Enhancing Integration: Blended Learning in the Initial Integration of Immigrants (ZIP) Programme

This case study describes the strategies implemented during the transformation process of the publicly valid Initial Integration of Immigrants (ZIP) programme in spring 2023. The course is part of the regular education offered by Žalec Adult Education Centre and has been running for years. The Slovenian language learning programme combines Slovenian language learning with a programme of familiarization with Slovenian history, culture, and the constitutional order of the Republic of Slovenia. It is delivered in 60, 120, or 180 hours.

The Slovenian language learning process also integrates life and work topics that strengthen the integration of immigrants into Slovenian society. The programme takes place two to three times a week for four school hours a day. Participants are nationals of third countries, mainly citizens of Bosnia and Hercegovina and Kosovo. However, due to the war in Ukraine, many refugees from Ukraine are now attending the course. Participants have different needs and family and work obligations that prevent them from attending the course regularly. They have different learning styles and habits. Therefore, teachers are strongly encouraged to adapt to these needs by adopting a blended learning mode. Before and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, UPI Žalec offered numerous training opportunities to teachers to learn about blended learning and blended learning tools and has encouraged blended learning since 2017 when it started an Erasmus+ project called “Boosting Educators’ Competences to do Quality Blended Learning.” To all its teachers, the organisation offers the use of MS Teams and Moodle platform while classrooms are equipped with computers and speakers.

Context

UPI–ljudska univerza Žalec (UPI Žalec) is a public adult education centre that was founded in 1975 by six municipalities of Lower Savinja Valley. Its mission is to develop and spread a culture of lifelong learning in the local environment and the wider region. Its programmes focus on different target groups of adults, with a particular focus on vulnerable target groups such as the unemployed, migrants, the elderly, and the low-skilled. To make the programmes more tailor-made to the diverse needs of target groups, UPI Žalec has long encouraged the use of blended learning and advocated its importance in today’s changed (digital) educational landscape. The Initial Integration of Immigrants (ZIP) programme was redesigned as a blended learning course; participants who cannot attend live lectures can follow the lessons in the online classroom. Namely, many participants work in shifts and cannot attend the classes regularly. This means they miss out on face-to-face classes, which is a threat to their motivation and final success since missing out makes it hard to follow the course and demands extra time and energy. The programme is attended by citizens of third countries and is entirely free of charge for them since the programme is financed by the Slovenian Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants and the EU Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund. The knowledge acquired in the course is highly important for participants since many of them join the course to subsequently take the Slovene Basic Level Exam (A2−B1), which is one of the conditions to acquire Slovenian citizenship.

People Involved

With the support of UPI–ljudska univerza Žalec staff, the lecturer in charge of the programme was involved in the redesigning process. The lecturer consulted the head of language programmes regarding the e-classroom, and she helped with the technical part of its setup. The teacher has taught the course before many times, so she was highly familiar with the teaching content since she is specialized in teaching Slovenian as a foreign language. The teacher had previously participated in training on how to use Moodle, MS Teams, she attended pilot workshops on the blended learning approach. Due to her enthusiasm and self-initiative, she explored opportunities for blended learning in more detail in Moodle and started using it extensively in her teaching. The class was composed of 12 adult participants, immigrants learning Slovenian, aged between 20 and 55. Students come from different countries; most in the class were from Ukraine, and they were very keen on learning Slovene since they found themselves in a different country away from home with no knowledge of when they can go back to their country. Since both Ukrainian and Slovenian are Slavic languages, this makes it a bit easier for participants to learn Slovenian.

Fictional Name:

Iris

Demographics:

Thai

Fictional Name:

Yoni

Demographics:

Japanese

Profession:

Chef in a Thai restaurant

Motivation for joining the course:

Learning Slovene language for everyday communication

Profession:

Sales assistant

Motivation for joining the course:

Learning Slovene language for everyday communication

Their challenges as a student:

Lack of time to learn the language due to a full-time job.

