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Madrasa e-learning platform offers free Arabic language lessons

DUBAI, March 18, 2020

Non-Arabic speaking students living in the UAE and across the region can learn the basics of the Arabic language for free on Madrasa e-learning platform amid worldwide school closures due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.  
 
Madrasa (madrasa.org), recently recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a powerful digital learning solution to help children across the world continue their education amid recent school closures, started providing interactive Arabic language video lessons in December 2019 alongside more than 5,000 Arabized educational videos in math and science that cater to students from kindergarten to grade 12.
 
Non-Arabic speaking students can now have access to more than 250 interactive Arabic language lessons available on the e-learning platform that cater to grades 1-4. The high-tech videos offer basic Arabic grammar, writing, reading and listening lessons to facilitate student learning in an engaging and creative manner.
 
Originally produced in coordination with a committee of specialised academic experts, teachers and professors from Zayed University and the UAE Ministry of Education, the Arabic educational content developed on Madrasa e-learning platform meets accredited school curricula across the Arab world.
 
The videos apply modern and innovative technology to create engaging material supported by story like narration and specially created animated cartoon to promote the language use among the young generation.  
 
The educational videos, mapped with learning outcomes and equipped with demonstrative examples and exercises, adopt a simple language that allow students to gain a better understanding of the rich Arabic language. Every video is followed by a group of questions to evaluate the student’s understanding of the material.
 
The online Arabic lessons, produced in collaboration with specialised video editors, producers and voiceover artists, aim to support Arab students and non-Arabic speaking students across different school age groups in mastering different linguistic skills and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the language.
 
By the end of the year, Madrasa e-learning platform will provide 1,000 Arabic language videos, constituting 800 educational videos year that cover all aspects related to language for students from kindergarten to grade 12, and 200 statically animated stories. The animated stories mainly target kindergarten and primary school students through engaging and creative content.
 
UNESCO recognition
 
The UNESCO has recognized Madrasa.org among the latest global distance learning solutions with wide reach, strong user-base and evidence of impact that could help children across the world continue their education amid the Covid-19 outbreak.  
 
Under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), Madrasa was listed among the educational platforms that can help teachers, schools and parents facilitate student learning and provide social support and interaction during the period of school closures.
 
Launched in 2018, Madrasa e-learning platform provides more than 5,000 free Arabized videos in general science, math, biology, chemistry and physics to students from kindergarten to grade 12, alongside the recently-launched online Arabic language lessons.
 
Dr. Hamad Al Hammami, director of UNESCO’s regional office in Beirut, said the exceptional precautions taken with the worldwide schools and universities closures present a unique opportunity to harness digital learning in a rapidly changing educational scene to improve the student experience.
 
“Digital learning platforms like Madrasa help provide access to quality education based on modern curricula to empower students wherever they are and respond to their different needs across the world. Through harnessing advanced technologies, the digital learning solutions mapped with demonstrative exercises and learning outcomes support students, teachers and families with free quality education,” Al Hammami said.   
 
Al Hammami noted that providing online education meets the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all regardless of circumstances and place.
 
He pointed to the expansion of self-learning opportunities presented by the rapid advancement of modern technologies that continue to spark knowledge curiosities. “Self-learning has become an integral part of the whole educational system over the past decades, expanding student academic skills and broadening their horizons beyond classrooms.”
 
He added: “The ingoing collaboration between the UNESCO and pan Arab digital learning platforms can contribute to enriching and increasing quality Arabic educational content on the internet to support school curricula and improve student learning process through delivering innovative and engaging material.”
 
UNESCO-Madrasa collaboration
 
Representing Madrasa e-learning platform, MBRGI signed an agreement with the regional office of UNESCO during the World Government Summit that took place in Dubai in February 2019 to enrich the online platform with free high-quality Arabic content accessible to Arab students across the world.
 
The agreement focuses on five main pillars: enhancing the educational content on Madrasa, implementing comprehensive awareness programmes around Madrasa’s content, providing innovative learning solutions to remote villages, allocating tasks and strengthening mutual coordination between UNESCO’s regional office and Madrasa.
 
The agreement is centered on implementing innovation to develop education across the Arab world and provide the latest technologies to empower different society segments. It also aims to end poverty through education and awareness in response to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. - TradeArabia News Service



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