Vodafone has joined a Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) classroom study that will explore the potential for mobile education tools in Qatar. Eight NU-Q students are researching the market for mobile tools in higher education, as well as how those tools are used in the learning process. The study, which will be carried out in collaboration with Vodafone, is part of a 14-week course designed by NU-Q lecturer Giovanni Bandi.

Dalya Al-Khalaf, Vodafone’s Director of Strategy and Planning, noted: “As part of our commitment to improve education through technology, Vodafone Qatar is participating with Northwestern University in Qatar in a study to identify what are the best digital tools to improve the learning process as well as the students’ engagement with their universities. We hope to learn which student needs can be satisfied with mobile technologies. We will use these results to drive future Vodafone Qatar investments in the field of mobile-based education solutions.”

Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q, noted that, “collaborations between academy and industry make an especially valuable contribution to the student’s education. By drawing on knowledge gained in the classroom, students learn to produce creative solutions to real-world problems in the evolving media field.”

Vodafone’s senior management will provide an important resource for students as they analyse the current supply of digital tools, both locally and internationally. During the first session, Vodafone’s Head of Strategic Projects and Innovation, Simone Eliantonio, shared a research Vodafone Qatar conducted on mEducation in the last few months. “Education is a social environment where students interact and collaborate with each other and with the professors. This social interaction, more than anything elsem can benefit from dedicated digital and mobile tools,” he said.

As part of the classroom study, students will conduct a statistically valid survey of university students in Qatar. Consumer specialists at Vodafone will assist students to construct appropriate questions. The survey data will define the market demand in terms of current use, trends and expectations.

Ending in April 2015, this research will be an invaluable resource for Vodafone Qatar to develop tailor-made digital-based education solutions that cater to the specific needs of the local market and help to introduce innovative methods of learning to university students.

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