Massive Open Online Courses

The RELIEF Centre is co-designing a series of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) with partners and community members in Lebanon to create vibrant, free online and blended learning experiences based on the research being carried out in Lebanon.

Our approach to MOOCs deliberately disrupts the typical model which features ‘talking head’ videos of university professors far-removed from the community who uses them. We will take our cameras directly to the communities in Lebanon to video local researchers, teachers and professionals so they can share their localised knowledge, skills and understanding with others. By doing so, we will create a collaborative learning environment, where participants can share their experiences and learn from each other. We also know how hard it can be hard to learn online amid the many pressures of life and with limited access to broadband internet. To overcome this, we are designing in local blended learning support to ensure reliable delivery of our MOOCs.

In summary the RELIEF centres distinctive approach to MOOCs that involves: 

·      Co-design of courses
·      Innovative uses of video
·      Collaborative learning activities
·      Dual language design (Arabic and English)
·      Blended learning support

To achieve this we have partnered with two online platforms: the English language free online course platform, FutureLearn and the Arabic language platform, Edraak.

Learn more about our MOOCs below.

Sustainable Energy Access for Communities (Open Now)

Teaching Online Get Ready Now (Open Now)

Community-Based Research Getting Started (Closed)

Transforming Education in Challenging Environments (Closed)

 Towards Better Education: lessons Learnt from COVID 19

Teachers, students and parents had to endure unprecedented conditions since March 2020, where the world seemed to have stopped due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. Yet, education had to continue and with that we needed to find creative ways to ensure the continuation of the teaching and learning processes. The main focus was on using technology and remote teaching and learning, yet as we were moving fast and we had to find quick solutions we all faced myriad challenges in terms of accessibility, connectivity, content adaptations, social relationships and collaboration and coordination amongst the school, teachers, parents and students. However, in spite of the challenges, we learnt valuable lessons which we can use to improve the teaching and learning processes as we move forward. To highlight these lessons learnt, share them and use them, we created this course.

The themes and content of this course are based on action research conducted by 14 educators in formal and informal schools in Lebanon. The research included interviews with teachers, inclusion specialists, education and technology specialists, councillors, head-teachers, parents and students. The research was supported by 6 education specialists based in Lebanese universities and research institutions. Hence, this course is special as it is based on real-life experiences.

COVID 19 added to the compounded crisis that many of us are facing, such as conflicts, mass displacement and economic hardships. For that, this course is aimed at Arabic-speaking educators, especially those who work in complex emergencies where the necessary resources for education and distance learning are not available, and for educators who face challenges to accessing needed resources. These educators may work in the context of formal or informal education. The course also aims to support university students who completed their studies in the field of education and to support volunteers in humanitarian and development organizations working in the field of education

This course helps to enable its participants to exchange effective educational methods by sharing their real experiences in teaching in emergency contexts. This course takes a collaborative

approach, open to all teachers and professionals who work in difficult contexts in order to share their experiences, skills and practices to face these problems together.

Learning Outcomes

Acquire skills needed to utilize holistic and inclusive teaching methods

Merge the skills of using technology in education with the skills of face to face education in order to create learning spaces that are more inclusive and effective

Acquire the ability to produce new assessment methods appropriate and suitable for the changes that have occurred in the teaching and learning spaces and methods

Create cooperative and positive relationships between parents and educators that lead to a better learning environment, especially for learners with special needs

Sustainable Energy Access for CommunitIES

May 3rd, 2021

Free online course, available to all, 3 weeks, 3 hours a week

Learn the techniques to help communities move towards a renewable energy future and apply them to make changes in your community.

Access to energy is vital to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and we can achieve this through environmentally sustainable solutions. To do this, we need to identify the right technological solutions, but that is not all. This course will help you think through the multi-faceted dimensions to renewable energy – technology, behaviour change, economics and community dynamics. You will consider alternative energy futures that may be on or off grid, and include solar P.V, wind, hydro, bio gas and even bio electricity. You will explore the many and varied solutions and consider the ways energy access can impact wider community prosperity. As someone who wants to make a change in your community, we will show you some innovative suggestions for community engagement.

The course is a social learning process – you watch short videos, try the activities, join the discussion, and exchange ideas with other participants. You can use your computer or mobile device for all course activities. So please join us, and find out how to make your mark on creating renewable energy solutions in your own context.

FAQs

Who is this course for? If you are an aspiring community activist, leader or influencer in renewable energy transitions, or a professional working in a renewable energy social enterprise, NGO, or local or national government, this course is designed for you. 

Who designed it? Energy academics who do research at three universities, University College London (UCL), Loughborough University, and the University of Technology Sydney. 

What will I gain from completing the course? You will have exchanged experiences, ideas, and solutions with other experienced professionals from a wide range of different countries The course is a social learning process – you watch short videos, try the activities, join the discussion, and exchange ideas with other participants. 

Who is the course endorsed by UCL, American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University and Centre for Lebanese Studies? 

How many hours do I need to invest per week? 3-4 hours per week.  

Is this course completely free? Yes for the Edraak course in Arabic. For the English course on FutureLearn you can study the whole course free, but there is a charge for upgrading, which provides you with a certificate, and unlimited access to the course and its activities. 

Will I be able to contact the course professors if I had any questions? You can ask questions of the Educators in the discussion which is attached to every step.

Is this course only for individuals in Lebanon? No, it is open to participants from almost every country in the world.  

Open

Sign up at FutureLearn (English)

Sign up at Edraak (Arabic)

 Community Based Research: Getting Started

A free online course, open to all, starting on 25 January 2021, 3 weeks, 3 hours per week

WHAT IS THE COURSE ABOUT?

