Open University Of Israel Research Articles

Challenging Ontological Order: Walls and Historical Space in Narrative Films

Research Article| October 01 2020 Challenging Ontological Order: Walls and Historical Space in Narrative Films Odeya Kohen Raz Odeya Kohen Raz Odeya Kohen Raz is a senior lecturer in the School of Audio and Visual Arts, Sapir Academic College. She also teaches in the Steve Tisch School for Film and Television at Tel Aviv University and is a teaching coordinator in the Department of Literature, Language and the Arts at the Open University of Israel. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Journal of Film and Video (2020) 72 (3-4): 32–47. https://doi.org/10.5406/jfilmvideo.72.3-4.0032 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Twitter Permissions Search Site Citation Odeya Kohen Raz; Challenging Ontological Order: Walls and Historical Space in Narrative Films. Journal of Film and Video 1 January 2020; 72 (3-4): 32–47. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/jfilmvideo.72.3-4.0032 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressJournal of Film and Video Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright 2020 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois2020 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Magical American Jew: The Enigma of Difference in Contemporary Jewish American Short Fiction and Film

Magical American Jew: The Enigma of Difference in Contemporary Jewish American Short Fiction and Film

Massive, Partially Online CS1 Course

The Open University of Israel (OUI) has an open admissions policy and is based primarily on distance learning. As in other universities, our CS1 course includes the topics recommended in the Computer Science Curricula (2013). The large number of students who register for the course (from 700-900 students per semester) presents us with unique challenges in management. In this paper, we describe the efforts we have devoted to making the learning and teaching process as uniform as possible for all students taking the course. We describe the research we conducted in order to ascertain whether there is a correlation between regular or intensive tutoring groups and student success in CS1 and whether the specific tutors affect student success. We were satisfied that the teaching of our course is quite uniform.

Educational Performance of ALN via Content Analysis

Learning in an ALN mode is modeled by a set of educational processes. The group is modeled by an abstract entity that provides services to the learners via its group educational processes. The learners reciprocate by their corresponding educational processes. Following findings of the Social Interdependence Theory of Cooperative Learning, we conjecture that the ALN is Cooperative Learning enhanced by extended think time. If ALN is structured for effective cooperation then the group dynamics will regulate the high level reasoning and the interpersonal relationships of the learners towards their highest levels.If this conjecture is found to be true, it identifies the maximization of reasoning and interpersonal relationships as one of the educational benefits of an ALN.To test the conjecture, we developed a methodology for the evaluation of the performance profiles of the ALN educational processes. Performance profiles are calculated via content analysis of the information flows exchanged between the participants, and the results are tested for reproducibility. We use this methodology to analyze three weeks of asynchronous discussions embedded in an ALN course of the Open University of Israel (OUI). The results of this analysis indicate the plausibility of our conjecture.

Celebrating Jewish-Moroccan Theatre in Israel: Production, Repertoire, and Reception

In 2001, a surprising theatrical event took place on the margins of the Israeli theatrical landscape.1 1. The work was supported by the Open University of Israel’s Research Fund [grant no. 506161];...

“All the Way to the British Isles”: Ayyūbid-English Diplomatic Networks in an Early Thirteenth-Century Exchange

Previous articleNext article No Access“All the Way to the British Isles”: Ayyūbid-English Diplomatic Networks in an Early Thirteenth-Century ExchangeIlan ShovalIlan Shoval Search for more articles by this author Ilan Shoval is a lecturer at the Open University of Israel (email: [email protected])PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Speculum Volume 93, Number 3July 2018 The journal of the Medieval Academy of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/698317 Views: 291Total views on this site Copyright 2018 by the Medieval Academy of America.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Displaying the Mizrahi Identity in Autobiographical Performances: Body, Food, and Documents

In this article Naphtaly Shem-Tov examines three Mizrahi autobiographical performances in Israel, exploring how they construct Mizrahi identity in different ways. The term ‘Mizrahi’ or ‘Mizrahim’ refers to Jews and their descendants originating in the Muslim and Arab countries. Although Mizrahim make up approximately half the Israeli population, their ethnic identity and culture are considered outside the dominant Israeli Western cultural orientation. The three autobiographical performances discussed here challenge these preconceptions and present an alternative, assertive identity for the Mizrahi community. The performers incorporate real elements – physical virtuosity, the preparation and serving of food, and the use of official documentation and personal records – to blur the lines between fiction and reality, and to draw attention to the different forms of oppression exerted on the Mizrahi identity. Naphtaly Shem-Tov is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Literature, Language and the Arts at the Open University of Israel. His publications include Acco Festival: Between Celebration and Confrontation (Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2016).

The Persecution of the Jews in the First Crusade: Liturgy, Memory, and Nineteenth-Century Visual Culture

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Persecution of the Jews in the First Crusade: Liturgy, Memory, and Nineteenth-Century Visual CultureIris Shagrir and Netta AmirIris Shagrir Search for more articles by this author and Netta Amir Search for more articles by this author Iris Shagrir is Associate Professor, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana (e-mail: [email protected]).Netta Amir is a PhD candidate at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel (e-mail: [email protected])PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Speculum Volume 92, Number 2April 2017 The journal of the Medieval Academy of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/690757 Views: 1098Total views on this site © 2017 by the Medieval Academy of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Beyond the Walls of the Classroom: Introduction to the IJELL Special Series of Chais Conference 2017 Best Papers

Aim/Purpose: This preface presents the papers included in the ninth issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning (IJELL) special series of selected Chais Conference best papers. Background: The Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, is organized by the Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies, The Open University of Israel. The 12th Chais Conference was held at The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel, on February 14-15, 2017. Each year, selected papers of the Chais conference are expanded and published in IJELL. Methodology: A qualitative conceptual analysis of the themes and insights of the papers included in the ninth selection of IJELL special series of selected Chais Conference best papers. Contribution: The presentation of the papers of this selection emphasizes their novelty, as well as their main implications, describes current research issues, and chronicles the main themes within the discourse of learning technologies research, as reflected at the Chais 2017 conference. Findings: Contemporary research goes ‘beyond the walls of the classroom’ and investigates systemic and pedagogical aspects of integrating learning technologies in education on a large scale. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are encouraged to investigate broad aspects of seizing the opportunities and overcoming the challenges of integrating innovative technologies in education. Impact on Society: Effective application of learning technologies has a major potential to improve the well-being of individuals and societies. Future Research: The conceptual analysis of contemporary main themes of innovative learning technologies may provide researchers with novel directions for future research on various aspects of the effective utilization of learning technologies.

A Learning Analytics Approach for Evaluating the Impact of Interactivity in Online Video Lectures on the Attention Span of Students

Aim/Purpose: As online video lectures rapidly gain popularity in formal and informal learning environments, one of their main challenges is student retention. This study investigates the influence of adding interactivity to online video lectures on students’ attention span. Background: Interactivity is perceived as increasing the attention span of learners and improving the quality of learning. However, interactivity may be regarded as an interruption, which distracts students. Furthermore, adding interactive elements to online video lectures requires additional investment of various resources. Therefore, it is important to investigate the impact of adding interactivity to online video lectures on the attention span of learners. Methodology: This study employed a learning analytics approach, obtained data from Google Analytics, and analyzed data of two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that were developed by the Open University of Israel in order to make English for academic purposes (EAP) courses freely accessible. Contribution: The paper provides important insights, based on quantitative empirical research, on: integrating interactive elements in online videos; the impact of video length; and differences between two groups of advanced and basic learners. Furthermore, it demonstrates how learning analytics may be used for improving instructional design. Findings: The findings suggest that interactivity may increase the attention span of learners, as measured by the average online video lecture viewing completion percentage, before and after the addition of interactivity. However, when the lecture is longer than about 15 minutes, the completion percentages decrease, even after adding interactive elements. Recommendations for Practitioners: Adding interactivity to online video lectures and controlling their length is expected to increase the attention span of learners. Recommendation for Researchers: Learning analytics is a powerful quantitative methodology for identifying ways to improve learning processes. Impact on Society: Providing practical insights on mechanisms for increasing the attention span of learners is expected to improve social inclusion. Future Research: Discovering further best practices to improve the effectiveness of online video lectures for diverse learners.

