Learning Tools and Strategies
As a school teacher for 10 years and later teaching at the University in Jordan and in the US. I have led innovation in pedagogy and education both within higher education and the wider community. I established the first service learning center in the MENA region, Appointed higher education reform expert by the EU for Jordan, revamping the college of pharmacy curriculum to include industry for developing competencies according to the Bologne process, designing for the ministry of education community involvement for schools as part of a 48 million USAID grant to the Jordan government. Launched with ministry of culture a reading aloud national campaign though out Jordan and a National reading day. Contributed to multiple committees, juries and boards on education locally, regionally and globally sharing the vision for the UN next 50 years. Designed innovative courses including the online global civics course funded by the Fetzer instate and science, society and entrepreneurship for the Jepson school of leadership at Richmond University, USA. As well as novel online courses in cell biology and bioinformatics. Training faculty on how to use technology in pedagogy. Recently a Chen Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard Graduate school for education. As well being a board member of Evoke a European organization promoting education and evolution.
Select Publications:
Bakhti, R., Mareschal, I., El Kharouf, A., Dajani, R., Qtaishat, L., von Stumm, S., & Hadfield, K. (2024). Exploring Factors Related to the Development and Implementation of a Local Intervention Program for Syrian Refugee Children. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2024.2428305
Hadfield, K., Al-Hamad, M., Dajani, R. et al. Effectiveness of a community-led shared book reading intervention in Syrian refugee children: a randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 14, 17822 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68903-9
Hadfield, K., Al-Soleiti, M., Dajani, R. et al. Father Involvement and Child Development: A Prospective Study of Syrian Refugee Families. J Child Fam Stud (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02809-y
Jazlyn Nketia, Alya Al Sager, Rana Dajani, Diego Placido & Dima Amso (2023) Executive Functions in Jordanian Children: What Can the Hearts and Flowers Task Tell Us About Development in a Non-Western Context, Journal of Cognition and Development, DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2023.2248698
Michalek JE, Lisi M, Awad D, Hadfield K, Mareschal I, Dajani R. The Effects of a Reading-Based Intervention on Emotion Processing in Children Who Have Suffered Early Adversity and War Related Trauma. Front Psychol. 2021 Mar 24;12:613754. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.613754. PMID: 33841247; PMCID: PMC8024483.
Mahasneh R, Romanowski M, Dajani R. Reading social stories in the community: A promising intervention for promoting children's environmental knowledge and behavior in Jordan. The Journal of Environmental Education. 2018. 48:5, 334-346, DOI: 10.1080/00958964.2017.1319789
I have also written in the public sphere to reach the public audience. Select publications below:
Leading Educational Change During a Pandemic. Reflections on Hope and Possibility edited by: Fernando M. Reimers Jan 2021 ISBN-13 : 979-8595951531. Chapter Education Resilience pp 105 By Rana Dajani.
Dajani R “A science education that matters” Nature Middle East doi:10.1038/nmiddleeast.2014.26
Dajani R. Universities must inspire students as well as teach. Nature. 2013 Oct 24;502(7472):411. doi: 10.1038/502411a. PMID: 24153256
Mahasneh R, Tawalbeh A, Al-Smadi R, Ghaith S, Dajani R. “Integrating Service Learning in Jordanian Higher Education” Innovations in Education and Teaching International. 2012 49, no. 4 (October 12, 2012): 415–25 doi: 10.1080/14703297.2012.728874
Dajani R. Undergraduate education in Jordan. Science. 2007 Aug 31;317(5842):1170-1. doi: 10.1126/science.317.5842.1170c. PMID: 17761866.
