Developing Augmented Reality in Youth Offender Learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing Augmented Reality in Youth Offender Learning

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Access for disadvantaged; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Developing Augmented Reality (AR) in Youth Offender Learning Project aimed to improve education results in offender institutions by introducing, developing and rolling-out the use of AR to convicted offenders in different institutions in the partner European countries. Throughout this project, the team developed high quality resources using AR, to engage learners who can access a range of resources, translated into their own native language, and also to evaluate the effectiveness of using AR resources, to meet security and access requirements, ensuring that the resources are ‘locked’ from the outside world and access is monitored within security guidelines.

All project activities were directly related both to the objectives and to the learner needs of the young offenders and aimed to extend and enhance their experience using AR as an engaging tool that enables learners to access the content ‘at the point of need’ and, this way, to widen participation for all learners in partner countries because of production, dissemination and embedding of the AR resources. Also, both in transnational meetings and online meetings, the project partners shared good practice and adapted processes, resources, and outcomes transnationally. All the objectives of the project were successfully met, and the results obtained demonstrated the efficiency of the correlation between the activities and methods used. Each planned activity led to specific results. All results were evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively, to determine the level to which they contribute to the achievement of the project objectives.

When the project commenced, the UK team knew the reoffending cost to the public purse and society was in excess of £15 billion per year. When an offender is released from prison, they are much less likely to continue committing crime if they engage in education and if they have sustainable employment opportunities. Augmented Reality (AR) offers a whole range of benefits and a greater learner experience. A mixture of online and blended learning approaches in conjunction with face-to-face teaching and instruction can provide a greater balance and variety of resources and interactions. This linked with the quality of teaching, mentorship and the overall offender learner experience has proven to be beneficial to all learners and provide pathway for innovation linked to technology.

It was clear that AR provided youth offender learners, a more interactive way of learning, facilitate research, activities, instruction, and information. These AR resources gave information on a range of instructional and skills-based topics that were engaging and interesting. Explanation activities were needed in youth custodial establishments, with important aspects such as security and access, key factors and of major importance. The project needed to ensure that the resources were ‘locked’ from the outside world and access monitored and within the security confinement, required for custodial institutions.

The Augmented Reality system used to create and access the learning resources was ‘Zappar’. Learners use the Zappar app on a mobile device to trigger resources by scanning a Zapcode. This displayed a selection of bespoke resources. The use of mobile devices to access the resources on the designated App gave increased access to a whole new way of learning at any given time. This enabled that the resources could be shared easily with the wider community. Learners used digital devices to scan an image which enabled the immediate access to support videos and resources, giving the information, instruction, or reinforcement. Learners were encouraged to learn independently at their own pace, inside and outside of the classroom and workshops. This has given great benefit to the learner and aimed to put them at ease, especially with some of the prison information direct from fellow prisoners, to show that they were not alone in their situations.

Where appropriate, ‘standalone’ versions of the resources and links to the videos and learning materials were made available, creating an individual resource bank, safely and within constraints of security processes. This was more relevant where direct Wi-Fi access was not permitted in prison establishments. The lack of Internet in prisons contributes significantly to educational failure. An increasing number of educational courses are only available online, reducing prisoners’ opportunities to learn, especially as the national Covid-19 lockdown came into effect. Most prisons in England and Wales do not have the cabling or hardware to support broadband, with just 18 out of 117 prisons possessing in-cell cabling. Employment prospects for released offenders are extremely bleak, with 68% unemployed in the four weeks before custody. This was a comparative view throughout partner establishments in Romania and Belgium and need to be addressed at a higher level.

The project objectives were:
• Evaluate the effectiveness of using Augmented Reality resources for giving access to information, resource, and instruction about a range of topics to custodial establishments.
• Investigate security and access requirements needed to ensure that the resources are ‘locked’ from the outside world and access is monitored and within the security confines required for custodial institutions.
• Extend and enhanced the learner information experience using an engaging tool that enables students to use their own smart devices to access the content
• Develop high quality resources using Augmented Reality as a tool to link to engaging information for learners that can be accessed in a range of situations (AR posters, leaflets, literature disseminated to institutions, etc.)
• Reach a wider audience as a result of production of the AR resources
• Share good practice
• Undertake a review/evaluation of the project with outcomes report
• Raise attainment in youth offender learning trans-nationally

Additionally, the project outputs enabled learners:
– Opportunity to gain skills & knowledge they wouldn’t otherwise easily have access to
– Higher engagement /attendance in lessons in prisons
– Build on prior knowledge
– Better results – improved employability
– Learning outside of lessons (longer term goal ‘In-cell’).
– Use free time constructively rather than negatively
– Raise Aspirations

The project had four key partners, working alongside Shrewsbury Colleges Group to introduce, develop and roll-out the use of augmented reality to youth offenders in different institutions in the specific European countries. Project partners organisations from Romania, Belgium, and UK:
– Biblioteca Judeteana Antim Ivireanu Valcea (BIB)
– Centrul Pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente Timisoara Asociatia (CPIP)
– Belgium European Humanity Center Brussels (EHCB)
– Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS)

Each objective was the focus of a specific work package, that undertook the key tasks needed to identify, develop the resources available to be used by the learners, depending on their need, skills gaps, or interest. The AR resources produced during the project were AR poster resources. These can be shared, evaluated, and utilised by others, providing a wider level of dissemination. The outputs will be shared via local and national means (where applicable). This will not only share best practice but will be a good test of the outputs in real teaching, learning and support situations.

The project has successfully completed the following identified outputs:
• Intellectual Output 1: Introduction of AR Resources (A Guide for Teachers and Trainers)
• Intellectual Output 2: Introduction of AR Resources (A guide for Learners)
• Intellectual Output 3: Training package Teachers and Trainers
• Intellectual Output 4: Training package for delivery to Offender Learners
• Intellectual Output 5: Prison Induction Information Package
• Intellectual Output 7: Guides to Education in prisons in Belgium
• Intellectual Output 6: Work Package for Security.
– Although security work packages have been produced, Intellectual Output 6 still requires agreement with Prison security teams, to allow the process of devices and Wi-Fi access available to learners in establishments on their security listing.

The project team agree Augmented Reality is one of many technical applications that can be used to support prisoners whilst in custody and on release. It can help those engaging with education, work, and training, those with a learning disability and/or difficulty and with a visual impairment. For English speakers of other languages, it can help them address their offence, to maintain family ties, to become law abiding citizens and ultimately reduce reoffending. Three years into the project, reoffending now costs the public purse over £18 billion per year and proves a grave risk to public safety.
The use of digital tools to asist them to rehabilitate and lead law abiding lives when released. This in the long-term is good for society as it allows offenders to keep update with the digital age. With security measures in place, this gives confidence in “moving towards digitalisation behind bars”. (Dr Victoria Knight – Dec 2017). It is without doubt that a “prison sentence disrupts digital literacy”, leading towards “increased isolation, loneliness, boredom, frustration and anger.” (Dr Victoria Knight – Dec 2017). AR has demonstrated that it can have a huge impact in their learning and rehabilitation.

Project Website

https://www.scg.ac.uk/erasmus

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 232106,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Shrewsbury Colleges Group & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
• CENTRUL PENTRU PROMOVAREA INVATARII PERMANENTE TIMISOARA ASOCIATIA
• BIBLIOTECA JUDETEANA ANTIM IVIREANU VALCEA
• European Humanity Center Brussels