News
Online Education about Auschwitz
The Auschwitz Museum is the first institution of its type to implement a pilot online education program. The initiative by the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust has spurred great interest among Internet users. Although the course is currently available only in Polish, there have been declarations of interest from people outside Poland.
There are two courses on the e-learning platform: “The History of Auschwitz” and “The Road to Genocide: Indirect Causes of the Holocaust.” Each thematic block consists of several lessons. They include a historical introduction, excerpts from accounts by former prisoners, photographs, archival documents, examples of camp art, and educational exercises. The authors are specialists from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the Pedagogical University in Cracow.
Four lessons comprise the first block: “The Expansion of Auschwitz from 1940 to 1944,” “Living Conditions in the Auschwitz Camp,” “Groups of Prisoners in the Auschwitz Camp,” and “The SS Garrison.” The second block, devoted to the Holocaust, consists of two themes: “The Holocaust—Terminological and Interpretive Issues” and “Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism—Indirect Causes of the Holocaust.” A second part of the Internet course on the history of the Holocaust is slated for introduction next year.
A special e-learning platform makes online distance learning possible, offering students the opportunity to use the lessons on their own, participate in discussion forums, and do homework. For their part, instructors can monitor student progress and contact students through the forum or chat. Participants can also open discussion threads on boards moderated by Auschwitz Museum historians and educators.
The project is made possible by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage’s “Education Plus” program, and the Museum’s own financial resources.
