Cairo University has launched a competition, entitled “Excellence in Distance Education”, to encourage all staff and students to use the digital education platform Smart CU.
The platform has been designed as a method of developing educational content, and employing modern technology as part of the educational process.
Muhammad Othman Elkhosht, President of Cairo University, said that the competition is open to all faculties and institutes at Cairo University, adding that specialised committee will evaluate the platform’s performance.
He said that the evaluation will monitor certain criteria, including the integration of the educational content pages for the university’s academic courses that are available on the Blackboard platform. Exams will also take place via the Smart CU platform, which are based on the Assessment Gourmet platform.
He added that the university has allocated EGP 1,130m to the competition’s prizes, with the best three colleges to receive an amount of EGP 450,000, while the three best scientific departments will receive EGP 300,000.
Moreover, the top 10 faculty staff will be awarded EGP 200,000, and the best 10 students will receive EGP 100,000.
It is worth noting that the Smart CU educational platform includes a set of integrated systems, including the Blackboard system, the Assessment Gourmet system, and the Collaborate system for meetings and conferences. It also features an integrated system for scientific references and educational materials.
Cairo University is working on providing all its colleges with smart screens that include educational applications. Using this feature, the colleges can create interactive educational content or modify educational content in a way that enhances student interaction.
Groups of faculty members have also been trained on how to use these screens and employ them in teaching various courses. They will be able to use applications and programmes aimed at developing the educational process within the university’s strategic plan for digital transformation.