Introduction to the IJELL Special Series of Chais Conference 2016 Best Papers

This preface presents the papers included in the eighth issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning (IJELL) special series of selected Chais Conference best papers. The Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, is organized annually by the Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies, The Open University of Israel. The 11th Chais Conference was held at The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel, on February 16-17, 2016.

Cheating and Feeling Honest: Committing and Punishing Analog versus Digital Academic Dishonesty Behaviors in Higher Education

This study examined the phenomenon of academic dishonesty among university students. It was based on Pavela’s (1997) framework of types of academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and facilitation) and distinguished between digital and “traditional”- analog dishonesty. The study analyzed cases of academic dishonesty offenses committed by students, as well as the reasons for academic dishonesty behaviors, and the severity of penalties for violations of academic integrity. The motivational framework for committing an act of academic dishonesty (Murdock & Anderman, 2006) and the Self-Concept Maintenance model (Mazar, Amir, & Ariely, 2008) were employed to analyze the reasons for students’ dishonest behaviors. We analyzed 315 protocols of the Disciplinary Committee, at The Open University of Israel, from 2012-2013 that represent all of the offenses examined by the Committee during one and a half years. The findings showed that analog dishonesty was more prevalent than digital dishonesty. According to the students, the most prevalent reason for their academic dishonesty was the need to maintain a positive view of self as an honest person despite violating ethical codes. Interestingly, penalties for analog dishonesty were found to be more severe than those imposed for digital dishonesty. Surprisingly, women were penalized more severely than men, despite no significant gender differences in dishonesty types or in any other parameter explored in the study. Findings of this study shed light on the scope and roots of academic dishonesty and may assist institutions in coping effectively with this phenomenon.

A Decade of Chais Conferences: Introduction to the IJELL Special Series of Chais Conference 2015 Best Papers

The seventh issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning (IJELL- formerly Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects - IJELLO) special series includes a selection of best papers presented at the 10th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era. The Chais conference 2015 was held at The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel, on February 10-11, 2015, and was organized by its Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies. This preface presents the mission and activities of the Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies at the Open University of Israel. It describes the objectives and themes of the Chais conference 2015, explains the special series synergies with IJELL and the Informing Science Institute, chronicles the topics that have been published in the series, and introduces the papers included in this special selection.

Fat Triangulations, Curvature and Quasiconformal Mappings

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Rd.,Raanana 43107, Israel* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: semil@tx.technion.ac.il;Tel.: +972-4-8292896; Fax: +972-4-8294799.Received: 9 April 2012; in revised form: 31 May 2012 / Accepted: 11 June 2012 /Published: 4 July 2012Abstract: We investigate the interplay between the existence of fat triangulations,PLapproximations of Lipschitz–Killing curvatures and the existence of quasiconformalmappings. In particular we prove that if there exists a quasiconformal mapping betweentwo PLor smooth n-manifolds, then their Lipschitz–Killing curvatures are bilipschitzequivalent. An extension to the case of almost Riemannian manifolds, of a previous existenceresult of quasimeromorphic mappings on manifolds due to the first author is also given.Keywords: fat triangulation; Lipschitz–Killing curvatures; quasimeromorphic mapping1. IntroductionThe present note is largely motivated by our theorem below, itself a continuation and generalizationof previous results of Martio and Srebro [1], Tukia [2] and Peltonen [3]:Theorem 1.1 ([4]) Let M

