scholarly journals Training of prosocial skills to migrant groups through serious games

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 464-483
Author(s):  
MARIA TOUNTOPOULOU ◽  
Nikos Drosos ◽  
Maria-Eirini Triantafillopoulou ◽  
Fotini Vlachaki ◽  
Petros Daras ◽  
...  

Due to forced migration migrants, asylum seekers and refugees finding themselves in a new cultural environment and trying to build a new life, they need to feel affiliated, to achieve peer acceptance among natives and diverse migrant groups. Such affiliation needs can be achieved by tailored training interventions aiming to promote the development of prosocial skills of cultural diverse groups, as alternative actions to facilitate better migrants’/asylum seekers/refugees’ integration into the host society. The scope of this survey is to study the short-term effects of a social skills and prosocial behaviour training for adult migrants, refugees or asylum seekers. The method is based on the theory of prosociality and explores the effectiveness of a prosocial game in the development of prosocial skills, which are considered important for the social and emotional wellbeing and smoother integration of migrant groups in the new host community. A pre-test-post-test design was used, assigning 110 migrant participants to either an experimental or a control group and comparing them on their prosocial skills as evaluated through the NADINE questionnaire. Those who played the game significantly improved in their teamwork and interpersonal skills. Although further research should be made on the use of serious games in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in migrant adults, this study adds to the research literature, supporting the potential of a game-based SEL intervention for effectively assisting migrant groups develop their prosocial skills and facilitating their better integration into the host society.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6586
Author(s):  
Fernando Fraga-Varela ◽  
Esther Vila-Couñago ◽  
Ana Rodríguez-Groba

In recent years, serious games offer great opportunities for learning processes at schools. However, it is unclear whether this type of proposals can offer differentiated answers among the students according to their gender. In this context, the aim of this paper is to know the possible differences that occur in primary school classrooms according to gender, with serious games designed for the development of mathematical fluency, and to examine to what extent these games contribute to the overall school performance. We carried out a quasi-experimental study, including pretest and posttest, without control group and with several experimental groups, and the participation of 284 students from first to fourth grade. The results show that the software benefits boys and girls equally, compared to the previously followed methodology that benefited boys. A clear relation between the results achieved and the performance in the overall students’ grades has also been observed. The conclusions show the potential of serious games in school settings, and the opportunity to approach performance differences based on the gender.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Louka

Abstract Very few research studies to date have explored the views and concerns of the broad range of migrants residing in Europe around vaccination in general, vaccine hesitancy, and approaches to catch-up vaccination on arrival. In this talk, CL will discuss the current research in this area, and implications for policy and practice.


Refuge ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest A. Pineteh ◽  
Thecla N. Mulu

This article examines the memories of a group of Cameroonian asylum-seekers in South Africa, analyzing personal accounts of memories of fear, suffering, and pain as well as resilience and heroism during their forced migration. The article argues that the legitimacy of applications for asylum often depends on accurate and consistent memories of specific life-threatening episodes at home and during migration. Drawing on theoretical conceptions such as construction of memory, autobiographical memory, and politics of storytelling, this article teases out how personal memories of asylum-seekers provide a discursive space to access and understand the asymmetries of seeking political asylum in post-apartheid South Africa.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Rawlinson ◽  
Rabeea’h Aslam ◽  
Girvan Burnside ◽  
Anna Chiumento ◽  
Malena Eriksson-Lee ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Asylum seekers and refugees (AS&Rs) experience impaired mental health and wellbeing, related to stresses in their country of origin, experiences in transit and reception on arrival, including significant barriers to accessing mainstream services. Their contact with healthcare is often crisis-driven and mediated through non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Problem Management Plus (PM+) is a psychosocial intervention recommended by the World Health Organization to address distress experienced by adults affected by humanitarian crises. We are investigating its application for the first time in a high income country. Methods In a pilot randomised controlled trial, PM+ will be delivered to AS&Rs in contact with NGOs in Liverpool City Region, UK, by lay therapists who have lived experience of forced migration. Following systematic review and stakeholder engagement, PM+ has been adapted to the local context, and lay therapists have been trained in its delivery. We will assess the feasibility of conducting a three-arm RCT of five 90-minute sessions of PM+, delivered individually or in groups by lay therapists to AS&Rs experiencing emotional distress and functional impairment, compared with each other and with usual support offered by local NGOs. Distress and impairment at baseline will be measured by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS). We aim to recruit 105 participants, 35 per arm. Primary health outcomes are anxiety and depressive symptoms at 3 months, measured by HADS. Secondary outcomes include subjective wellbeing, functional status, progress on identified problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive disorder and service usage. Longer term impact will be assessed at 6-months post baseline, on the same parameters. We will assess the feasibility of conducting a full RCT in relation to the following elements: recruitment and retention of lay therapists and study participants; fidelity of delivery of PM+; and suitability of the study measures, including any linguistic or cultural barriers. Discussion We will use these findings to specify the parameters for a full randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of PM+ in reducing emotional distress and health inequalities, and improving functional ability and wellbeing, amongst asylum seekers and refugees.


