Over The Rainbow : Elevating EPIC Instruction in Collaboration with the Startup Industry
A Joint Venture of H-INET & MEITAL
February 10, 2026 | 9:00-12:00 | Online
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A joint professional development day bringing together English lecturers and EdTech startups to explore innovative, practical approaches to EPIC instruction in higher education, and to lay the foundation for cross-institutional collaboration and pilot initiatives.
Program:
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Opening Remarks |
9:00-9:15 |
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KeyNote – Beyond the Classroom: What Does It Take to Be an EPIC Practitioner and Learner in The AI Era? |
9:15-9:45 |
| Designing EPIC Learning in the AI Era: Methodological Shifts and Classroom Practice Dr. Elena Mizrahi is an English instructor, teacher trainer, pedagogical consultant, and a speaker at national and international conferences, focusing on Innovative Pedagogies and the integration of AI and Technology in Education. **Link to the presentation** |
9:45-10:15 |
| Coffee Break | 10:15-10:30 |
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Virtual Fair of New Technologies for EPIC Beta Yeda – Yoav Guez – **Link to the presentation** 101english – Eyal Cohen – **Link to the presentation** Ann – Yotam Shtainer Tinytap – Nissim Pinto SpeakingPal – Eyal Eshed – **Link to the presentation** Speak – Oren Tsael
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10:30-11:15 |
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Discussion: Shared Challenges & Future plans |
11:15-11:45 |
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Closing remarks |
11:45-12:00 |
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Breakout rooms with technology companies |
12:00-12:30 |
KeyNote – Beyond the Classroom: What Does It Take to Be an EPIC Practitioner and Learner in The AI Era? | Tal Levy, Senior Instructor, Head of The EPIC Department, Faculty of Social & Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic College
As global data volume has multiplied fivefold over the last decade, higher education faces a "prophetic" shift from degree-based validation to a competency-first paradigm. This presentation provides a SWOT analysis of EPIC (English for International Communication Purposes) instruction, emphasizing the transition from passive learning to functional communication.
While AI offers unprecedented opportunities for personalized, autonomous instruction, it also presents a "dependency trap" that can stifle curiosity and the mental struggle required for deep learning. To combat this, the EPIC Practitioner must evolve into a "Holistic Educator"—a modern polymath who mentors students in the 21st Century Skills known as the 4Cs: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity
Designing EPIC Learning in the AI Era: Methodological Shifts and Classroom Practice | Dr. Elena Mizrahi is an English instructor, teacher trainer, pedagogical consultant, and a speaker at national and international conferences, focusing on Innovative Pedagogies and the integration of AI and Technology in Education.
As AI becomes embedded in higher education, EPIC instruction is evolving beyond language production alone toward critical, ethical, and reflective communication. This session presents practical examples of how AI enables expanded practice, multimodal learning, and deeper engagement with academic integrity, cross-referencing, and professional transparency. Drawing on real classroom practices, the talk highlights how EPIC educators can design career-oriented learning experiences that integrate AI responsibly for language acquisition, professional judgment, and authentic communicative competence while maintaining a strong focus on English for meaningful international communication.