ABOUT REPCO-I | Equip Palestine with E-Learning (E-Pal)

E-Pal First International Conference:

A Roadmap to E-Learning in Palestine: Challenges and Opportunities (REPCO-I)

In its third year of intensive work, the “Equip Palestine with E-Learning (E-Pal)” project is glad to announce its first international conference that will take place in hybrid formats at the Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU) in Hebron and at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in Gaza. The conference will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 4 and 5, 2024.

E-Pal is a six-year project funded by The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The project is a cooperation between PPU, UCAS, the University of Oslo, (UiO) Norway, and Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet)-Norway,

The higher education sector is still trying to make sense of how to deal with rapid technological developments in ways that strengthen teaching and learning. The influx of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic challenged established practices, leaving a range of questions about how best to utilize existing technologies to support students’ academic and vocational development. Currently, key debates include how to address the role of generative artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) and immersive technologies (such as virtual and augmented reality), and how to use online learning to develop more flexible educational offerings.

A fundamental question, both in Palestine and globally, is how the potential of technology-enhanced learning can be realized to support student learning and prepare students for work life. This Conference aims to shed light on the current status of e-learning in Palestine and provide an arena for joint discussions on opportunities and challenges in taking this agenda forward.

REPCO-I Themes

The Conference is a venue for researchers, practitioners and members of industry and civil society to present their innovative work on technology-enhanced teaching and learning providing practical examples of this use. We welcome submissions on all themes relevant for technology-enhanced teaching and learning in higher education, including (but not limited to):

Emerging practices in technology-enhanced teaching and learning
Action research/development work related to technology-enhanced teaching and learning
E-learning and organizational change
Use of immersive technologies (such as virtual and augmented reality) in higher education
Use of generative artificial intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT) in higher education
Technology-supported simulations in higher education
Student-staff collaboration in the development of technology-enhanced teaching and learning

Presenters and Partners

The Conference will also include presentations of the work emerging from the E-Pal project. E-Pal stakeholders and partners including the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, The Ministry of Telecommunication and IT, The Higher Council for Innovation, The Palestinian Higher Education Insitituions (PHEIs), the civil society and the private sector, are all expected to participate and attend the conference.

Keynote Speakers

Distinguished Keynote speakers, plenary speakers and researchers from respected Palestinian, regional and international universities will present in person and remotely.

Conference Locations

The conference will be held in hybrid mode, where PPU and UCAS will host the conference both in Hebron and Gaza respectively at the same time with close partnership with the University of Oslo and the Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway. Those who cannot present or attend in person will have the opportunity to do so remotely. The main activities of the conference will be streamed live during the conference.