Author(s):  
Konstantin V. Grigorichev ◽  
Natalia P. Koptseva

The article provides a selection of studies on the problem of developing languages for the mutual description of migrants and the host society. The authors consider the problem, on the one hand, through the prism of heterogeneity of the language for describing migrants in the host society, and on the other, through the absence of legitimate representatives of migrants representing them in the dialogue with the Russian society. It offers a point of view on the reasons for the dominance of ethnic discourse in the description of migrants and the migration situation, and wide pluralism in the use of ethnic categories in describing migration. It is shown that migrants do not participate in the development of rhetoric of organisations recognised by the authorities as their legitimate representatives. The article raises the question about the formation of new representatives of migrant groups, whose legitimacy is based not on powers delegated by the authorities, but on recognition by horizontal communities. It is assumed that, on the basis of the network representations, a mechanism is being formed for the humanisation of the image of migrants through the return of subjectivity in communication with the host society


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-156
Author(s):  
Исаак Олумайова Они

This paper focuses on the social relationships of West African migrants living in Moscow. It investigates the factors to which West African migrants are exposed that promote or limit their social involvement in the new environment in which they find themselves. Although the African community in Russia is rather small, it is gradually increasing. It is, therefore, the aim of this research to examine the effect of the host environment on their perception of the society and how they try to blend in, or not, with social activities there. The article is based on qualitative methods, namely eleven interviews and participant observation of West African migrants. This research revolves around themes such as their communicative language skills, formation of networks among the host community, and sociability. Findings from the research show that West African migrants in Moscow have been attached to their ethnic landscapes, which has limited their sociability in their host society. Since sociability is not mono-directional, the state needs to do more to create both public awareness of the need to recognize and accept the presence of other races and also to create regulations that will guide the smooth integration of migrants in the country.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Richard Ondicho Otiso

In the making of a new home, immigrants have always wanted to settle with people that share similar religious beliefs, given that religion is the only common point that offers universality contrary to culture and other social factors that are subject to change in respect with the surrounding. Given the increase in the global population statistics of the Lutheran church, this article presented a case study of the lives and activities of immigrants of Lutheran origin in Kenya. Based on the existing literature, factors like the religiosity, culture and language of the host community will be analyzed. Moreover, the major finding of this study identifies that the separation between immigrants and locals is based on the fact that there is lack of a common language between the two parties. Emphasis was put on language as the biggest unifying factor. A realization of the factors that hinder integration of immigrants into the host society as explained in this article will aid in the formulation of new policies by the Lutheran church of Kenya and as well go a long way in resolving the existing barriers to immigrant integration


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 205920431775315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Ilari ◽  
Cara Fesjian ◽  
Assal Habibi

In this study, we tracked the development of rhythmic entrainment, prosociality, and theory of mind skills in children attending music and sports programs and in a control group over the course of three years. Forty-five children (mean age at onset = 81 months) drummed in two contextual conditions – alone and social – completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test and prosocial tasks (helping and sharing). All children improved in their ability to entrain to external rhythms over time, with the music group outperforming controls in the entrainment-social condition. Developmental effects were found for theory of mind, but no significant group differences. Although there were no significant group differences for prosociality, following three years of music education, entrainment scores in the alone condition were positively correlated with the number of stickers that children in the music group gave to friends. Results are discussed in light of the nature of collective music learning through ensemble participation and its role in the development of social-cognitive and prosocial skills in childhood.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Hess Elgersma ◽  
Atle Fretheim ◽  
Thor Indseth ◽  
Anita Thorolvsen Munch ◽  
Live Bøe Johannessen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND A low test positivity rate is key to keeping the COVID-19 pandemic under control. Several migrant groups in Norway have seen higher rates of confirmed COVID-19 and related hospitalizations, while test positivity has remained high in the same groups. Social media sponsored ads have been an important part of the government’s strategy to reach these groups. OBJECTIVE In this study we aimed to investigate whether such a targeted Facebook campaign increased the rate of testing in certain migrant groups. METHODS We randomly assigned 386 Norwegian municipalities and city districts, to intervention or control groups. Individuals born in Syria, Pakistan, Eritrea, Turkey, Russia and Iraq residing in intervention areas were targeted with a social media campaign aiming at increasing the COVID-19 test rate. The campaign message was in simple language and conveyed in the users’ main language or in English. RESULTS During the follow-up period of two weeks, the predicted probability of conducting a COVID-19 test was 4.82 % (CI: 4.47 % - 5.18 %) in the control group, and 5.58 % (CI: 5.20 % - 5.99 %) in the intervention group (P=.004). CONCLUSIONS Our targeted social media intervention led to a modest, but potentially important, increase in test rates among migrants in Norway. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT04866589.


Author(s):  
Milagros Huerta Gómez de Merodio ◽  
Juan Manuel Dodero ◽  
Nestor Mora Núñez ◽  
José Mª Portela Núñez

Flip-GET has been developed with the objective of optimizing engineering practicals. The innovative element of this methodology is the use of serious games, as a complement to the flipped classroom method, in the teaching-learning process of engineering studies. This methodology uses serious games to take advantage of the capacity of motivation that video games have for the current generation of students, who have been involved with digital content, software, and electronic devices. This methodology has been evaluated using the method of case studies and by an experimental evaluation carried out in different stages, each of which has been developed during an academic course. In the experimental evaluation of the methodology, the control group carried out the practicals dividing the students into subgroups, without using the Flip-GET methodology, while the experimental group performed them with the methodology.


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