Unlocking Learning in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The use of digital learning to support the education and inclusion of refugees and migrant children
Highlights
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of refugees and migrants arriving in the country has increased from just a few dozen arrivals annually prior to 2017 to 95,000 between 2018 and 2022. This increase has strained the country’s education systems.
This research presents critical findings on the implementation and effectiveness of the Akelius digital learning application (Akelius app) to support the language acquisition refugee and migrant children.
Report one: Implementation in non-formal education
This report focuses on the implementation of the Akelius app as a tool to support refugee and migrant children’s English and German language learning within temporary reception centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
These findings demonstrate that combining the Akelius app with traditional teaching methods in classrooms, where children have diverse learning levels and needs, facilitates catering to students' individual learning needs through personalized learning. The report also explores the challenges faced and good practices to tangibly improve the implementation of digital learning in classrooms.
Report two: Implementation in formal education
This report focuses on the implementation of the Akelius app within the formal education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Foreign language acquisition is an important component of curricula in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nonetheless, outdated teaching methods, materials and resources frequently hamper students’ motivation and engagement with learning in foreign language lessons. As a result, a considerable share of students fails to meet foreign language learning goals established by cantonal curricula upon completing secondary education.
The Akelius app provides opportunities to accelerate foreign language acquisition in a gamified learning environment. With the right conditions, teachers can incorporate the app as part of their teaching to meet curriculum goals while enhancing students’ motivation.
To support the scale-up of the Akelius app across elementary schools in Una-Sana Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), led by its Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoE), this report provides evidence and key recommendations for an effective and equitable scale-up.
Suggested citations:
Report one: S. Poleschuk, A. Soldo and T. Dreesen. Unlocking Learning – The use of digital learning to support the education and inclusion of refugees and migrant children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and
Foresight, Florence, Italy, 2023.
Report two: Carceles, J. et al., Unlocking Learning – The scale-up of EdTech to support learners in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, Italy, 2024