Digital education
Ukrainian refugees in Poland: Two schools under one roof—One is offline, the other one online
With the unprecedented refugee crisis in Poland, democratic education is all about designing a thoughtful crisis response. This response, through making public schools more inclusive and responsive to the needs of various learners, can save Poland from developing a tiered and thoroughly unequal system of schooling. We should be wary of technology’s potential to, both, aid and disrupt this process.
2024
Online schooling and the digital divide: Challenges and opportunities for migrant students’ educational inclusion
This research note presents the key findings of a small-scale, mixed-methods international study which explored the challenges and opportunities of online schooling for the educational inclusion of Newly Arrived Migrant and Refugee Students (NAMRS). The study was conducted in 2022 in England, Germany and the Netherlands and the findings are based on the analysis of the experiences of NAMRS, their…
2024
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the inclusion of refugee students in Greek schools: Pre-service teachers’ views about distance learning
Over the last two years, the prolonged massive school closure due to COVID-19 has provoked significant constraints for refugee children. The present study aimed to investigate the perceptions of Greek pre-service teachers on refugee education during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire was addressed to 32 native university students (n = 32) who attended Education Departments in Western Macedonia in Greece.…
2024
Unlocking learning: The use of education technology to support disadvantaged children’s language learning and social inclusion in Italy
In Italy, more than 700,000 asylum seekers and migrants arrived in the country between 2014-2020. Newly arrived children including refugees and migrants need to quickly acquire Italian skills to succeed in school and society. To help address this urgent need, the Akelius digital learning application was introduced in Bologna and Rome for Italian and English language learning in the 2021/22…
2023
Unlocking learning: The use of digital learning to support the education and inclusion of refugees and migrant children in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of refugees and migrants arriving in the country has increased from just a few dozen arrivals annually prior to 2017 to 95,000 between 2018 and 2022. This increase has put incredible strain on the country's education systems. This research presents critical findings on the implementation and effectiveness of the Akelius digital learning application in…
2023
Vocabulary recommendation approach for forced migrants using informal language learning tools
Learning a new language is a major challenge faced by many forced migrants. Current vocabulary learning curricula are not adapted to the migrants’ needs, which makes the learning process even more challenging. Today, the widespread use of smartphones among forced migrants provides us with new opportunities to collect and recommend the vocabulary they need. In this work, we propose a…
2022
Refugee-background students negotiating academic literacy practices in L2: a dialogical and nexus analytical approach
This study explored the academic literacies of multilingual refugee-background students who had completed some higher education studies before migrating to Finland. Previous studies have paid little attention to students like them. The research context is a pilot training programme integrating language and content studies. Applying dialogical and nexus analytical perspectives, the study investigated the sense-making processes of two key participants…
2023
ICT-enabled Refugee Integration: A Research Agenda
The recent phenomenon that has become known as the European refugee crisis is, in reality, a global problem. Accordingly, issues regarding refugee integration have become a central debate topic worldwide. In this paper, we examine how refugees use information and communication technology (ICT) in different regions across the world to understand how ICT supports their desperate journey to safety, their…
2019
Mobile Learning Applications for Refugees: A Systematic Literature Review
The proliferation of mobile devices in everyday life since the end of the 20th century has led to mobile applications for educational purposes and the creation of the research field of mobile learning. Despite the extended research interest on the effectiveness of this field, there is limited research on mobile learning for various social groups, such as refugees, students with…
2022
Integration Through Education: Using ICT in Education to Promote the Social Inclusion of Refugees in Germany
Social inclusion of refugees through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been gaining attention by researchers in the field of Information Systems. On a similar context, recent research has identified education among the main dimensions of integration and social inclusion of refugees. This study aims to uncover some of the benefits of ICT solutions related to education and digital learning…
2022
SIRIUS Watch 2021: Towards inclusive digital education for migrant children
SIRIUS Watch 2021 presents trends and developments on the effects of digitalisation in education on migrant children both pre- COVID-19 and during COVID-19. It will build on national and EU-level research, as well as the results of the SIRIUS Online Digital Workshop. The results include a clear framework of challenges and recommendations to support the development of an inclusive digital…
2021
Academic self-efficacy and future work skills in unaccompanied foreign minors: structural equation analysis according to residence time [Autoeficacia académica y habilidades para el futuro laboral en menores extranjeros no acompañados: Análisis mediante ecuaciones estructurales según tiempo de residencia]