Introduction to the IJELLO Special Series of Chais Conference 2012 Best Papers

Introduction Innovative instructional and learning technologies are among the major forces that can improve knowledge dissemination, education, life-long learning, on-the job training, and subsequently welfare in the information era. The Open University of Israel (OUI) is based on distance and blended learning and thus is committed to the ongoing examination and improvement of its teaching quality through the integration of innovative learning and instructional technologies. The Research Center for Innovation in Technologies functions as the research arm of the Open University for exploring emerging technologies and developing models and strategies for their integration in teaching and learning. The main objective of the Center is to promote research related to the enhancement of instruction, using innovative learning technologies. The Center consists of a consortium of about forty faculty members from the various OUI departments. The Center conducts a wide range of ongoing academic activities such as symposia, workshops, conferences, and research seminars. The following are some of the fields of research in which the Research Center for Innovation in Technologies is engaged: * The theoretical foundations of learning, instructional technology and distance education. * Integration of innovative information and communication technologies into educational systems. * Defining and characterizing the variables necessary for developing flexible and adaptive technology-enhanced instructional strategies that accommodate students' individual needs. * Studying the pedagogical and cognitive contributions of emerging technologies to teaching and learning. Learning in the Technological Era is a series of annual national research conferences on learning technologies initiated in 2006 by the Chais Research Center in collaboration with EDEN, The European Distance and E-Learning Network. The Research Center for Innovation in Technologies is committed to continuing this important research activity, under the name of Chais conference, which commemorates the contribution of the late Stanley Chais, who funded the establishment of the Chais Center. The Chais conference contributes to the formation of a community of Israeli researchers in the field of instructional technologies and to the positioning of the Open University of Israel as a leading organization in the study and implementation of learning technologies. About 500 researchers from most universities and academic colleges in Israel and from many organizations and Information Technology (IT) companies participate in the conference each year. The purpose of this IJELLO special series of Chais conference best papers is to enhance the international impact of the Chais conference by distributing high quality papers from the National conference to a worldwide audience. The Informing Science Institute (ISI) is a natural partner for this mission because it draws together researchers and practitioners of information technologies, who seek effective ways to inform clients about sharing their knowledge with others (http://www.informingscience.org/). The informing science transdiscipline studies the informing process, defined as providing a specific clientele with information in a form, format, and schedule that maximizes its effectiveness (Cohen, 1999, 2009; Gill & Cohen, 2009). Instructional technologies are a certain type of information technologies, which aim at providing students and other learners with information and tools to enhance their learning. Within the ISI journals, the Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Objects publishes high quality articles on theory, practice, innovation, and research that cover all aspects of E-learning and Objects (http://www.ijello.org). The first selection in this series was published three years ago and included 13 papers, which dealt with various aspects of technology integration in teaching and learning, collaborative learning environments, quality of mobile learning, motivation for technology use, and more (Eshet-Alkalai, Caspi, Eden, Geri, & Yair, 2009). …

A test of distance-learning technology: an assessment study of the Open University Russia Project

Technological developments have created a revolution that challenges teaching in general, and in higher education in particular calls for a re-assessment of traditional teaching methodologies and their effectiveness. The article is an empirical study of the outcomes of a distance-learning project conducted by the Open University of Israel in states of the former Soviet Union (FSU). In 2008, over 5000 students from 11 FSU states participated in the Open University Russia Project. This study explores the characteristics of the participants, their reasons for participation and their expectations, their satisfaction with the project, the project's contribution to participants' knowledge and its impact on their ties to Judaism and Israel, their intention to emigrate to Israel and their desire to attend a higher education institution in Israel. Findings show that the distance-learning courses developed by the Open University and the learning method developed by the Open University made a significant contribution to the target population's knowledge in topics related to Judaism, the Jewish people and the State of Israel, and enhanced their desire to study in higher education programmes in Israel and to emigrate to Israel.

Learning and Teaching in the Technological Era: Introduction to the IJELLO Special Series of Chais Conference 2011 Best Papers

