Dubai, March 2006 - (by UmmeSalma Mujtaba) Where online education is the current BUZZword, www.learninghour.com - launched in Dubai - has been started by a group of IIT and IIM alumni from India. Partnered with a technology company in Sweden and developed by a pool of teachers in Delhi, the IIM Graduate, along with its batch mates, is out to make learning a different experience.
In a traditional classroom, teachers teach a group of students. However, due to time constraints and the inability to serve students individually, the learners sometimes feel the need to attend private tuition centres. Now the centre is at home- just a click away.
Different features at learninghour.com
Live Help:
Expert teachers are there to assist students LIVE, 1-on-1 and round the clock. The system is high-tech, where students and teacher can see each other through real time video and talk to each other in a crystal-clear voice. Advanced whiteboard and the use of digital pen make make the learning experience extremely effective. Students can record the session for later review.
Instant Learning Sessions:
Students can log on to these sessions for instant advice and connect to an expert panel of teachers. The duration of instant sessions is twenty minutes and can be extended in increments of twenty minutes, but only on a need basis). At the end of every session, the student and the teacher are required to provide immediate feedback about the session.
Schedule Your Learning Sessions:
Sessions of sixty-minute duration, which can be extended, can be scheduled based on students' study plans, school schedules, and personal convenience.
Posting Queries:
Students can ask for guidance when they are stuck on a question or a concept by posting their queries.
Question Bank:
The question bank is a compilation of carefully chosen questions on every topic. It is divided into following sections:
Student registration and associated costs:
Learning Hour works on a credit system that makes it convenient to use the services. Learners buy credits using an online payment gateway. Each time a LIVE session is taken, a query posted, or an online question paper used, the required amount of credits is deducted from the student's account, much like a pre-paid telephone card or debit card. The monetary value of a credit is .5 USD.
This technology platform is among the most advanced in the world, enabling the student and teacher to see each other on live video and also talk to each other in real time. There is no lag in the voice or the video. www.learninghour.com also recommends that its students purchase a digital pen, which allows a student to literally write on the screen. This little cordless, pen-shaped device is used to write on a pad, which then gets shown immediately on the screen, thus acting as a notebook for teacher and student.
Chandan Agarwal, Director, says, "We are thrilled with the overwhelming response of students in the UAE. It's almost as if they had been waiting for something like this for a long time. We will do our utmost to satisfy their learning requirements, as that is our ultimate objective."