Their challenges as a student:

Possibility of learning at her own pace.

How did the transformation help them:

Virtual learning offered possibility of learning at her own pace – she had the opportunity to freely schedule the time and place of learning.

How did the transformation help them:

Interactive exercises/personalised exercises in virtual classroom helped her achieve higher skills.

Before the transformation

Before the transformation, the course took place in person, with face-to-face lectures in class. The teacher used a lot of interactive activities in class. Some students could not attend classes regularly due to work and family obligations, and some struggled to actively follow the lessons. This resulted in lower motivation and frustration on the part of students but also on the part of the teacher who felt the urge to reexplain the content, and the whole group had to ‘’wait’’.

The transformation

The lessons still took place face-to-face at the premises of the school while for every lesson, the teacher organized the content in the virtual classroom in Moodle. Now, all students who missed a particular lesson for whatever reason had the opportunity to catch up with the teaching content in VLE. Additionally, they could do exercises added to individual lessons. In their VLE, students could find the materials such as PowerPoint presentations, handouts, video links, homework assignments, and interactive exercises such as quizzes and H5P content. This way traditional education was complemented by e-learning in an online classroom. Quizzes and H5P content give students opportunities for practising as often as they want to. By interactive exercises, students get immediate feedback. The teacher supervises the ICT activities carried out by participants outside the classroom.

After the transformation

The students loved expressing their opinions and worldviews. Discussion-based learning was an encouraging tool, by the use of which many have meaningfully internalized the language structures and vocabulary. Virtual learning offered the possibility of learning at their own pace – they had the opportunity to freely schedule the time and place of learning.

A few students did not like the implementation of the new means of learning Slovene – at least at the start. Some had reservations about being able to learn the new ways of revising and acquiring the contents of language but managed to become familiar and comfortable with them by the end.

The students asked about using ICT tools frequently at the start. They managed to develop and improve their skills quickly, and with time became comfortable with using the new tools.

The teacher is continuing to use the e-classroom in her work since there are far more positive than negative effects. A good practice is to dedicate some time to the technical part of using the e-classroom at the beginning of the course in order for students to feel more comfortable using the VLE.

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LMS

Moodle is a Learning Platform or course management system (CMS) designed to provide educators, administrators, and learners with a single robust, secure and integrated system to create personalized learning environments. As a public education centre for adults, UPI-ljudska univerza Žalec accesses Žalec through ARNES, the Academic and Research Network of Slovenia (ARNES), which is a public institute that provides network services to research, educational, and cultural organizations.

Computer

The university classrooms are equipped with a computer with an integrated camera and a microphone. This microphone captured voices even when the lecturer or other students were at the back of the room. students and when their opinions and views are incentivized. It works well as it gives a basis for a further conversation to be developed.

Videos

Videos are accessed by students easily, either by phone, tablet, or on a computer. Links to them are posted in VLE, and students can watch them at their own decision.

Reflections

Challenges Faced

Some people simply did not bother to log into their VLE and never accessed the materials in the first place.

Virtual learning offered many the possibility of learning at their own pace – they had the opportunity to freely schedule the time and place of learning. For example, at times, learners were not able to attend the class in person, and the possibility of remote learning offered a great opportunity to keep up with the course.

What went well?

Was it worth it?

The initial investment to prepare interactive activities and materials for VLE is rather huge. It takes time, patience, and discipline. However, once the materials are ready, it is convenient to reuse, combine, and adapt them. The materials are easily available and used and therefore accessible outside official class time anytime and anywhere if the student has an internet connection. Students are content with this possibility, for it gives them flexibility and more command over when and how they study. The students asked about using ICT tools frequently at the start. Some of them had reservations about being able to learn the new ways. Some learners failed to deliver home assignments on time or at all.

Enhancing Integration: Blended Learning in the Initial Integration of Immigrants (ZIP) Programme