Luma Al Adnani on edutainment: interview at Abu Dhabi Congress

Adam wa Mishmish co-founder CEO Luma Al Adnani is a strong proponent of the joy of learning, discussing the power of learning through play.

As part of Expo 2020 Dubai, edutainment company Adam Wa Mishmish hosted a live event at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheater on December 14, 2021. image: Expo 2020 Dubai, Christophe Viseux, Adam Wa Mishmish

By: Managing Editor Porter Anderson | @Porter_Anderson

see also: Screenwriter and Writer Ahmed Mourad: Interview with Abu Dhabi Congress

Exploring the feasibility of teaching through entertainment

CContinuing today (May 16) with our preview of May 21 and 22 International Conference on Arab Publishing and Creative Industries– Open Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Season 2 – We Heard Luma Al AdnaniCo-founder and CEO of a music cartoon platform that entertains and educates Adam Mishmish (Adam and Apricot).

Al Adani plans to Sunday’s parliamentary session“Conscious Dialogue 2: Playing and Teaching—Does Entertainment Improve Learning?”

In that discussion, Zayed University hosts Hanada Taha and Al Adani will join:

• Lamsa founder Badr Ward
• Anne Hauguel, Project Manager and Content Curator, Children’s Department, Louvre Abu Dhabi
• Etienne F. Agué of Erasmus University, a historian specializing in futuristic studies and science fiction

In their discussions, these speakers will consider issues including the extent to which edutainment products have been successful in promoting youth education and how edutainment can enhance the quality of learning.

Luma Al Adnani: “Inspires the joy of learning Arabic”

Key image from Luma Al Adnani “Adam wa Mishmish” website

a key question publication point of view The question posed to Al Adnani was whether the common expectation of entertaining is true. Are parents and educators expecting too much from the results of this play-based approach?

“I believe kids learn best when they’re having fun,” said Al Adnani, “In this generation, content is king.

“Whether it’s music, cartoons, books or plays – all the types of content we create – kids need a fun reference to help them learn and retain information. The traditional classroom doesn’t work anymore. You need something that engages kids attention, otherwise they won’t care what you’re trying to teach them.

“In our case,” she says, “we’re focusing on children in the early years, up to age 6, where you need a purely edutainment approach. Playing with education doesn’t necessarily mean digital content. This misunderstanding is one of the reasons it’s sometimes viewed negatively – too much screen time. It’s just a combination of entertainment and education, and it can come in many forms.

“I don’t believe in outcomes-based learning. I believe it kills a child’s creativity and individuality.

“In general, we shouldn’t expect too much from anything,” Al Adnani said. “Every child learns differently and we shouldn’t put too much pressure on things like grades and grades. For us at Adam Wa Mishmish, the focus is on using music as the main tool to inspire the joy of learning Arabic, and each Children can express that in different ways.”

“It depends on how you handle it”

Talking about the potential of edutainment, Al Adnani said: “Entertainment can be used in any field, whether it’s math, language or social. It’s just a matter of how you approach it.

Luma Al Adnani

“At the end of the day,” she says, “as I mentioned before, edutainment is about creating educational spaces through entertainment, so it’s just a matter of picking out the resources that are best for any given area. There are differences and even preferences among intellectual types, but this does not affect edutainment as a tool to help them learn, regardless of the area of ​​focus.

“For our part, while we are more focused on creating content that helps kids love and learn Arabic, we are also creating content that is well-rounded. We work on developing skills such as literacy, physical development, math, communication and language Wait. You guessed it, all of these skills are taught through play.”

“Kids learn best when they are having fun”

Finally, when publication point of view When asked if the edutainment industry did the best job of clearly communicating its potential, Al Adnani said: “I think the edutainment industry is so ubiquitous right now that understanding it is a two-way street.

“Our approach is that children learn best when they are having fun, and they are happiest when their content is taught in a fun way. As content creators, we have a responsibility to convey this message, but parents And educators also have a responsibility to learn through play and to create this fun, inclusive and happy environment for students to be the best they can be.”

Al Adnani appears in a video about Adam Wa Mishmish, which emphasizes music as an educational tool for learning and enjoying Arabic.

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