Serious Games for Fostering Multilingualism in Early Childhood Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Serious Games for Fostering Multilingualism in Early Childhood Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

Perceptions on multilingualism in early childhood education are shifting. In the past the exposure of a child to 2 languages at the same time was considered a potential disadvantage in fear of the child not being able to differentiate language structures. Emerging pedagogical theories, however, argue that multilingualism positively affects a child’s cognitive development as a whole, resulting in children becoming more intellectually perceptive and flexible (Goethe Institute). Researchers further argue (Yip and Mathews, 2007) that multilingual skill development before the age of 6 may be related to more effective use of brain capacity for multiple language production by early bilinguals. Other research (Craik, Bialystok, Freedman, 2010) makes connections between lifelong bilingualism and increased cognitive reserve. LG aimed to deploy serious games and playful learning methodologies towards the development of SL skills among young children with a specific and thorough emphasis on multilingualism which is considered a powerful tool that can enhance learning and set the basis for future socio-economic growth and prosperity. The specific objectives: O1-Enhancement of the quality of early childhood education and care LG focused on the development of language skills among young children in pre-school and early primary school. The project promoted the integration of innovative active, game-based pedagogies and related supported serious gaming technology towards fostering multilingualism among young children. The proposed solution adds value to already well developed practices in pre-school/early primary school thus promoting quality of early childhood education. O2-Development of basic and transversal skills using innovative methods. Language skills are basic and transversal competencies that help young learners excel independently of subject area academically throughout primary and secondary education and, later in life, in their everyday and professional activities. Furthermore, the project promoted the development of learning-to-learn and collaboration skills as the proposed tools was designed for deployment in the classroom in the context of wider blended learning activities that combine instruction, collaboration, exploration, and ICT tool deployment. O3-Enhancement of digital integration in learning, teaching, training and youth work at various levels.The proposed solution fosters the integration of ICT in learning and teaching for young learners through the design, development, and validation of proof-of-concept educational applications based on serious games that can be openly available to interested parties. The project activities enhanced teacher capacity to integrate digital solutions into their instructional practices through learning sheets and good practice recommendations that are based on the findings that emerge from piloting the proposed learning methodologies and supporting digital tools in kindergarten and primary schools.The applicant was School Inspectorate of Bucharest, a local public authority who coordinates 450 public schools in Bucharest. The partners are: edEUcation, UK, a consultancy with expertise in working with schools, youth groups and training organizations in UK, EU/University of Thessaly, Greece/Institute for Research and Technology Thessaly, Greece, a legal non-profit entity organized under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Greek Ministry of Development/Tallinn University, Estonia, consisting of 18 institutes, 4 colleges; the Association Training Center, Portugal-7 groups of schools.The results are: a learning requirements and methodologies analysis; a proof-of-concept serious game for the development of multilingualism skills in early childhood education; a user guide on the proposed serious game for language learning in early childhood education; a instructional support content (good practice videos); an evaluation strategy; evaluation outcomes from the deployment of the proposed methodologies and tools in real-life educational contexts; conference publications targeting the academic community and industry; contacts with policy makers, teachers, teacher trainers, learning designers, and other stakeholders; 5 multiplier events; a project portal for disseminating information; 4 newsletters; informational material-leaflet/poster/promotional project video; Internet and media publications. Activities was organized under 3 targets: the development of a background theoretical framework for building early multilingualism skills; proof-of-concept technical implementation of the proposed educational framework into a serious game and supporting content; valorization of theoretical and technical implementation through evaluation, dissemination, and adoption outcomes. The long-term benefits of the project further include higher quality of early childhood education through the integration of emerging technology and pedagogy into teaching practices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 134612 Eur

Project Coordinator

Inspectoratul Scolar al Municipiului Bucuresti & Country: RO

Project Partners

• PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIAS
• ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS
• edEUcation ltd
• TALLINN UNIVERSITY
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Silves