ABOUT THE COURSE
This course about Israel is an experiential course, the first of its kind, which allows students to acquire detailed knowledge about Israel, in their own free time, from any end user device.
The course was developed by the Center for Educational Technology (CET) for teachers in the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE) network, in preparation for an educational tour of Israel.
Educational consultation and support: Makom (Jewish Agency).
Supported by the L. A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, Israel.
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Course Goals
The motivation behind this initiative is twofold: first, to ensure that the learning that takes place on the trip is experiential in nature and not purely cerebral, and, second, that all teachers arriving on the tour will have a common base of assumed knowledge around which the tour can be planned. The course does not assume any basic knowledge.
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Course Topics
The course comprises five areas of Israel education; History, Geography, Israeli society, Government & Politics, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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History
A historical timeline of the Jewish people’s connection to the Land of Israel from Biblical times to the present. -
Geography
An insight into the varied geographical terrain in the Land of Israel, and the location of the major cities, disputed borders and neighboring countries. -
Israeli society
An appreciation of the diversity of culture found in Israel, including a detailed exploration of the varied Jewish and non-Jewish demographics. -
Government & Politics
A brief background on the political structure of Israel including the spectrum of political parties, their beliefs, and their past and current leadership. -
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Understanding the conflict in all its complexity; the history and key milestones in this conflict.
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Course Outline
The course has been constructed in a Moodle environment. Each of the five core topics is divided into three or four lessons, with each of the lessons focusing on a different subject. The lessons combine texts, visual materials, video clips, trivia quizzes, and other illustrative materials. Students move from one lesson to the next independently.
At the end of each core unit is a quiz, which is based on the material learned in that unit, and which is designed to check understanding of the material being learned. The results of the quiz are sent directly to the course facilitators.
