youssef Al-Sharif, saw that the experience of distance education during the Corona crisis proved its success with merit, effectiveness and high efficiency, as it contributed to the comfort of the students ’families from the trouble of connecting their children to schools and returning them from them, which was causing trouble for some of them, especially the employees from them. It has also proven to be a safe way in emergency and crisis situations, as students get their lessons while at home, providing them with an appropriate and safe environment.
He pointed out that the state provided electronic devices for government school students, in order to ensure everyone the ease of using the distance learning system.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Education can, through the distance learning system, overcome problems that were and still haunt many families, such as the length of the study period and the rise in temperature, in addition to the operating expenses incurred by the Ministry during this period, which may They are parallel to the expenses of the whole year, suggesting that the distance learning experience, in the current period, be a prelude to adopting it during the coming years, starting from the end of April to before the written exams, and in light of the turbulent weather conditions, and others.
For its part, the Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, Amal Al-Afifi, confirmed that the UAE has a strong technical infrastructure that has contributed to the success of distance learning during the emergency conditions the world is witnessing, noting that the UAE education system is developed in terms of the competencies of members of the administrative and teaching bodies, and their ability to Exercising their roles in distance education. The increased awareness of technological skills among parents in different families contributed greatly to the success of this experiment.
Al-Afifi explained that «distance learning is not an emergency for the state, as there are significant investments from leadership over the past decades that paved the way for the establishment of a sophisticated system of education that keeps pace with the times. Hence, the institutions of higher education and schools were proactive in providing the community with graduates who possess the corner of technology, and improve their employment in various developmental areas, including education, which is evident today when we faced the emergency conditions due to the emerging Corona virus ».
She pointed out that distance learning will take new dimensions during the coming period, especially in light of the success recorded by this experiment, and the positive effects it revealed to employ technology in virtual learning.
Al-Afifi stressed that «distance learning can be an effective means in the event that the relevant authorities and the Ministry of Education decide to apply them in circumstances related to weather fluctuations, and the winds and rains that may accompany them, or the rise of temperatures to a level that poses a threat to the safety of students. This model can also be effective if the ministry deems it applied to schools in the holy month of Ramadan.
On the other hand, educators and teachers, Ahmed Farraj, Hisham Omar, Khaled Abdul Baqi, Hussein Al-Shafi’i, Abeer Bishara, Marwa Al-Sayed, and Manar Othman emphasized that distance education is an effective solution to a number of problems that traditional education causes in the classroom and achieves educational advantages Additional resort used by the student to enrich the scientific subject and develop his mental capabilities.
They said: «E-learning can eliminate many of the challenges of traditional education, including the absence of students before official holidays, and on occasions, during bad weather, and overcoming class density in some educational curricula, in addition to the problem of wasted time between classes.
They added: «E-learning provides additional educational programs that are attractive, practical, and speedy for students. It can also overcome individual differences between students by providing teachers with enrichment exercises for the most distinguished students, and recording lessons in a simpler way for the falterer to absorb them, in addition to that it enables the use of educational aids and videos that reduce students' excitement within the traditional class.
They emphasized that «educational platforms that have been used in distance education since the beginning of the third semester, have saved a lot of time. The videos and photos also succeeded in communicating the information within a short time, unlike the traditional methods that were characterized by poverty, and it took longer time for the teachers to explain the lessons. ”
They pointed out that «the Ministry of Education, granted school administrations earlier, the authority to suspend school hours in unstable climatic conditions. She said that the headmaster can assess the atmosphere in his school district and determine whether or not it warrants disruption of studies. They added: "This authority can be used to apply distance education in some times and circumstances, based on coordination with the ministry or relevant educational departments and departments."
For its part, the Ministry of Education confirmed that the application of the distance education system aims to make education open to all, overcoming the temporal and geographical barrier, in addition to benefiting from qualified educational energies, benefiting from modern technologies in the educational process, as well as reducing student pressure On educational institutions.
The ministry stressed, with the introduction of the distance education system last month, that the introduction of the system is not intended for this period only, but can be used in any other period, as a result of climatic conditions or any conditions experienced by the state, noting that distance education means That the student receive education from anywhere, whether at home, inside or outside the country, so that the student does not drop out of education for any reason or circumstance.
Distance learning will take on new dimensions in the future, in light of the success recorded by the current experience.
- E-learning provides programs that motivate students and eliminate individual differences between them.