Take classes on YouTube now with the Duroosi channel

e-learning by MoE, Etisalat, Google popular

Shaikha Ahmed Musa at the launch of the partnership between the Ministry of Education and YouTube’s Duroosi channel in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photo by Rahul Gajjar

Parents in the UAE will soon encourage their kids to get on YouTube and watch videos — all thanks to a new e-learning initiative by the UAE Ministry of Education, Etisalat and Google.

The three entities have joined hands to create more than 600 tutorial videos as part of a new initiative called ‘Duroosi’. Students from the public schools will be able to learn from some of the UAE’s best teachers and the lessons on YouTube have already started becoming popular.

Marwan Al Sawaleh, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education, believes the initiative will help open up more avenues of learning.

“We want to use technology to make our schools better. Students will now have access to subject material anytime, anywhere and this will be one of the channels used to reach out to students.”

The Duroosi Etisalat channel on YouTube has crossed 17,000 subscribers since its launch in October last year and lessons range from creative writing to biology and chemistry.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Smart Learning project, another pioneering initiative by the UAE government, already provides schools with free smart devices.

“All schools in the UAE have implemented the smart learning project and tablets have been provided free of cost to more than 123 schools. We are evaluating the feedback and more schools will be made a part of the initiative from September this year.”

For Etisalat, the new initiative is a great way to give back to the community and reach out to a younger audience.

Amal Alkoos, Director at Ayaadi Etisalat, the telecom provider’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, said the project was aimed at making students more ‘independent and empowered’.

“Our idea was to develop something which could be used as a learning tool for both students and teachers. It can help in two ways – preparing students before a class and helping in revision after classes.”

Alkoos also noted the e-learning project was being developed in partnership with some of the best teachers in the UAE’s public schools, who had been selected by the ministry.

“Instead of a private tutor who comes home, a student can sit at home and watch a teacher explain the same subject on YouTube, as many times as he/she wants,” she added.

Duroosi has already provided more than 500 hours of educational content on YouTube and Tariq Abdullah, Marketing Manager at Google MENA, feels the project will create a big impact.

“Google believes the greatest impact of technology is in the field of education. Duroosi is an excellent example of investing in our future generations utilising the benefits of technology.”

For students, the YouTube lessons are a good way to catch up on concepts taught inside class. Salma Sultan, a Grade 12 science student at Al Mualla School, believes the simple idea will help many students like her.

“I can play the videos as many times as I want and even take notes before the subject is taught in class.”

The initiative has already digitised course content for students of Grade 11 and Grade 12. Later this month, videos for Grade 10 students will also be introduced.

Shaikha Ahmed Musa, another student at a public school in Sharjah, said, “It makes my life easier and I can understand concepts better. If I don’t get something, I just rewind and watch it again. It is something which I cannot do inside a classroom.”

muaz@khaleejtimes.com