Texas Instruments (TI), a global semiconductor company, aims to transform classrooms in Saudi Arabia through an inovative programme which was successfully conducted on a trial basis in select schools across the Kingdom.

This comes following the US company's success on its first pilot project in four selected schools in the Al-Kharj and Jeddah districts of the kingdom.

A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through manufacturing, design and sales operations in more than 30 countries.

Guests and dignitaries assembled at one of the boys’ schools participating in the pilot to hear how teachers used TI-Nspire CX handhelds in the classroom to make mathematics and science more accessible and create a fun learning environment.

These included Mohamed Ahmed Al Hammad, the principal of Prince Sultan Secondary school at Al-Kharj District, and Anton Hierhager, the director of sales and marketing for Texas Instruments in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The pioneering learning pilot conducted in Al-Kharj is just the first step in a wider adoption of education technology planned by the Al-Kharj district, said a senior official.

To meet interest in its TI-Nspire CX handhelds from other schools, Texas Instruments also announced today the opening of its first Regional Training Centre in the Middle East. Its decision to locate this training centre in Al-Kharj underlines the importance of Saudi Arabia as a market that sets a leadership example to other countries in the Gulf.

Saud Al Othman, the GM of Al-Kharj education district, said, “I’m delighted that a school in our district has had the opportunity to set a shining example to others. From talking to students and teachers alike, it seems the TI-Nspire has had an inspirational effect, creating more engagement and interaction with sophisticated mathematical concepts."

"On a broader scale, we’re proud that Al-Kharj is setting a wider national example. With over 50 per cent of the country’s population under the age of 25, as well as Saudi Arabia’s steady emergence as a knowledge-based economy, education is taking centre stage," he added.
 
Guests had the opportunity to go back to the classroom and witness TI-Nspire Technology in action, as well as hear from teachers using it every day in their classrooms.

Guests also learnt about the benefits of education technology in the classroom. Effective use of TI-Navigator in teaching algebra has been shown to increase student achievement by an average of 14 per cent (The Ohio State University).

Teaching with graphing calculators has been shown to yield average learning gains in the range of 14 to 50 per cent (Virginia Commonwealth University).

Anton Hierharger said, “In the case of Al-Kharj district’s pioneering participation in this pilot, we expect great trees to grow from small acorns. Helping students master difficult concepts will translate to a young population in Saudi Arabia that is better equipped for tomorrow’s opportunities."

"We look forward to throwing open the doors of our first Regional Training Centre and welcoming teachers keen to use education technology to transform their students’ futures," he added.

In summarising the results of the pilot, Al Othman said: “Student and teacher feedback is positive, and we’ve already extended our use of TI-Nspire beyond the initial trial by purchasing new products. It helps us easily stay on track with our government curriculum goals, and I’m excited to see how it improves our overall performance in test scores."-TradeArabia News Service