Enriched eBooks - The next big thing in education?

With tablets booming in the consumer market over the last couple of years, a lot of the companies are marketing the device as multi-touch, media enriched and so on. A device that gives revolutionary reading experience sounds all very attractive but are publishers rising up to the opportunity?

A number of eBook creation platform are providing the chance to add more media to your simple text layout. And although the technology isn’t perfected, we as consumers are already accepting this as the norm and applying it to use in our knowledge consumption.

Whether it’s a magazine with additional links and embedded videos or a school textbook with animated characters, we are expecting it all from a purchased eBook. Then why hasn’t this taken off yet?

According to DBW media rich eBooks aren’t compelling enough yet to get the readers…well reading.

On the other hand, more articles are talking about kids between 6 and 17 taking to interactive content on tablets like fish to water.  

It is evident that kids and academic institutes stand to benefit the most from use of these new innovative ways of learning, keeping their target engaged. However, from a quick look around the internet it is obvious that the support material transforming an ebook into a media enriched book is lacking leaving a gaping market to be as yet fulfilled.

DHA trains medical professionals from private schools

Dubai Health Authority has organized a series of mandatory training courses to ensure health education standards are maintained in schools and colleges in Dubai.

The Health Regulation department met with 160 representatives from private schools to discuss school health policies and latest standards for school clinics. The mandatory courses for medical professionals in school clinics include first aid and emergency care as well as ‘Paediatric-up-to-date programme’.

Speaking to Gulf News, Amal Ali Al Mehrezi, Head of School Health at the Authority, said, “Children are the most receptive, yet vulnerable section of society. By ensuring their health, we are ensuring our future. In the programme, we are going to train medical staff on basic life support, first aid, and on how to handle health conditions like food or insect allergy reactions, asthma, diabetes, etc. The training will look into different kinds of care required in a school setting.”

To ensure only licensed professionals can provide health education in schools, DHA has ensured providers have to first get the correct requisitions from the Authority.