Samsung looks to Improve the Quality of Education through Solutions

Unfortunately, there are many students in the world who don’t have access to quality education. The inequality of the accessibility to quality education is growing exponentially, especially because information technology is evolving much faster than many schools can adapt. And this is a big concern for future generations.

Many great companies and corporations are taking actions to solve this problem with their own or collaborative solutions, product and active Corporate Citizenship activities. In this blog, we talk a lot about Samsung’s products and technologies to serve general consumers’ interest, but today, we would like to talk about Samsung’s effort in improving the quality of the education in different areas of the world.

Educational Infrastructure

For students to have a quality education in the digital age, it is necessary for schools to be equipped with the proper infrastructure. Samsung has been taking many initiatives to establish the kind of infrastructure that improves the accessibility of IT in education.

There are many parts of the world that just don’t have the proper infrastructure to support digital trends in education. Recently, in South Africa, as part of Samsung Digital Villages initiative, Samsung established the Solar-powered internet school to improve the accessibility to education in African rural areas. With the internet access, tablets and PCs provided by Samsung, Phomolong Secondary School in South Africa has increased the pass rate of university from 89% to 97.5% in just one year.

Samsung also has been offering various infrastructure customized solutions for schools with outdated digital infrastructure. For example, St. Catherine’s School in Australia, the oldest independent girls’ school in Australia with nearly a thousand students attending Kindergarten to 12th grade, had a clear goal of providing an education program that is customized for each student. The school had been sharing desktop PCs and laptops in the classrooms, but, as you can imagine, they weren’t enough for the ‘individual focused education program.’

Therefore, Samsung provided Samsung Series 7 Slate PC for the school and home, which was affordable, portable and durable. Because students were able to use the touch-screen to quickly swipe through media and content, they gained the instant access to a wealth of information that allows them to learn in the way that works best for them. This worked well for teachers in the school as well because they could interact with students online in real-time and send a chat message to a student who may be struggling.  The one-on-one connection was strengthened thanks to access to technology.

Educational Solutions

Once schools are equipped with the proper infrastructure, they need a matching solution so that the digitally advanced education program stays sustainable.

Samsung Smart School is an initiative in Korea to improve the quality of education and schools’ accessibility of IT. As an educational solution, in cooperation with local universities, elementary school teachers are provided with insightful seminars and customized teaching guidelines based on the data collected by the Samsung Smart School Program. This initiative has generated many positive responses from schools, such as increased student participation, motivation and satisfaction level.

As you can imagine, many, including Samsung, recognize the importance of schools’ need to integrate technology and digital solutions in their education programs. However, Samsung also recognizes that these solutions need to be strategic and customized for each school. Each school has different needs, budget and goals. One of the ways that Samsung is working to address this issue is by the publication of a “Roadmap to Digitally Delivered Education” on its official website. This handbook provides 5 step Smart strategies for integrating technology:

Step 1: Recognize the Rewards and Risks

– Schools need to determine and identify their opportunities and challenges for integrating digital education programs.

Step 2: Develop a Roadmap

– Schools need to asses the current IT infrastructure and identify what needs to be upgraded or prepared and set clear goals.

Step 3: Prepare for Using Technology in the Classroom

– After having the proper digital equipment, instructors need to be able to adapt and lead the transformed classroom dynamics and be effective with the latest technologies.

Step 4: Innovate Outside the Classroom

– It is extremely important for school administrators to have access to such advanced digital tools to support the transformation of the classroom and education programs.

Step 5: Opt for an Integrated Solution

– To make the best out of the technology, schools need to integrate a complete solution that is designed specifically for education environments.

Raising Student Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

Various case studies by Samsung have shown the effectiveness of the digital infrastructure and solutions that has been implemented in schools over the world. However, Samsung also set a mission to raise students’ interest with its initiative, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. It is no secret that students’ proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects will be extremely important as they set off on their future careers. Samsung started the Solve for Tomorrow education contest, giving schools across the U.S. the opportunity to raise interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects among students by awarding their schools with a share of over $2 million* in technological products.

Samsung not only offers technically advanced gadgets that can help schools directly, but it makes an effort to create solutions and find the best way for schools to implement the right solutions. With continuous collaboration with various global educational institutes, Samsung has been showing its will to better the environment for schools and children.