A new “Teach the Teachers” chatbot from Israel-based messaging and voice-based communication company Rakuten Viber is facilitating distance learning in the beleaguered Ukrainian education system.
A September survey conducted by the Rakuten Viber team in Ukraine shows that because of the ongoing war, 66 percent of respondents will study online, and another 19% will pursue a hybrid of remote and in-person study.
The Viber messaging app, which enjoys 98% penetration in Ukraine, is partnering with Ukrainian educational studio EdEra to develop the free online courses tackling challenges facing some 450,000 teachers, such as:
• How to organize homework via Viber
• How to keep attendance records and monitor knowledge
• How to motivate students to engage in learning during distance learning
• How to organize a chat with students and parents
As remote and hybrid education continues in other European regions, the chatbot will also be available in Greece and Bulgaria.
“It’s difficult to provide education when everyone is isolated, as we saw throughout Covid and now continuing within Ukraine. Viber has become one of the key tools for communication for remote learning within these regions,” said Ofir Eyal, CEO of Rakuten Viber.
“We want to help kids continue their learning through these difficult times and to help teachers – who are in their third year of remote teaching – find better and smoother processes to maximize productivity. This initiative is one of the many steps Viber is taking to support the community.”
Viber was founded in Tel Aviv in 2010 by Talmon Marco and Igor Magazinnik and was purchased by Japanese company Rakuten in 2014. Rakuten Viber has offices across the world.
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