Advanced Learning and Inclusive EnviroNment for Higher Education through greater knowledge and understanding of migration processes Erasmus Project

Project Title

Advanced Learning and Inclusive EnviroNment for Higher Education through greater knowledge and understanding of migration processes

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

The ALIEN was an interdisciplinary project on migration, funded by Erasmus+, which developed innovative educational tools for educators that draw from inquiry-based learning and human centred design method and are embedded in multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives to enhance student’s critical understanding and develop their ‘research-type‘ graduate attributes. This was done via a series of experimental activities conducted during eight short courses consisting of two one-week events: part one in the form of Living Labs held in Greece, one of the European countries most affected and thus experienced in the recent migration crisis, and part two in the form of participatory Workshops held in Poland, Scotland and Wales respectively by higher education institutions (HEI) engaged in mutual transfer of knowledge and forming interdisciplinary and participatory educational collaborations to enrich their expertise on multiple social science disciplines with stakeholders’ engagement. So, these events not only served to test innovative teaching methods, but also facilitated knowledge exchange and network building between the project’s key players: academics and project partners, students as well as diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, public institutions and migrants. The project advanced young people intercultural competences, knowledge and understanding of migration through transnational, multi- and interdisciplinary collaboration. At the same time the project developed lasting engagement of HEIs with local and international migrant organizations as well as regional authorities to build bridges and share knowledge, good practices and raise awareness of issues around migration. Thus, it contributed to greater equity and social cohesion within Europe through a series of knowledge exchange activities with diverse stakeholders (academics, national and local authorities, migrant community organisations).
The project scope focused on the theme of migration from the perspective of different social science disciplines including: Economics, Education, Politics/Sociology/Social Policy Social Work as well as Art and Design Practice coupled with ICT. Therefore, materials created focus on a broad understanding of migration from the perspective of different social science disciplines as well as art and design practice represented by students and experts from the partner institutions based in Poland (Polish Japanese Academy of Information Technology, Warsaw School of Economics), UK (Glyndwr University and University of the West of Scotland), Finland (Aalto University) and Greece (Technopolis).
The project combined diverse innovative educational methods including: 1. inquiry-based learning, a student-centred approach to teaching and learning based on self-directed or guided inquiry or research 2. multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives to capture the topic of migration from a multidimensional perspective. 3. human-centred design methodology to involve diverse stakeholders. This innovative methodology for teaching and learning has been further developed to combine academic rigor with practical relevance including artistic research, design driven exploration on emerging technologies and materials. Rooted in these methodologies, the project produced the following outputs: Method’s Report on inquiry-based and project-based learning with activities on migration, the Understanding Migration Processes manual for Educators of Social Science, the Understanding People Through Art manual for Educators of Design containing the guidelines on implementing our experimental and innovative teaching methods as well as Modules on Migration including thematic course content from the perspective of particular social science discipline including Economics, Education, Politics/Sociology/Social Policy and Social Work and Workshop and Living Lab scenarios and finally the Community of Practice which is a collaborative addon to the NOMAD open access e-platform with related modules as well as numerous student exhibitions and student projects.
The novel educational methods on migration, developed and improved throughout the project lifespan, serve as a guide on how to organise similar, innovative and interdisciplinary courses on migration, and by extension other issues of importance in today’s world. Thus, the project not only enhanced the teaching skills and knowledge of the project team designing innovative modules, but also contributed to the creation of novel interdisciplinary and participatory teaching methods described in the outputs of the project, in particular the manuals. In the longer term this project has contributed to greater equity and social cohesion within Europe through fostering understanding of complexities of migration processes to challenge anti-immigration rhetoric with using the scientific, objective reasoning in the broader context of the impact of migration on the society, economy, and public services.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 387315 Eur

Project Coordinator

POLSKO JAPONSKA AKADEMIA TECHNIK KOMPUTEROWYCH PJWSTK & Country: PL

Project Partners

• SZKOLA GLOWNA HANDLOWA W WARSZAWIE
• TECHNOPOLIS GKAZI ANONIMI ETAIREIA OTA PROSTASIAS KAI ANADEIXIS VIOMICHANIKOU ARCHAIOLOGIKOU PARKOU ATHINON
• GLYNDWR UNIVERSITY/PRIFYSGOL GLYNDWR
• AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR
• UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND