Requiring schools to evaluate their online platforms to maintain students' security and privacy

8 requirements for applying distance education in private schools in Abu Dhabi

The Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi has identified eight requirements for distance education, including opportunities for direct interaction, information systems and resources, electronic security and privacy of students, teachers and administrative bodies, guidance on the school’s evaluation of the distance education experience, copyright standards during distance education, examinations, and intervention when Low academic achievement, in addition to meeting the needs of students.

The department stressed the need for schools to ensure that all students receive the necessary support and have equal opportunities to interact with their teachers and colleagues, and that the maximum number of students registered and participating in any online session does not exceed 25 students in the kindergarten stage, and 30 students in grades from first to The twelfth, to maximize participation and interaction during the face-to-face sessions, advised to divide the younger students into smaller groups (12-13 students or fewer per group).

The department indicated that teachers must be present throughout the session devoted to the lesson or direct lessons, and provide opportunities for interaction for small groups and students individually during distance education, in order to increase interaction between the teacher and the student, and between students and each other, and to provide the necessary intervention when needed, as the teacher must The camera is also turned on during live lessons, to increase the interaction between the teacher and the student.

She pointed out that while students are advised to operate cameras during live lessons, each school is free to implement its own policy in this regard in the manner appropriate to it.

The department stressed the need for schools to commit to re-evaluating information technology systems and policies, and periodically reassessing their needs for educational technology, based on the experience of distance education, taking into account the observations of teachers, educational leaders and students’ families, and using platforms for direct communication such as “ZOOm” and “MS Teams”, According to the needs of each seminar, and to ensure that everyone receives a consistent learning experience, in addition to appointing information technology coordinators, by assigning existing employees these additional tasks, or by hiring new specialized employees to provide technical support to teachers, students and their families, and appointing a trainer specialized in technology Information, to provide training programs for teachers, students and their families.

The department called on schools to evaluate all online technical tools and platforms that they generalize or intend to use, and then put in place appropriate measures to mitigate risks wherever they are found, in order to maintain the security, safety and privacy of their users, remind students' families of the measures and procedures, and educate them about how to support their children. To ensure their safety while using the Internet.

She stressed the need for schools to develop an action plan to develop areas that need improvement within the distance education system, based on the results of evaluating the education process that the Education Quality Assurance and Oversight Office of the department shared with schools, and to conduct internal evaluations of their distance education programs, from During questionnaires for parents, teachers, students, or focus groups.

She stressed the need for schools to abide by the terms of copyright and related rights during online teaching, as it is prohibited by law to make one or more copies of the file (including publications such as textbooks), audio recording, broadcast software, or any performance in any way or form, including uploading to permanent or temporary electronic storage devices, regardless of the method or device used for copying.

She indicated that schools will administer formative and final diagnostic tests to assess students' progress and determine learning needs. Schools will assess students' learning level during classroom education and distance education, if applied, and set standards and procedures for managing and monitoring tests performed by students directly from a distance. To ensure the integrity of the evaluation process. She pointed out that students of determination are allowed to use the assistive materials according to their needs, such as giving them extra time, or allowing them to help a teacher in reading or writing or other services they need. These procedures should also be described in the student's IEP and included in the risk assessment process.The department stated that schools should conduct an assessment of the extent of students' learning to identify weaknesses in the learning process, and this includes opportunities to conduct a diagnostic assessment to identify areas of low academic achievement and weaknesses, which would enable the school to develop intervention plans to address the shortcomings, while formative and final assessments will be in the classrooms. schools to monitor and track students’ achievement and progress, and schools should develop and provide additional interventions to deal with students who have faced severe difficulty in academic achievement due to distance learning, or whose performance was poor in evaluating the academic content acquired during distance learning.

Meet the needs of people of determination

The Department of Education and Knowledge clarified that given the great diversity of special educational needs and various disabilities that may characterize students individually, schools should make the necessary arrangements to deal with students of determination fairly, based on their knowledge of the child, available resources, staff experience, and their ability to Follow the instructions described in this document.

She indicated that schools must do their utmost to meet the needs of students of determination, to enable them to learn alongside their peers.

• The teacher should turn on the camera during the live lessons to increase interaction.

• Maximum 30 students per virtual class.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news