Al-Quds University

1. Al-Quds University Experiences in E-learning Rashid Jayousi, PhD Computer Science Dept. rjayousi@science.alquds.edu RUFO- 2nd Workshop

2. Presentation Overview • Al-Quds experience in developing a platform for material delivery (Moodle). • Al-Quds University’s experience in developing virtual labs for schools.

3. Recall- Moodle Features Course management Platform • The teacher has full control over all settings for a course, including restricting other teachers • Choice of course formats (week, topic, discussion focused) • Flexible array of course activities (Forums, Journals, Quizzes, Resources, Choices, Surveys, Assignments, Chats, Workshops ) • Track of recent changes to the course • All grades for Forums, Journals, Quizzes and Assignments can be viewed on one page (and downloaded as a spreadsheet file) Reference: http://moodle.org

4. Al-Quds experience • Al-Quds University has decided to embrace the concept of electronic learning in the summer of 2004 • Claroline, a Learning/Content management system was used during Summer 2004 (http://www.claroline.net) • Due to functionality and security limitation of Claroline, Moodle was adopted as the official E-learning system (http://moodle.org)

5. Time line

8. What problems we tried to solve using the web technology? • Lack of a place to host of electronic contents such as PowerPoint presentation, word file, etc • Inability to work online, in terms of assignments, exams, etc. • Inability to solve assignments online • Inability to communicate with students in more effective ways than email • Inability to discuss topics related to courses via forums

9. Main actors that participated in its development and application. • Moodle is an open source product. • However, the main actors that custumised it to be used at Al-Quds University were: • Said Khoury Information Technology Center of Excellence (SKITCE), • the Computer Science Department, and • the Information Technology Department. • The project director is Isam Ishaq, SKITCE technical manager.

10. Benefits of the project • The project provides a web-based platform to enable the use and dissemination of electronic content, and to encourage interactive activities between the instructor and students

11. The objectives • Provide a web-based platform to help creating a parallel learning environment with the classroom and to maintain continuous, online learning • Host of electronic contents such as PowerPoint presentation, word file, etc • Provide instructors and students with necessary resources to work online such as online assignments, dialogues, exams, etc • Provide instructors with a mean to communicate with their students via email or private messaging • Encourage students and instructors to enrich their knowledge and express their own opinions about course-related topics through online forums

12. The tools • MYSQL • PHP

13. The Virtual Labs Project

14. Overview • This project is part of the science education project (SEP) that aims to help students at different stages of their school training to develop their scientific skills, logical thinking, imagination and to encourage them to learn science in more attractive and interesting way. www.sep.alquds.edu

16. What problems we tried to solve in this project? • It is realized that the university can help the Palestinian pupils access to state-of-the-art scientific equipment that enable them to do scientific experiments as part of their science curriculum that they can not perform at schools. • For this purpose AlQuds invites schools to perform different experiments at the university labs. • A web site is developed to help enhancing such visits

17. About Mailing Lists Search News Forum Journals Useful Links Administration Page Help & contact information Sponsor Logo • Biology • Chemistry • Physics Sponsor Logo • What's new ? Arabic Version

18. About Mailing Lists Search News Forum Journals Useful Links Administration Page Help & contact information • Experiments Index • Experiment 1 • Experiment 2 • Experiment 3 • …... • …… • ….. • …. • … • … • … • … Home

19. Experiment Card About Mailing Lists Search News Forum Journals Useful Links Administration Page Help & contact information Home Back

21. Main actors that participated in its development and application. • The main actors are lecturers, teaching assistants, students, staff at the different departments and SKITCE at Al-Quds University. • The project director is Dr. Hassan Dweik.

22. Benefits of the project • The project support the advancement of science education in Palestine through enhancing cooperation between schools and the university. • Give tools that enable teachers to be involved in the educational process by high involvement in setting the site content.

23. The objectives To build educational human resources by: • Supporting Palestinian teachers and pupils. • Give tools that enable teachers to be involved in the educational process by high involvement in setting the site content.

24. Target Audience • Teachers that are part of the project. • Pupils that are part of the project. • Teachers and pupils that are not part of the project, but can use the open scientific content, both in Arabic and English. • The public at large. • People that can found interest in such project (donors and initiators).

25. The tools • Macromedia • PHP • Mysql • Different multemedia and web page publishing tools.

26. Thank YOU