On June 6, 2023, staff from the WIMM research group organized a day of action with digital smartphone learning sessions for refugees in Speyer. Over 180 residents of the accommodation center for asylum seekers (AfA) in Speyer attended the Smartphone Day, which was held as the final event of the Digital Qualification of Immigrants (DigiQ) project. Employees of the WIMM research group, together with Prof. Sven Pagel, supported the DigiQ project team, which has held eleven computer courses from six different modules specially designed for the target group since August 2022.
In seven modules, the residents of the center were able to improve their smartphone skills at virtual learning stations and learn new aspects of using their smartphones and apps. A QR code took them to an overview page from which they could access the various modules using their own smartphone. The topics covered included scanning documents, doing translations with a cell phone, downloading and retrieving files, data protection on smartphones, creating flyers with the Canva app and an introduction to programming with the Mimo app. The wheel of fortune, which participants were able to spin after successfully completing the modules, also attracted a lot of attention.
Over 1,300 people from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, Somalia, and Burkina Faso live in the AfA. The language aspect is particularly challenging when it comes to holding courses, as the participants have usually only been living in Germany for a short time and communication in English is only possible to a limited extent. However, there are always residents who offer to translate for other participants and there are also members of the DigiQ team who can translate into Arabic, French, or Spanish.
A particular highlight of the project is that an Arabic translator was recruited from among the course participants in the spring and has since joined the WIMM team.
The interest of the residents in the digital education courses offered at the AfA over the past nine months has continued to grow. The management of the AfA is also delighted with how well the offer has been received and the opportunity for further training in the digital field.
The project, funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the State Ministry for Family Affairs, Women, Culture and Integration (MFFKI), ends on 06/30/2023. The team of the WIMM research group is currently working intensively on the implementation of further collaborative projects with the target group of immigrants.
The WIMM research group at Mainz University of Applied Sciences
The WIMM research group at Mainz University of Applied Sciences
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Sven Pagel, the Information Systems and Media Management (WIMM) research group at Mainz University of Applied Sciences represents the integrative topic of digital media and digital education in teaching and applied research. WIMM is an interdisciplinary team consisting of more than ten media specialists and experts in media informatics, design, law, psychology, and education.
https://www.hs-mainz.de/hochschule/persoenliche-seiten/pagel-sven-prof-dr/projekte/digitale-qualifizierung/projekt/