جامعة النجاح الوطنية
An-Najah National University

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On Thursday 23 Oct., Professor Maher Natsheh, Acting President of An-Najah National University, held a press conference to announce the launching of the first free English Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “Discover Palestine”. Discover Palestine is the e-Learning Centre’s initiative to introduce Palestine’s history, archaeology, culture and heritage to people around the  world. The course is the first of its kind in Palestine, addressing the public and international world and attracting attention to Palestine and the Palestinian cause.

Prof. Natsheh welcomed the attendees, greeting them for their considerable efforts in serving the Palestinian cause and attending this conference and every other University activity.

Prof. Natsheh went on to talk about the course's importance in changing the Palestinian public image and delivering the true Palestinian story. He further added that participants will get a unique chance to form a general idea of Palestine’s history and heritage.

He added that the course was designed by the e-Learning Centre with the contribution of experts and specialists from different departments in the University.

Dr Saida Affouneh, Director of e-Learning Centre, said that An-Najah National University initiated the development of the Discover Palestine MOOC more than a year ago. MOOCs are considered the most recent trend in online education; they began in 2008 in the United States, after which hundreds of international universities started providing this open source free learning, which is available to anyone interested and willing to learn  throughout the world.

An-Najah National University has always sought to take responsibility for fighting the stereotypes surrounding Palestine and its people in the Western world. Especially in light of the harsh political circumstances, it is essential to enhance the true and positive image of the Holy Land’s sanctity, fairly display the nature of its people, and clarify its religious status in the world through academic cooperation and interaction.

Dr Ahmad Ra’fat, Head of Geography, pointed out that the course's development was conducted under the supervision of the e-Learning Centre and a dedicated team of highly qualified experts in the disciplines of geography, history, archaeology, tourism, education and technology, to ensure high quality comparable to global courses. The course was audited and reviewed linguistically and scientifically before its presentation to interested participants.

Around 100 participants took part in the course's pilot phase, hailing from various countries around the world (France, Spain, America, Malaysia, and India). The course was also presented to Palestinians in diaspora who are keen to learn more about their homeland.In its completed form, the course will be available for nine consecutive weeks for each group of students. Every group will be contacted electronically and provided with reading and listening materials, as well as photos and videos. Each topic shall be discussed in a forum, allowing the audience to exchange views and opinions and to hear from other students around the world as well as Palestinian experts. After that, students’ progress will be evaluated by the facilitators based on their interaction and completed coursework. Upon successful completion, students will be awarded certificates.

An-Najah University always seeks to keep abreast of the latest scientific and technological advancements, employing them to contribute to the development of Palestine and preservation of the Palestinian identity.

Notes:

-       The conference was attended by journalists and media institutions in the Northern provinces; vice presidents’ and president assistants; Dr Saida Affouneh, Director of e-Learning Centre; and the course team Dr Ahmad Ra’fat, Head of Geography and Dr Lu’ay Abu-Al Su’ood, Department of History.

-       Discover Palestine aims to provide hundreds of people around the world with the chance to explore Palestine, remotely and at their own pace through varied and innovative online learning methods.

-       Participants will have access to a multitude of online resources, including video documentaries, testimonies, references, charts and tables, encouraging an unbiased point of view on Palestine.

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