Successful Application of Subject Specific e-Resources

During the recent years, Azerbaijan took unprecedented steps toward integrating modern ICT into educational process, as a respond to the demand of the technical age. One of the main issues on the Government’s agenda is the informatization of educational system.

The Ministry of Education has been successful in implementing two State Programs of the "Provision of Information and Communication Technologies for Education" in 2005-2007 and "Informatization of Educational System" in 2008-2012. The main goal of the nation-wide initiatives is to provide and teach the use of the modern ICT tools on every level of education and thus, raise the general education standards.

With the aim to promote the educational technology, Madad Azerbaijan in cooperation with British Council Azerbaijan launched the new “English Teachers’ Capacity Building Project” to advocate the use of e-resources while teaching and learning English. The project was implemented in Baku, Sumgayit, Shirvan, Goychay, and Mingechevir and a total of 114 trainings participants benefited from the pilot trainings held during April-May, 2012.

“We have been taught how to use modern technologies in teaching and learning process. By applying these techniques firsthand into the teaching process, we can make it more efficient and fun,” said one of the participants, Minakhanum Turabova, who is teaching English at Baku School #20.

Another project participant, the teacher from Baku School #54, Asiman Hasanova, valued the improvement of students’ communication skills as a result of the integration of e-resources: “These new methods enable the students to work in team and encourage the teachers to exchange their experiences with their fellow colleagues both within the country and abroad.”

On the other hand, another teacher from the same school, Sevda Alasgarova, pointed out the fact that the students feel more motivated, and considerable improvements are observed in the quality of the exercises they submit after using e-resources.

The project participants learned about the benefits of application of the e-resources in the process of learning and teaching that will enable them to motivate their students for effective learning.

The project also supported the teachers by encouraging teamwork, cooperation, active learning, social and leadership skills, through specific exercises to improve analytical and critical thinking abilities. The project will be continued in 2012-2013 academic year within the new partnership of British Council and Madad Azerbaijan.