GEMS signs ITWorx for e-learning gateway

Private education chain the GEMS Schools has started on the roll out of a program to bring e-learning to 27 of its schools in the UAE.

The GEMS Learning Gateway will provide an e-learning platform to enable students to receive and submit assignments, collaborate on work with teachers and other pupils.

The project will be based on the Microsoft Learning Gateway (MLG) application, which will be customized for GEMS by software specialists ITWorx.

Mukund Patel, Chief Officer – Education Infrastructure at GEMS Education said: “It’s a common complaint from businesses all over the world that schools are producing students who lack the skills employers need. It’s only by embracing IT and interfacing it fully in the education process that the problem can be solved.

“IT is a crucially important part of many jobs now, and that’s a trend that will only continue. You don’t only use a computer at work for two or three one-hour sessions a week, so schools can no longer only offer two or three IT lessons a week: it needs to become a central part of the learning process,” he added.The gateway will be deployed in both Arabic and English, and enable access both on campus and off campus.

ITWorx will also provide a three month program of training and mentoring for administrators and teachers so that they are able to gain maximum benefit from the solution.

Hafez Hamdy, marketing director at ITWorx commented: “Bringing computers into the classroom for all lessons in every subject is not a gimmick – it’s an essential part of adapting the education system to fit the needs of the future.

“Students benefit from accelerated learning, teachers collaborate better with their colleagues, and parents are able to monitor the progress of their children and communicate directly with staff, giving the school a far more central role in family life,” he said.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.