MOBIYOUTH.ORG – A TOOL FOR BLENDED LEARNING IN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE PROJECTS
AUTHOR: AURÉLIEN DURBEC – IKAB-BILDUNGSWERK E.V.
International youth exchange projects can facilitate intercultural learning yet to for this to happen, they need to allow for more than a temporary encounter. They require a concept in which learning begins in the preparatory phase, is intensified during the exchange, and is collated and transferred in the debriefing process.
International youth exchange projects can facilitate intercultural learning yet to for this to happen, they need to allow for more than a temporary encounter. They require a concept in which learning begins in the preparatory phase, is intensified during the exchange, and is collated and transferred in the debriefing process. This approach has been central to the work of IKAB- Bildungswerk e.V. (IKAB – Germany), Fondation INFA (INFA – France) and Club Culturel Ali Belhouane (CCAB – Tunisia) since the 1980s. The three partner institu - tions place great emphasis on involving participants in the development of the concepts and contents of
MobiYouth.org was developed and tested between 2018 and 2020 as part of the PRIDE project (co-fi - nanced by the European Commission as a strategic partnership under the Erasmus+ Youth in Action pro - gramme). In concrete terms, it is a WordPress site into which the H5P interactive learning material creation tool ( k p. 48) was integrated. All participants register for an account which gives them access to interactive language and thematic exercises. There is also a forum where they can post messages and links. Everyone can upload the results of their work during the preparation and debriefing phases. In early 2020, IKAB, INFA and CCAB evaluated the use of MobiYouth.org together with young people and their group leaders. » Unlike common project communication tools, MobiYouth.org is a pedagogical tool developed for use in international youth work. As such, it complies with data privacy regulations. However, participants do need to be closely and continually supervised to ensure they understand and can use the tool. » Additional maintenance and further development costs beyond those covered by project financing have to be considered. » MobiYouth.org’s functions and options are limited. IKAB, INFA and CCAB will test the use of other learning environments such as Moodle ( k p. 48) in the near future. Any content already developed with the H5P tool can easily be integrated into this platform.
The young people jointly define and design the agenda.
their own programme. The young people jointly define and design the agenda. Until now, participants of an international mobility project were given worksheets and other tasks by email or in person from their group leaders, or they prepared a presentation or other resources which they brought along to the exchange. In 2016, institutions from the German-Franco-Tuni - sian partnership reported that they were finding it increasingly difficult to allow enough time for prepa - ration and debriefing with the groups. These phases collided with the tight timetables of formal education institutions or with the leisure activities offered by non-formal institutions. MobiYouth.org was initiated in response to the need for directly addressing young people beyond group work and to offer preparation, debriefing and exchange opportunities before and after the actual exchange.
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Contributions from practitioners
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