Dubai- Massader News
The “Future Learning Lab”, a leading UAE education institution, has launched its new center as part of the “Innovation Hub” initiative in the Dubai International Financial Center. And as part of its endeavor to provide new educational solutions and tools that are in line with the trends of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the future of education around the world.
Sarah Shaw, founder of the “Future Learning Lab” said, “We are proud of the tools and solutions presented by Dubai and the UAE to the world, which open up better and easier horizons in the work environment and in other various fields. Today, with the efforts and insights of a wonderful group of Dubai citizens and residents, we launch the “Future Learning Lab” to make benefit from the global experiences in the field of learning and education, and we present it to many individuals and societies looking for an alternative to the traditional style of learning.”
Sarah Shaw added, “Our vision focuses on empowering individuals to realize their full potential through education and learning designed for the world today and future world. As we focus on transforming current education models from mere traditional rigid models to an individual model, a model capable of adapting in accordance with the capabilities of students and learners and consistent with the needs and requirements of the various current and future industries and sectors in the country.”
The Lab also seeks to continuously develop and improve the approach, pedagogy, and learning environments, in accordance with the work and education environment in the future.
New Model
Sara Shaw noted, “This new model is its first experience in the Middle East, in cooperation with the American “Workspace Education” Institution and its president, Catherine Fraise. The approach called “Co-Learning” has been implemented in the USA, Connecticut State, which facilitates for large number of students’ families the possibility of educating their students through cooperation and participation to build an individual development plan for each student, which contributes to enhance their skills and capabilities. The Co-Learning approach is considered a new one, as it does not focus on traditional learning and teaching styles, but rather through participatory, distance and broader learning, based on the curricula that are abundantly presented, and which parents choose according to their needs.”
On her part, Dr. Habibah Ellahee, CEO of the “Future Learning Lab”, said, “Through the institution’s first experiences, we contacted 50 families of foreign communities, particularly in the Emirate of Dubai, and they expressed their happiness in providing a facility equipped with basic needs such as a scientific laboratory, 3D printing devices. As well as a central place for all social aspects of the homeschooling community, which is growing annually in Dubai. We also seek, in the future, to have a larger and integrated facility equipped to provide all utilities, rooms and facilities to ensure that all the individual learning needs of parents and students are met.”
She added, “We are fully aware that the experience is new, and may face some challenges, as it is difficult for some families to realize the magnificent benefit at the present time. Therefore, we provide two unique services: one of them is an internal service to familiarize our community members with the framework of co-learning and participation in providing those experiences. In addition to the presence of a “Dreams Manager”, which ensures that our children receive a development plan with a unique, customized educational path that keeps pace with their passion and curiosity towards achieving their dreams in the future”.
Compatible Experiences
It is noted that Sarah Shaw, the founder of the project, has more than 15 years of experience in the field of human development, education, innovation, strategy and project management, and making tomorrow’s leaders through her work in several government and private agencies in the Emirate of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
She also led partnership projects between public and private sectors in the social field and the development of the secondary education system. Sarah has trained more than 700 citizens in a professional hospitality program.
About Future Learning Lab
The Future Learning Lab Institution was established during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, especially during the home quarantine period, where a team of experts and individuals motivated by their talents and passion to redesign the learning environment and learning mechanisms to keep pace with the future.
We have collaborated with WorkSpace Education to develop a successful system that has been in place since 2016 in Connecticut State, the USA and the model has been modified to fit the local culture, multinationality, and educational curricula in the UAE.
Future Learning Lab’s model focuses on (3) main elements as follows:
- The space: where the space provides the facilities, techniques, equipment and utilities required to ensure the provision of a stimulating environment for education that keeps pace with all the changes that the world witnesses.
- Society: the role of society is to activate that space in accordance with the students’ individual requirements for learning.
- Distinctive Services: by providing required spaces and the effective role of society in the learning process, we provide our distinguished services through strategic partners in various educational fields (such as robotics, programming, public speaking, art through recycling… etc.). In addition to many programs requested by members of the “Future Learning Lab” community, thus becoming a space that adapts to the needs of the community and provides an opportunity for strategic partners to experience with new technologies in learning with a proactive community.
This system ensures that learning can keep pace with the changes in the world while emphasizing the development of the student’s basic aspects, such as team spirit building, participation, time management, money management and other life skills needed to build an effective human element for today and the future.