AlphaEU: Implementation of Digital Alphabet

Books and Activities in Cyprus

Charalambos Vrasidas, Christiana Aravi, Katerina Theodoridou

http://www.alphaeu.org/

WHY MULTILINGUALISM IN EARLY CHILDHOOD Education?

• Proficiency in literacy,

numeracy and problem

solving in technology-rich

environments is positively

and independently

associated with the

probability of

participating in the

labour market and being

employed, and with

higher wages.

6

Contracting Authority

Education Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

Programme Lifelong Learning Programme (centralized)

Action KA2 Multilateral Projects

Coordinator P1: CARDET LTD (CYPRUS)

Co-beneficiaries P2: The Language Center S.L.R (ITALY)

P3: Meath Partnership (IRELAND)

P4: Instituto Politecnico de Castelo Branco (PORTUGAL)

P5: INNOVADE LI LTD (CYPRUS))

P6: International Council for Educational Media (AUSTRIA)

P7: University of Pitesti (ROMANIA)

Duration 1 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2014 (24 months)

About the project

Rationale of the project

According to the Policy Handbook on Language Learning at Pre-Primary School Level (EC, 2011), opening children’s minds to multilingualism and different cultures:

• Enhances individual and social development.

• Increases their capacity to empathise and interact with others.

• Enhances competences such as comprehension, expression, communication, and problem-solving.

• Can increase concentration and strengthen self-confidence.

Rationale of the project

Through ELL…• Children’s progress is shaped while they are in a

dynamic developmental stage.

• Learning can take place over a longer period, supporting the achievement of more permanent results.

• Children develop an enhanced capacity to learn languages throughout life. (EC, 2011)

• Young children develop positive attitudes towards other languages and cultures; raising awareness of diversity and cultural variety, fostering understanding and respect (Eurydice, 2009).

Innovative aspect of AlphaEU

• AlphaEU is intended to be used mainly within the existing model of “Language Awareness-raising or Exposure”: the central aim is “to develop the perception and recognition of different sounds and concepts of one or more languages and the ability to understand and reproduce them in an interactive way” (EC, 2011).

• AlphaEU is the first project of its kind to utilise ICT for comparing alphabets through digital alphabet books.

• AlphaEU encourages the involvement of family members, mediators and/or other stakeholders in supporting ELL, enabling an effective integration between school and community.

Digital alphabet books

http://alphaeu.org/alphabet-books*City also available on Android in GR and EN

Digital activities

http://alphaeu.org/activities

Website: http://alphaeu.org/

Fb: AlphaEU

AlphaEU on the web

Implementation of Digital

Alphabet Books and Activities

Context of implementation

• 10 teachers and 10 parents of children aged 2-6

participated in the implementation

• Regular observation of 4 of the teachers at Heidi

Land private kindergarten

• Classes observed – children aged 3-4, 4-5

• Lesson plans created by teachers aiming at

exploration of all Greek alphabet books and

matching activity EN-GR

• Regular observation of 4 of the parents (1 male, 3

female) with their children

• Children aged 3, 4, 5, 6

• Flexible use of books and activities based on

children’s wishes

Methodology

• Driving RQs:

1. How can the AlphaEU books and activities be

integrated by teachers in the National Curriculum

for kindergarten?

2. How can parents use the AlphaEU books and

activities at home with their children for learning

and fun?

3. How do children use the AlphaEU books and

activities and what are their reactions towards

them?

Data Collection and Analysis

• Participant profile

• Teaching material (lesson plans)

• Photos of students’ interaction with the material

• Researchers’ observation notes

• Semi-structured interview with teachers

• Semi-structured interview with parents

• Teacher’s log

• Parent’s log

• Data analysis: Content analysis using open

coding techniques

Photos from the implementation

Research findings - Successes

• Excitement about the availability of material for this age group

• Material can support and reinforce what children learn in class/at home

• “Fun learning” for children, while constructive and well-structured

• Promotion of awareness of other languages and matching of words between them

• Active participation, enthusiasm, excitement for material by students

• Children looking forward to next session with books/activities

• Collaboration and interaction among students

Research findings - Challenges

• Novelty effect of digital material

• Students getting used to equipment at school

(keyboard, mouse)

• Small number of computers at school

• Some design shortcomings (e.g. too many items

on one page, suggestions for more items)