Community-based research means involving a community in all stages of the research process - this kind of research can give people the power to transform their lives. In this course, you will learn the basics of community-based research by examining the citizen science methodology used by the RELIEF Centre in Lebanon. You will learn to construct your own research questions to find out community needs and how to meet them. You will develop research skills to carry out local research projects sensitively and ethically, using examples from Lebanon to support you as an aspiring researcher.

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is for community members who want to find new solutions for community problems. It’s also suitable for community researchers recruited by NGOs, teachers who want to investigate relationships between school and the community, academic researchers in Lebanon and elsewhere, students wanting to carry out community research, leaders of community research, trainers of researchers in NGOs or on academic projects, and even entrepreneurs who wish to investigate the community demand for their products or find out what the community needs.

HOW DOES THE COURSE WORK?

The course is a social learning process – you watch short videos, try the activities, join the discussion, and exchange ideas with other participants. You can upgrade at any time to gain a Certificate of Achievement from University College London and Centre for Lebanese Studies at the Lebanese American University when you complete the course. This gives you unlimited access to all the resources to use in your own local professional development courses. You can use your computer or mobile device for all course activities. So please join us and find out how to make your mark on transforming education in your own context.

Sign up at FutureLearn (English)

Sign up at Edraak (Arabic)

Transforming Education in Challenging Environments

This MOOC aims to support the many teachers in Lebanon working in challenging circumstances with vulnerable children by providing a place to share experience and expertise across the public, private, UNRWA and NGO schools.

Discover practical ways teachers can transform the education of children and young people living in conflict-affected contexts. The course includes video case studies showing how teachers in some of the most challenging environments have transformed their approaches to teaching. If you are a teacher, a trainer, of a volunteer working with refugee and displaced children and youth or a university student completing your education programme and expecting to work in challenging contexts, this course is designed for you. 

The course is a social learning process – you watch short videos, try the activities, join the discussion, and exchange ideas with other participants. You can upgrade at any time to gain a Certificate of Achievement from University College London and the Lebanese American University when you complete the course. This gives you unlimited access to all the resources to use in your own local professional development courses.

FAQs

Who is this course for? Anyone who is teaching or involved in some way with teaching in challenging environments. There is a focus on environments affected by mass displacement, but the challenges these teachers face - such as children who have experienced trauma, or diverse languages, cultures, age groups in one classroom, or children from disrupted families - can be found in all countries and communities.

Who designed it? Education academics who do research and teacher training, at two universities, University College London (UCL), and the Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut.

What will I gain from completing the course? You will have exchanged experiences, ideas, and solutions with other experienced professionals from a wide range of different countries; seen the inspiring interviews with teachers dealing with challenges and finding solutions; acquired resources such as videos, documents, and access to digital tools that you can continue to use; a certificate of completion if you complete and pay for the certificate.

Who is the course endorsed by? UCL and LAU.

Will it further my career? Learning online is a valuable experience in itself, giving you experience of digital learning which you can take into your own professional work. Employers value this kind of experience. Your engagement with innovative global courses of this kind will be a point of differentiation with other candidates for promotion or other positions.

How many hours do I need to invest per week? 3-4 hours per week.

Can I enrol after March 15th? Yes, at any time until 26 April, and you will be able to continue accessing it for 6 weeks after enrolment, no matter what you enrol.

Is this course completely free? Yes for the Edraak course in Arabic. For the English course on FutureLearn you can study the whole course free, but there is a charge for upgrading, which provides you with a certificate, and unlimited access to the course and its activities.

Will I be able to contact the course professors if I had any questions? You can ask questions of the Educators in the discussion which is attached to every step.

Is this course only for individuals in Lebanon? No, although the video case studies are mostly based in Lebanon. It is open to participants from almost every country in the world. 

Open

Sign up at FutureLearn (English)

Sign up at Edraak (Arabic)

 Teaching Online: Be Ready Now!

As everyone moves to online teaching, there is a lot of wondering over what can be done online and how we can do it! Therefore, this course was created as a quick response to the current situation to support teachers in different sectors on how to design the educational process online.

The course consists of only two units. In the first unit, we are thinking about the tools available to both the teacher and students. Then we talk about what position we are in now. What challenges do teachers and students face when learning online? We also talk about the challenges that learners might face. Finally, we talk about the types of learning that help us design learning experiences that stimulate learning. In the second unit, we talk about each type of learning, and how we can design different activities online. The course’s activities will be supported by a live lecture to interact with the course’s team and answer the participants’ questions.

The main objective of this course is to create a community of practitioners so that we support each other in the process of transitioning to teaching online. There are many interactive activities available in the course, so you are expected to do some of them.

This course is in Arabic and will run more than once in order to enroll new teachers and renew the offered material according to the participants needs and comments.

FAQs

Who is this course for? Anyone teachers who need or want to move towards online teaching.

Who designed it? Education academics who do research and teacher training, at two universities, University College London (UCL), and the Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut.

What will I gain from completing the course? You will learn the basics of online teaching as well as exchange experiences, ideas, and solutions with other experienced professionals from a wide range of different countries; and finding solutions; acquire resources such as videos, documents, and access to digital tools that you can continue to use; a certificate of completion if you complete and pay for the certificate.

Who is the course endorsed by? UCL and LAU.

Will it further my career? Learning online is a valuable experience in itself, giving you experience of digital learning which you can take into your own professional work. Employers value this kind of experience. Your engagement with innovative global courses of this kind will be a point of differentiation with other candidates for promotion or other positions.

How many hours do I need to invest per week? 3-4 hours per week.

Can I enrol after June 29th? Yes, at any time.

Is this course completely free? Yes

Will I be able to contact the course professors if I had any questions? You can ask questions of the Educators in the discussion which is attached to every step of the moderated course

Is this course only for individuals in Lebanon? No. It is open to participants from almost every country in the world.