DARISNI, the region’s first smart-device platform that instantly connects students with qualified tutors, was officially launched in several regional markets. Developed with the intention to provide students with supplemental learning opportunities through an interactive smart platform, Darisni offers a seamless discovery-based experience that brings unparalleled value to the world of private tutoring at a quarter of the cost of the traditional face-to-face tutoring.
Through Darisni’s unique, multisubject platform, both school and university students have access to vetted tutors who can help them improve their skills in Mathematics, English, and Arabic. Additional subjects, such as Science, will be added in the near future.
The Darisni app is the brainchild of a young Kuwaiti entrepreneur, Noor Boodai, who led a team of technology and education specialists in a yearlong development process to create an innovative, personalized, and accessible mobile learning solution. Darisni provides families and students with the opportunity to access qualified online private tutors, and at 25 percent of what they would pay for the traditional face-to-face tutor.
“Technology and smart digital solutions are the future of learning,” said Boodai, the founder and CEO of Darisni. “The idea for Darisni came from a real need in the region for quality, affordable tutoring services. Home tutoring is costly and can be financially unavailable for many families, leaving students without the educational support they need on top of their traditional schooling. Darisni provides an alternative that can be accessed on-demand, any time and from anywhere, making its service both convenient and cost-effective for students and families.”
According to Boodai, all tutors accepted onto the Darisni platform are selected following a rigorous examination and interviewing process. “We only accept 5 percent of the tutor applicants. They then undergo a comprehensive training program before we can certify them to connect with students through our app. Every tutor that we accept has a university education, and they are managed by a team of supervisors that includes PhD holders and professors in the relevant subject areas.”
Tutors available through Darisni are based in several locations across the Arab world. During the 12-month trial process, usage reached more than 100,000 tutoring sessions accessed by more than 70,000 active students, the majority of whom are located in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Iraq. The trial period saw significant demand growth from month to month.
Omar Almadani, chief technology officer at Darisni, said: “This breakthrough app is truly pioneering in the field of mobile tutoring. Our talented team of designers, technology and education experts have carefully crafted this first-of-its-kind platform to facilitate an online environment conducive to teaching and learning. It provides a personalised experience via a chat-based interface, which our trial period proved as a successful way of delivering tutoring support to students who need it.”
Rather than handing students the answers, Darisni employs a discovery-based learning approach. Every interaction is recorded and saved for quality assurance, with regular checks conducted by quality managers. Users also have access to a tutor rating system; top-performing tutors receive rewards, while those who consistently receive low scores are removed from the team to maintain high quality standards.
Darisni is available to students on a pay-per-minute price model, at an average of 3 KD per hour (approximately $10) compared to traditional face-to-face tutoring fees, which range between 13 and 15 KD per hour (more than $40). The app accepts only internationally-recognized payment gateways to conduct user transactions, such as VISA, MasterCard, OneCard, and Knet. Darisni can be downloaded from both the Apple Store and Google Play. — SG