The present study seeks to develop an explanatory model of existing relationships between future work skills and academic self-efficacy of a sample of Unaccompanied foreign minors (UFM) (n = 340) in Spain. The structural model demonstrated that management of cognitive load represents the main future work skill amongst UFM. Nonetheless, adaptive thinking acquires more relevance amongst those who have spent…
2021
Navigating European education in times of crisis? An analysis of socio-technological architectures and user interfaces of online learning initiatives
This study casts light on two online learning initiatives funded by the European Commission, and queries their role as policy actors in the long-term project of a “borderless” European Education Area and/or in the remediation of the so-called “refugee crisis.” Particularly, the study aims to contribute to existing research on the policy enactment of European education spaces, while also addressing…
2021
The professional technological and academic profile of migrants and refugees in Spain. [El perfil profesional, tecnològico y académico de migrantes y refugiados en España]
This article shows the results of the partial analysis of a dataset recently coUected to identify the profile of migrants and refugees (hereinafter MRs) in Spain. These data are, in fact, a subset of the answers to a questionnaire fiUed in by the representatives of a significant sample of NGOs and associations that work with these people in the Autonomous…
2021
The digital literacy practices of newly arrived Syrian refugees: A spatio-visual linguistic ethnography
This doctoral research project is a visual linguistic ethnography that provides thick descriptions of newly arrived Syrian refugees’ smartphone-mediated digital literacy practices. The study investigates how three male newcomers to Leeds, Rojan, Aban and Mamoud, utilize mobile technologies and online resources, such as multilingual Facebook groups and smartphone applications, to instigate and support processes of settlement and belonging. To trace…
2020
Advancing social justice for asylum seekers and refugees in the UK: An open education approach to strengthening capacity through refugee action’s frontline immigration advice project
Britain’s asylum system fails the most vulnerable; it cannot ensure that people who are least able to protect themselves are provided with the legal assistance that they require to cope with the challenges with which they are inevitably faced. Against this background, the charity Refugee Action developed the Frontline Immigration Advice Programme (FIAP), a technology-supported capacity strengthening programme that aims…
2020
Social inclusion of refugees through digital learning: Means, needs, and goals
Harvesting the uncountable benefits of ICT advances has been one of the key goals of the Information Systems field, in particular how research findings can inform professional practices and policymakers on how to improve and develop our societies. Teaming up with these efforts, we tackle in this study the aspects of education, e-learning, and language learning by Syrian refugees in…
2020
CSR Implementations in refugee education: the case of Syrians in Turkey
Purpose: Global governmentality to deal with refugee crises and related cohesion problems suggests the private sector’s activation. The purpose of this study is to theoretically understand this preference together with the global increase of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and empirically access the CSR implementation in Turkey by focussing on government policy towards refugee education for Syrian children in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach:…
2020
Higher education for refugees: A need for intersectional research
Refugees pursuing higher education in the context of host countries face numerous challenges, but the literature is sparse on relevant university supports. This article evaluates the existing transnational literature using quantitative textual analysis to point toward the need for scholarship on intersectional programs serving refugee students. Wethen move to outline examples of such university structures, probing how intersectional programs undergird…
2020
Private engagement in refugee education and the promise of digital humanitarianism
This paper examines the prevalence of technological interventions in education in emergencies through a case study of private participation in Syrian refugee education in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. This research is conceptually situated within critiques of ‘digital humanitarianism’, simultaneously interrogating the role of technology in humanitarian responses and the roles of private actors who promote this technology. Our study demonstrates…
2020
Immigrants and Asylum Seekers’ Digital Entrepreneurship Competence: Evaluation of the Theoretical Framework
The article reveals the concept of digital entrepreneurship and its framework for education of immigrants and asylum seekers in Baltic Sea countries. The research has been carried out in the boundaries of the Nordplus Adult project with participation of partner organisations from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. As stated in the article, digital entrepreneurship is supposed to be one of…
2019
Refugees and online education: student perspectives on need and support in the context of (online) higher education
Online education and in particular Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are often regarded as a way to solve global educational challenges. In this article, we highlight the students’ uptake of such a ‘digital solution’. Presenting initial findings from a research project in Germany, we situate our investigation in the specific context of digital educational offers for refugees, using Kiron Open…
2019
Access for Refugees Into Higher Education: A Review of Interventions in North America and Europe
