JEDDAH, 27 April 2008 — Welcoming the audience to the Sixth Annual Learning and Technology Symposium at the Jeddah Hilton yesterday, Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, dean of Effat College, said the World Wide Web could not be ignored as it increasingly attracts youngsters.
“The Web has evolved from being merely a space where users passively gathered information, to a cyber community where people meet, interact, exchange ideas, connect and contribute... Effat College and the organizers of this annual symposium recognize the need for a greater understanding of the cyber world and this is the culmination of our efforts in this regard,” she said.
Al-Lail explained how the theme of this year’s symposium, “Cyber Citizenship: Vistas and Visions,” focuses on increasing awareness and encouraging participation in the emerging global digital “nation” to which everyone now belongs.
“We hope that by the end of the two-day event, you will have gained a better understanding of what it means to teach and learn in the technology dominated world of the 21st century. And for all of us, we hope that the symposium helps us to become active and responsible citizens of the cyber community,” she said.
Naif Al-Mutawa, founder and CEO of Taskheel Media Group, provided details of how he raised funds from over 50 investors in four countries to begin “The 99” — the first group of comic superheroes based on an Islamic archetype.
The symposium also included four simultaneous panel discussions and presentations on its first day, leaving the second day free for workshops. The themes of the discussions were: Emergent Technologies, Teaching and Learning, Social and Cultural Issues and 21st Century Skills.
