Page - 58 - in Radical Solutions and Open Science - An Open Approach to Boost Higher Education

4 AHiddenDream:OpenEducationalResources 61 In the twenty-first century, as a result of the informationand telecommunication revolution,educationhasevolvedinordertomeetthetechnologicalneedsofthenew generation.Longdiscussionshavebeenheldbetweenhighereducationpolicymakers, andmanyquestions havebeen raisedby educators, practitioners andpolicymakers about open education, e-Learning, online learning and digitalisation of education. Different terminologyhasbeenusedtodescribeusingdifferent formsof technology to improve thequalityof teachingandlearning.Cantechnologyimprove thequality of education?Arewe ready for this reform?What typeof capacity-buildingdowe needtodoforourteachers?Howmuchwillthatcost?Theseandmanyotherquestions havebeenasked,andnoagreementhasbeenreached.Pioneersatmyuniversityhave taken the lead in implementingdifferent types of blended learning inorder to pilot it in their courses. Manyotherhighereducationinstitutionshavestartedtouseopenresourcessuchas MOOCsforeducation.Forexample,An-NajahNationalUniversity,whichislocated inNablus,PalestinehasbeendevelopingMOOCcoursessince2014.Differentopen courses indifferent languagesareavailableontheuniversitywebsite.Thesecourses areopentothepublictogivepeoplemoreinformationaboutPalestine,andarefunded by theMinistryofCulture.Other universities have launchedMOOCcourses about wildplants inPalestine.TheadoptionofOERin thePalestiniancontexthasbeen in response toeducational challengesand tomeet international and regional standards in higher education.However,we have concerns about the assessment process for OER,aswell as thequalityof these resources. OurroadmapforintegratingOERinbothpracticeandpolicyineducationislinked totheinstitutionalandstrategicplanoftheMinistryofHigherEducationinPalestine and the requiredprocess for implementation, including the timeframe,priority level and theexpected results and impactofusingOERover the short and long term. 4.2.3 AdvantagesofOpenEducation There are a lot of benefits to using open education and open resources in different aspects of the educational system in any country. For example, open educationhas extendedthepossibilitiesandprovidednewopportunitiesforeducatorsandstudents to broaden their knowledge and skills in different fields, with fewer costs. Open educationhas introduced learners tonontraditionalwaysof learningbysharingand reusingknowledgeandinformationbetweendifferent institutionstoachievespecific goals. Furthermore,OERhave linked informal and formal education by using dif- ferentresources.ManyOERallowteachersandlearners toaccess learningmaterials withpermissiontoeditandmodify thecontent tomeet theirneedsandexpectations. Students, educators, non-profitorganizationsand jobseekerscanbenefit fromopen educationbyjoiningtherightprograms,whichcanfacilitatetherecruitmentprocess. Openeducationhelpsfacultyandstudents reachout toother institutionsanduniver- sities,whichcanimprovecollaborationbetweenlearnersanduniversitiesindifferent parts of theworld. It should alsobe taken into consideration that openeducation is