A new e-learning platform for helping migrants and refugees learn Italian has been launched.
"Studiare Migrando" (Study While Migrating) aims to help young migrants and refugees in Italy become more autonomous in their Italian language skills. It can be used for training communication skills as well as preparing for final exams at the end of middle school.
Modules accessible via smartphone
Through the use of smartphones, tablets and PCs, users can connect to the platform and access interactive multimedia content and educational modules to prepare for the multidisciplinary oral exam as part of the state exam at the conclusion of the "first educational cycle" at the end of middle school.
The completed exercises will allow students to integrate educational activities while reducing the weight of mandatory attendance, which in many cases is difficult for geographical or logistical reasons.
There are seven modules in all: two aimed at consolidating language abilities for communication, one for preparing for the written exam, and four for preparing for the multidisciplinary oral exam.
Test phase includes migrant reception centres
To help the young people with learning, there are specially trained teachers, community workers and volunteers. The experimental phase will involve about 800 students from the Italian Language School for Foreigners (ItaStra), adult education centres in Sicily, and some migrant reception centres.
According to recent figures provided by the Labour Ministry, nearly 15,000 foreign unaccompanied minors were in Italy as of January 31, 2018, about 80 percent of whom were between the ages of 16 and 17 years old. More than 40 percent are hosted in reception centers in Sicily.
Tools to accelerate learning
The project is a collaboration between the ItaStra at the University of Palermo and the Institute for Didactic Technologies at the National Research Council (ITD-CNR), with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the support of the Sicilian Regional Educational Office (USR Sicilia).
"The launch of the platform responds to the demand to provide young migrants and refugees in Italy with useful tools to accelerate the learning process, and, therefore, social inclusion in our country and preparation for their future professional path," said a statement from the university.