ITWorx bags Qatar e-deal

Flushed with the success of its UAE e-learning project, completed earlier this month, software vendor ITWorx has secured a deal to expand Qatar's online teaching portal.

The contract, announced this week, will see ITWorx install the e-learning solution Knowledge Net in 37 of the country's schools.

A pilot project trialling the government-backed portal in 12 Qatari schools was widely deemed a success.

Hafez Hamdy, marketing director at ITWorx, applauded the roll-out, calling Qatar a "benchmark" in IT.

"Bringing computers into the classroom for all lessons is an essential part of adapting the education system to fit the needs of the 21st century," he says.

The Knowledge Net solution is designed to spice up learning by encouraging three-way communication between teachers, students and their parents.

Students can submit assignments and take part in self assessments online, while teachers can post surveys and grade coursework.

Parents are also encouraged to check-in with staff through email and discussion forums, giving school "a far more central role in family life," says ITWorx's Hamdy.

"E-learning fundamentally changes the way teachers teach and students learn."