Hong Kong- The GSMA today announced it is partnering with the Generalitat de Catalunya in the “mSchools” programme, a multi-year, multi-faceted mEducation initiative by the Mobile World Capital Barcelona. The mSchools programme is designed to lower dropout rates, improve student attainment in schools across Catalonia and throughout Spain and, ultimately, to better prepare students as they pursue further education and employment in today’s digital world. This new initiative builds on a successful mSchools pilot programme undertaken in Catalonia by the GSMA and the Generalitat earlier this year and could enhance the learning experience for 1 million students in Catalonia alone.
“While dealing with the continued impact of the global economic crisis and educational systems that were designed to address the needs of students in the pre-digital era, educators are being asked to deliver more with far less,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General of the GSMA. “Mobile can help change this dynamic. Mobile enables access to up-to-date materials, improves collaboration and strengthens learner engagement, opening up new ways of teaching and learning that improve achievement and employability. We are pleased to be joining with the Generalitat de Catalunya to bring the power of mEducation to students in the Mobile World Capital.”
The mSchools programme being launched today comprises several elements:
· An App Education Course, a computer science elective that will be offered in Catalan high schools to teach students about application design and prototype development;
· A Supporting Entrepreneurship in mEducation programme designed to help entrepreneurs and support mEducation;
· The Mobile Learning Awards, run by the Generalitat de Catalunya and recognising the integral role of mobile technology in education by Catalan schools, honouring innovative teacher and student-led projects; and
· A Mobile History Map, a pilot to develop a geo-positioning app that allows students to collaboratively create or edit content on relevant points of interest within one kilometre of their schools.
To support the mSchools initiative, the GSMA will contribute €500,000 per year through 2018, funding technology, resources and the delivery and management of the programme. Further, the GSMA will leverage experience gained from mEducation deployments around the world to implement global best practices with educators and administrators participating in the initiative.
The programme brings together public and private institutions; organisations currently participating include A Crowd of Monsters, Barcelona Loves Entrepreneurs, Incubio, King, Social Point and Softonic, who will support the App Education course with expert staff. Mobile operators Telefónica, Vodafone and Orange will also support the mSchools initiative.
“The GSMA is very proud to be partnering with the Mobile World Capital, leading mobile operators and the private sector to help create an educational environment that will enable young people throughout Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain to build important new skills that will prepare them for new opportunities in the future,” added Bouverot.