LASER – LANGUAGE ACADEMIC SKILLS AND E-LEARNING RESOURCES

An EU Higher Education Project run by the British Council in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria

LASER – L A N G U A G E , A C A D E M I C S K I L L S A N D E - L E A R N I N G R E S O U R C E S

• A three year project • Funded by the European

Union• Will run in Jordan,

Lebanon and Syria • Targets young people

aged 18-30 • Those who have

experienced higher education and those who have not

• Combines academic skills development with online learning pathways

• Works with organisations already working in the field to reach Syrians and disadvantaged Jordanians

Organisation Country Offer

CARE International Jordan Language, academic skills, online learning support and facilitation

Goethe Institut Jordan Language

Institut Francais Jordan Language

Norwegian Refugee Council

Jordan, Lebanon

Language, academic skills and online learning support and facilitation

Jordan Education Initiative

Jordan Language, academic skills and online learning support and facilitation

Edraak Jordan Online learning

Talal Abu Ghazaleh (TAGIUNI)

Jordan Online learning -Amity University (accredited)

SPARK Syria Language and online learning (if possible)

Open University and Futurelearn

Jordan, Lebanon

Accredited online learning (OU) and MOOCs (Futurelearn)

OBJECTIVES: To contribute to providing Higher education to displaced Syrian students and disadvantaged youth in host communities.

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: • To help students (aged 18-30) to reintegrate

into the education system by providing them with language training, academic readiness skills, coaching and distance education programmes.

• To help students who cannot access, or who have dropped out of formal education, to find new opportunities to continue their higher education in Syria or in its neighbouring countries.

THE LASER PROJECT WILL :

• Reach at least 2,930 displaced Syrians of higher education age in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, together with up to 30% disadvantaged Jordanian youth in Jordan

• Provide language learning and academic skills classes in English, French and German improving student’s access to higher education and skills

• Provide online short-courses through MOOCs in English (Futurelearn) and in Arabic through Edraak , with the possibility of studying in French and German through OpenUp Ed, the EU’s MOOC platform.

• Facilitate online, accredited higher education distance learning through Open University and Amity University for 300 students who meet the entrance criteria for these courses.

• Deliver language and academic skills training in Syria through a partner organisation (SPARK) with the possibility of the future delivery of MOOCs

THE LASER LANGUAGE PROJECT WILL :

The LASER language programme will support students to:

• develop digital literacy skills and a positive approach to online education • increase their language and communication skills • improve their presentation and discussion skills • learn how to manage their time • develop their ability to work in teams and to work with their peers by learning

collaboratively in groups, in managed learning centres• develop their confidence and grow their self-directed learning processes• Be able to have their English language levels tested through Aptis or IELTS - as

appropriate to the level and needs of students.• be provided with coaching, guidance and support to increase their chances of

success

Participants in this programme will serve as a pool of candidates for other courses – including credit-bearing online learning, short courses and MOOCs. (note – students will be encouraged to learn what interests them and makes sense in terms of their prior learning

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LASER ONLINE

- Flexibility – meet individual needs: time, skills, language, venue- Learners select courses they are interested in and which will be useful - Learners will use digital libraries, textbooks and open access resources - Be able to develop their own learning pathways – degree and other options- Recognition of prior learning – students to continue learning programmes begun in Syria where possible - Will provide evidence of academic skills – for future opportunities -

THROUGH LASER, WE WILL : • Track and record the progress of all students through data collection and analysis

mechanisms• Ensure that both men and women have equal access to community facilities and

learning opportunities• Evaluate the outcomes of the project through specific KPIs and measures of

success• Work with local and international organisations to assure the quality and the

successful outcomes of the project.

Through LASER we will create a model that can inform further efforts to provide higher education for displaced Syrians across the MENA region