PROMOTING THE INCLUSION OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES THROUGH E-LEARNING AND BLENDED ACTIVITIES: EXPERIENCE FROM FIELD RESEARCH IN ITALY
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Jul 20, 2020
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Abstract
The ReGap project (Reducing the Education Gap) is in line with the EC’s Erasmus+ objectives for equity and inclusion in its aim to produce open educational resources for the promotion of social belonging of immigrants and refugees through the development of new country linguistic ability, especially that used in key areas such as employment, health, and education. The innovative feature of the ReGap project lies in the use of a blended learning approach, combining student-centered, classroom-based activities with e-learning activities. This article presents the language learning resources created by the LUMSA research unit on the topic of employment. It also describes the research tools adopted for trailing the resources in language courses, which involved 84 participants. Trial results highlighted both the key role of knowledge of the new country’s language for social inclusion and the educational potential of the adopted blended approach that emphasizes interactive and communication-oriented learning experiences.
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Articles - Special Issue
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References
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Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95-105.
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Phillips, R., C. McNaught, & Kennedy, G. (2012). Evaluating e-learning. Guiding research and practice. New York, NY, USA: Routledge.
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Agrusti, G., & Damiani, V. (2019). The ReGap project: online and blended resources to foster social inclusion for migrants and refugees. Cadmo. Giornale Italiano di Pedagogia Sperimentale. An International Journal of Educational Research, 27(1), 119-122.
Agrusti, G., Damiani, V., & Agrusti. F. (2018). Interdisciplinarità e individualizzazione dell’apprendimento. I risultati del progetto LIBE. Milano, IT: FrancoAngeli.
Agrusti, G., Damiani, V., & Schirripa V. (2017). Questioni metodologiche e analisi di contesto nello sviluppo di materiali didattici per i rifugiati. MeTis. Mondi educativi. Temi indagini suggestioni, 7(2), 529-557.
Agrusti, G., & Dobson, S. (2017). A closer look. Evaluating online resources for adult refugees. Cadmo. Giornale Italiano di Pedagogia Sperimentale – An International Journal of Educational Research, 25(1), 7-22.
Attwell, G. (2006). Evaluating e-learning. A guide to the evaluation of e-learning. Bremen, DE: Perspektiven-Offset-Druck.
Berry, M. (2005). An investigation of the effectiveness of Moodle in primary education. Deputy Head.
Cavus, N., & Zabadi, T. (2014). A comparison of open source learning management systems. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 143, 521–526. https://doi.org/10/ggnt3r
Chavan, A., & Pavri, S. (2004). Open-source learning management with moodle. Linux Journal, 128, 2.
Colucci, E., Smidt, H., Devaux, A., Vrasidas, C., Safarjalani, M., & Muñoz, J. C. (2017). Free Digital Learning Opportunities for Migrants and Refugees. An Analysis of Current Initiatives and Recommendations for their Further Use. [Final Report of MOOCs4 inclusion project]. EU Publications. doi: 10.2760/684414
Damiani, V. (2019, September 30). Words for inclusion: Research experience and perspectives on the creation of online L2 resources for migrants and refugees in Italy. Journal of Inclusive Education. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2019.1673958
Damiani, V., & Agrusti, G. (2018). Online resources to promote social inclusion of refugees and migrants in Italy: topics, approaches and tools to develop culturally sensitive courses. In L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez, & I. Candel Torres (Eds.), Proceedings of 10th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN) 2018, Annual Conference (pp. 3495-3504). IATED Academy.
Ellis, R. A., Ginns, P., & Piggott, L. (2009). E-learning in higher education: some key aspects and their relationship to approaches to study. Higher Education Research & Development, 28(3), 303-318. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/0avHb
European Union (2012). Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 27 November 2012 on the participation and social inclusion of young people with emphasis on those with a migrant background. Official Journal of the European Union, C393 19.12.2012. Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:393:0015:0019:EN:PDF
Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95-105.
Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. New York, NY, USA: Columbia University Teachers College Press.
Guy, T. C. (2005). Culturally relevant adult education. In L. M. English (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Adult Education (pp. 180-184). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Mezirow, J. (2016). La teoria dell’apprendimento trasformativo. Imparare a pensare come un adulto. Milano, IT: Raffaello Cortina.
Moser-Mercer, B., Delgado Luchner, C., & Kherbiche, L. (2013). Blended Learning in Complex Environments: Reaching Learners in the Field. Paper for the Sixth Conference of MIT’s Learning International Networks Consortium (LINC), Cambridge, Mass, 16-19 June 2013. Retrieved from https://linc.mit.edu/linc2013/proceedings/Session4/Session4MoserMercer.pdf
Nazioni Unite (2016). Leaving no one behind: The imperative of inclusive development. Report on the World Social Situation 2016. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/rwss/2016/full-report.pdf
Phillips, R., C. McNaught, & Kennedy, G. (2012). Evaluating e-learning. Guiding research and practice. New York, NY, USA: Routledge.
Su, C. (2005). An open source platform for educators. In ICALT 2005 - Proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 05-08 July, 2005, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (pp. 961-962). doi: 10.1109/ICALT.2005.60