PHOTO
Dubai, UAE: Cisco’s Webex collaboration platform enabled the rapid adoption of new remote learning models by UAE universities and schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 48 educational institutions in the country delivered over 7.5 million minutes of meetings and close to 34,000 sessions over the digital meeting platform between March 1st and June 1st, 2020.
The Rise of Distance Learning
As 91 percent of the world’s student population was faced with the reality of not being able to attend universities and schools in person, distance learning became a vital way of ensuring continuity, and encouraged institutions to accelerate their investments in digital transformation.
In March 2020, UAE education authorities unveiled the first ever Distance Learning Evaluation (DLE) for schools, to determine the quality of online provisions available to teachers and students. Results of the DLE concluded that for the most part, institutions were either ‘developed’ or ‘partially developed’ across criteria such as how well students were learning, how well their learning was managed and monitored by teachers, and how well student wellbeing was being safeguarded. While the DLE indicated stable performance from the majority of schools, it also highlighted certain areas for improvement.
Recognizing the concerns of educators, which range from compliance and online safety, to student privacy and stimulating participation, Cisco’s Webex platform provided a vital link in enabling institutions to continue educating students in a secure manner – leveraging advanced security and authentication features to protect data and provide added peace-of-mind.
Webex empowered teachers to go beyond delivering lessons, allowing them to hold dialogues and interact with students, with features such as instant chat and polls to keep them engaged. Digital whiteboarding also enabled group work, while session recording functionality allowed students to access or revisit lectures at their convenience.
Creating Impact in the UAE
In the UAE, Zayed University recently held its Annual Undergraduate Research Conference on Applied Computing as a virtual event, using the conference platform capabilities of Webex Events. Over 168 graduate research projects were presented by students from 24 educational institutions in 7 countries across the Middle East, hosting over 500 participants over the two-day event. Cisco was the Technology Partner for the event and supported the university by presenting prizes and incentives to top performing students. These incentives included initial interviews for entry into Cisco’s graduate program, business courses and a tour of the company’s Innovation and Experience Center located in Dubai.
“Collaboration tools such as Webex have provided a much-needed lifeline for the education sector during the pandemic, enabling universities and schools to continue operating business-as-usual. Moving forward, it is clear that collaboration technologies will play an increasingly pivotal role in facilitating immersive learning experiences and we look forward to seeing how they can be leveraged further to ensure seamless and secure access to quality education,” said Dr. Hany El Kadi, Dean of the College of Technological Innovation at Zayed University, Zayed University.
Cisco also supported the UAE University Science and Innovation Park (UAEU-SIP) in enabling remote collaboration via its Webex platform. While UAEU-SIP traditionally offered mentoring and support for startups via in-person interactions, the impact of COVID-19 caused the university to move its services online. To achieve this, a series of webinars known as the SIP Talk Series was created by UAEU-SIP, which, in its first session, hosted two keynotes on the topic of agility within the entrepreneurship ecosystem during times of crisis.
Additionally, Cisco recently hosted its own Girls in ICT event from June 1st to June 3rd 2020, using Webex to connect attendees. With the support of the UAE’s Ministry of Education, four public schools were invited to participate in the virtual event, which focused on encouraging female students to develop careers in the IT sector. The event featured mentoring and networking opportunities, as well as keynote speeches from female executives at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Due to the pandemic, educational institutions in the UAE have had to face the challenge of adapting quickly by deploying new solutions which have enabled students to continue gaining access to quality education. This required the collective efforts of the Government, local service providers and technology enablers, who worked tirelessly towards a seamless transition to remote learning for all,” said Shukri Eid, Managing Director – Gulf Region, Cisco.
Eid continued, “Deploying Webex, the powerful, interactive experiences that have been created by the UAE’s education sector have also proven that digital learning is not merely a temporary stopgap solution, but rather an invaluable part of the education experience, which opens up a new range of collaboration opportunities for educators going forward. This is possible when you use an integrated and secure collaboration platform that caters for the various interaction requirements and styles required by an effective education process.”
-Ends-
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
Tamara Azab
Head of Communications - MEA
Cisco
tazab@cisco.com
Nour Massalkhi
Account Executive
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
nour.massalkhi@hkstrategies.com
© Press Release 2020
Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
