Skip to Content

ABU DHABI // A high-tech computer laboratory that can travel from school to school has been created by a group of university students.

The mobile technology classroom was produced by six students from Zayed University (ZU) as part of their final year studies, and is thought to be the first mobile computer classroom in the country.

At the schools the classroom is to visit, year four and five pupils will be able to try out photography and filmmaking using laptop computers.

The students responsible for the classroom were studying either education or information technology. They funded the project through sponsorship from the UAE armed forces and private sector companies, including computer manufacturer Acer, which donated the laptops for the classroom.

Khulood al Maamari, 23, an IT student, said a wider section of the community in addition to pupils might eventually be able to use the mobile classroom after its two planned visits to schools.

“Maybe it will be [beneficial] for mothers or for those who are not in education. It would be good for people who do not know about technology,” she said.

The mobile classroom was unveiled yesterday at a ceremony attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Special lesson plans designed for young pupils have been created for the mobile classroom’s visits to Humoda bin Ali Model School and Al Dhabianeya Model School. The laptop computers are equipped with Adobe Photoshop and Windows Movie Maker software.

Dr Peggy Blackwell, the dean of ZU’s College of Education, said the six students involved created the mobile classroom “pretty much by themselves”.

“The students worked so hard. They worked on it for a year and they did everything from finding the caravan to decorating it. It’s just wonderful, and an outstanding example of what our students at ZU have done,” she said.

The schoolchildren using the classroom would get the chance to try things they had not done before on computers, said Dr Blackwell.

“It will give them an experience that they would not be able to have with a home computer or regular computers in schools, so it will enhance their learning experience,” she said, adding that the continued use of the mobile classroom would depend on securing extra sponsorship.

Daniel Bardsley

Page last updated 01 January 2020