This paper examines current interventions to reduce barriers to access into higher education for refugees in North America and Europe. We analyze a diversity of interventions sponsored by host governments, higher education institutions, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals. These interventions differ in size, delivery method, focus, and extent of support, and range from a single language course or limited online…
2019
Mobile learning and self-worth: The case of Syrian refugees from a Kantian perspective
As the war in Syria is about to enter its seventh year, Syrians continue to head towards Europe to seek safety and protection. This challenges European countries to provide urgent relief and services including education for a high number of Syrian refugees every year. However, the journey of Syrian refugees does not end with their arrival to safety. The refugee…
2018
MOOCs and free digital learning for the inclusion of migrants and refugees: A european policy study
MOOCs and free digital learning (FDL) are among the tools used to respond to the education needs of migrants and refugees in Europe. However, there is little guidance on how to design institutional initiatives and supporting policies in this area. This paper presents the main findings of a study exploring the potential of MOOCs and other FDL offers for the…
2017
Online digital mentorship: How might a digital communication tool facilitate informal learning and integration of newly arrived in Sweden
The arrival of large groups of refugees is one of the great challenges in Europe today. In Sweden around 100 000 new immigrants is expected to arrive from Syria only during 2017 and there are large groups from various countries already staying in Sweden that are not properly integrated. There are no quick and smart solution to solve the inclusion…
2017
E-learning resources for migrants and refugees: Experience from field trials in Italy
The role of MOOCs and OERs as effective resources for social inclusion of disadvantaged groups has been greatly emphasized in recent years due to the increased numbers of refugees and migrants, especially in European societies. A recent study carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission on free digital learning (FDL) opportunities for migrants and refugees…
2019
A descriptive study of the schooling and higher education reforms in response to the Refugees’ influx into Greece
Since 2015, a large number of migrants (refugees and asylum seekers) from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa have arrived in Greece and continued their onward journey to western European countries where they settled. As various European Union (EU) countries have later blocked the flow of migrants from Greece to their final destination, thousands of them have been trapped in…
2019
Frugal MOOCs: An adaptable contextualized approach to MOOC designs for refugees
There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the role Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can play in improving access to education globally, and particularly to thousands of people in developing and developed countries. There is increasing concern, however, that the millions of displaced refugee learners throughout Europe, the Middle East, and other regions are still disadvantaged when it…
2019
A mobile learning platform to guarantee education continuity for unaccompanied foreign minors and refugees
Between 2014 and 2017, around 623,000 people arrived by sea in Italy. This has led to a huge problem for guarantee quality instruction for migrants, especially young people; research carried out by UNICEF has shown that young migrants represent the desire to be able to resume regular education as soon as possible. The answer to these new education challenges finds…
2019
Free digital learning for inclusion of migrants and refugees in europe: A qualitative analysis of three types of learning purposes
The increasing number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe places new demands on European education systems. In this context, the role that free digital learning (FDL) could play in fostering inclusion has attracted renewed interest. While the existing literature highlights some general design principles for developing FDL for migrants and refugees, there is little information on the use of…
2018
Fostering foreign language acquisition in young refugees using mobile devices: The yourni project experience
Integration of technology into foreign language learning could extend the opportunities for language contact and better retention in the context of newly arrived refugees in the European countries. Research has shown that technology increases the motivation in foreign language learning and also fosters learner autonomy by allowing the learners to personalise the learning and enables them to self-regulate. The use…
2018
In a new land: Mobile phones, amplified pressures and reduced capabilities
Framed within the theoretical lens of positive and negative security, this paper presents a study of newcomers to Sweden and the roles of mobile phones in the establishment of a new life. Using creative engagement methods through a series of workshops, two researchers engaged 70 adult participants enrolled into further education colleges in Sweden. Group narratives about mobile phone use…
2018
Free digital learning opportunities for migrants and refugees: An analysis of current initiatives and recommendations for their further use
This is the final report of MOOCs4inclusion project, which was designed and financed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The report summarises the research conducted between July-December 2016 on the efficiency and efficacy of free digital learning (FDL) for the integration, inclusion and further learning of migrants and refugees in Europe and in neighbouring regions in conflict.…
2017