Introduction Innovative instructional and learning technologies are among the major forces that can improve knowledge dissemination, education, life-long learning, on-the job training, and subsequently welfare in the information era. The Open University of Israel (OUI) is based on distance and blended learning and, thus, is committed to the ongoing examination and improvement of its teaching quality through the integration of innovative learning and teaching technologies. The Research Center for Innovation in Technologies functions as the infrastructure and mechanism research arm of the Open University for exploring emerging technologies and developing models and strategies for their integration in learning. The main objective of the Center is to promote research related to the enhancement of instruction, using innovative learning technologies. The Center consists of a consortium of about 40 faculty members from the various OUI departments. The Center conducts a large variety of ongoing academic activities such as symposia, workshops, conferences and research seminars. The following are some of the fields of research in which the Research Center for Innovation in Technologies engages in: * The theoretical foundations of learning, instructional technology and distance education. * Integration of innovative information and communication technologies into educational systems. * Defining and characterizing the variables needed for developing flexible and adaptive technology-enhanced instructional strategies that respond to students' individual needs. * Studying the pedagogical and cognitive contributions of emerging technologies to teaching and learning. Learning in the Technological Era is a series of annual national research conferences on learning technologies initiated in 2006 by the Chais Research Center in collaboration with EDEN, The European Distance and E-Learning Network. The Research Center for Innovation in Technologies is committed to continue this important research activity, under the name of Chais conference, which commemorates the contribution of the late Stanley Chais, who funded the establishment of the Chais Center. The Chais conference contributes to the formation of a community of Israeli researchers in the field of instructional technologies and to the positioning of the Open University of Israel as a leading organization in the study and implementation of learning technologies. About 500 researchers from most universities and academic colleges in Israel and from many organizations and Information Technology (IT) companies participate in the conference each year. The purpose of this IJELLO special series of Chais conference best papers is to enhance the international impact of the Chais conference by distributing high quality papers from the local conference to worldwide audience. The Informing Science Institute (ISI) is a natural partner for this mission because it draws together researchers and practitioners of information technologies, who seek effective ways to inform clients about sharing their knowledge with others (http://www.informingscience.org/). The informing science transdiscipline studies the informing process, defined as providing a specific clientele with information in a form, format, and schedule that maximizes its effectiveness (Cohen, 1999, 2009; Gill & Cohen, 2009). Instructional technologies are a certain type of information technologies that aim at providing students and other learners with information and tools to enhance their learning. Within the ISI journals, the Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Objects publishes high quality articles on theory, practice, innovation, and research that cover all aspects of E-learning and Objects (http://www.iiello.org). The first issue of this series was published two years ago and included 13 selected papers, which dealt with various aspects of technology integration in teaching and learning, collaborative learning environments, quality of mobile learning, motivation for technology use, and more (Eshet-Alkalai, Caspi, Eden, Geri, & Yair, 2009). …

To be (alike) or not to be (at all): aesthetic isomorphism in organisational spaces

Applying insights from neo-institutional theory to an analysis of two case studies - the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IMFA) and the Open University of Israel, both recently relocated to new award-winning buildings - this study suggests regarding organisational aesthetics as an important actor in isomorphic processes and exploring the processes of translating and editing, which evolved in the architectural decisions made in relocating to newly designed buildings .The contribution of the paper is in combining concepts used in studies of organisational aesthetics (especially Lefebvre's theory) and concepts of the neo-institutionalism. This theoretical combination is offered to better understand the architectural fashions and trends, which have become popular in contemporary organisational architecture, and to explore the adaptation processes.

STUDENT COACHING FOR RETENTION IN A DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The Open University of Israel (OUI) is a higher education institution with an open admission policy which is based solely on distance learning and self-study. The teaching method practiced at the OUI is a combination of traditional and web-based distance learning. One of the issues of great concern in all institutions and even to a greater extent in open and distance learning institutions is student retention. In an attempt to deal with this problem, the OUI decided to embark on a Retention Project which aim is to help new students to overcome the hardships of the first course. The new students were offered to be paired up with senior students who would accompany and coach them throughout their first semesters. This paper describes the Retention Project, and it presents results concerning the performance of the coached students, their retention at the OUI and the means of communication used by the coached students and their coaches in a distance learning environment.

The professor on your PC

The Open University of Israel, a distance education institution with open admissions, offers a study system that was primarily based on written material. When we designed the new CS1 course in 2005, shifting from C++ to Java, we also switched from a course based on written material, to one based on videotaped lectures, which the students watch on PCs. Shifting to Java is an enormous challenge, however, we were also concerned about the new study method. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine how the students respond to the new and different environment, in terms of both learning and technical operation. The findings show that this method of study is at least as efficient as the previous one. The students' attitude to the new study method was positive and supportive of the new approach.