THE WOMEN GET BACK

KA2 CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT IN THE FIELD OF YOUTH

MODULE 3: Information and communication technologies

Project Title “The women get back”

Project Acronym WGB

Project Reference №: №: 589785-EPP- 1-2017- 1-PT- EPPKA2-CBY- ACPALA

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Table of contents: Module 3 Course Description .................................................................................................................... 1

I. Information and communication technologies ....................................................................... 2

What are Basic Digital skills? .................................................................................................... 3

Why digital skills are important? ............................................................................................... 6

II. Benefits of using ICT ............................................................................................................ 11

What is Virtual Collaboration? ................................................................................................ 11

Meeting and communication .................................................................................................. 13

File sharing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13

Project management………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

Project feedback ..................................................................................................................... 15

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Module 3

Information and communication technologies

Course Description

Despite of the opportunity of digitalization, in many Latin American countries, there is still a

huge digital divide between rural and urban populations, between rich and poor, man and

women. Women empowerment is a burning issue these days and different institutions support

the fact that the role of ICT is crucial for the engagement of women in the society. Unfortunately,

the majority of women in the developing world do not have access to ICTs due to variety of

barriers as such the infrastructural, social, cultural and linguistic.

Addressing digital skills in formal and informal education is the first step in a life-long learning

approach, contributing to confidence and competences for life. Increasing the digital skills of

women across the world can help them access the numerous benefits of being online, providing

them with easier access to work and education. ICT brings forward countless of benefits,

enabling women with the right skill and outlook to stay ahead in the increasingly aggressive race.

Learning Objectives: As a result of engaging with the material in this module, women

are intended to achieve the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge: understand what is Information and communication technologies (ICT); why ICT

skills are important; what are basic digital skills for life and for work; benefits of using ICT;

Introduction to Digital tools;

Skills: digital awareness; digital skills, adaptability, efficient, time management;

Competences: understand different terms such as Digital Literacy, Digital Divide, Broadband

IT Infrastructure, Virtual Collaboration, etc.; get to know different digital tools for collaboration

and meetings, project management, file sharing and project feedback;

Structure:

The module is divided into two main topics:

Information and communication technologies

Benefits of using ICT

2

In Latin America, women are employed predominantly in sectors and jobs that require few or

no skills in information and communications technologies (ICT). However, the digital

transformation is affecting the entire economy in multiple ways and it is expected that most jobs

will require at least basic ICT skills. Unfortunately, women are likely to be left behind in the

future workplace due to the lack of digital skills and usually technology is considered a male

domain where there is no place for women.

In the first part of this module we will see what is ICT, why ICT skills are important and how they

can help women get a better job.

I. Information and communication technologies

Information and communication technology (ICT) is another/extensional term for information

technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of

telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary

enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to

access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. The term ICT is also used to refer to the

convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks through a single

cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination

of the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer network system

using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and management. 1

ICT encompasses both the internet-enabled sphere as well as the mobile one powered by

wireless networks. It also includes antiquated technologies, such as landline telephones, radio

and television broadcast -- all of which are still widely used today alongside cutting-edge ICT

pieces such as artificial intelligence and robotics. ICT is sometimes used synonymously with IT

(for information technology); however, ICT is generally used to represent a broader, more

comprehensive list of all components related to computer and digital technologies than IT. The

list of ICT components is exhaustive, and it continues to grow. Some components, such as

computers and telephones, have existed for decades. Others, such as smartphones, digital TVs

and robots, are more recent entries.

Women empowerment is a burning issue these days and different NGOs and governments

support the fact that the role of ICT is crucial for the engagement of women in the society.

Unfortunately, the majority of women in the developing world do not have access to ICTs due

to variety of barriers as such the infrastructural, social, cultural and linguistic. Today, Latin

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_and_communications_technology

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America has telecommunications infrastructures that can be compared with those of the most

advanced countries but despite of the opportunity of digitalization, in many Latin American

countries, there is still a huge digital divide between rural and urban populations, between rich

and poor, man and women.

What are Basic Digital Skills?

In an increasingly digital world, it´s essential that everyone is given access to the basic level of

digital skills they need. According to 2015 framework created by Go ON UK, all individuals need

to develop basic digital skills for life and for work. The Tech Partnership and Lloyds Banking

Group are currently leading a consultation to remodel the 2015 framework that enhance 4

different areas of digital capability, trying to create a new one that reflect the significant changes

in technology that have taken place since the first one was created. 2

The first framework encompasses four categories of basic digital skills – for both life and for

work, since the new one encompasses five categories. Each of them is dived into three parts:

description, skills, and safety and security.

Basic Digital Skills for Life

a. Managing information

Description: Find, manage and store digital information and content securely;

Skills:

1. Use a range of different search engines effectively to find information online

2. Recognise that while online content may seem to be real, this does not make it either

true or reliable

3. Find and use apps and bookmark/use websites that allow you to find the information

you need

4. Store and retrieve information on your own device or remotely in the cloud.

5. Recognise the use of cookies on websites, how they track your activity and direct

advertising.

Safety and security: Keep systems, access and personal information secure. Apply copyright

requirements when using digital photos, images and documents.

b. Communicating

Description: Communicate, interact, collaborate, share and connect with others demonstrating

secure practices.

Skills:

1. Communicate with others directly using email and other messaging systems, on your

computer and mobile devices.

2. Post messages, photos, videos or blogs using appropriate social media applications and

forums.

2 https://www.thetechpartnership.com/basic-digital-skills/basic-digital-skills-framework/basic-digital-skills-framework-2015/

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3. Complete online forms in order to communicate with organisations about their products

and services.

4. Be able to make use of accessibility tools on devices to make them easier to use.

Safety and security: Identify emails that contain untrusted links and be able to identify where

different communications methods may not be encrypted.

c. Transacting

Description: Purchase and sell goods and services, organise your finances, register for and use

digital government services, whilst protecting personal data and respecting others’ privacy.

Skills:

1. Use online retailers to purchase goods and services.

2. Set up and manage an online account for buying goods and services.

3. Transact online with Government and other public services including health providers.

4. Use different payment systems for online payment, including credit/debit card, direct

bank transfer, PayPal, phone account etc. ensuring they are trustworthy.

Safety and security: Operate online transactions safely and securely

d. Problem solving

Description: Increase independence and confidence by solving problems and finding solutions

using digital tools; identify malicious websites, links, pop-up.

Skills:

1. Find help and information through search engines

2. Find help through dedicated sources of online support such as tutorials or frequently

asked questions (FAQs) or through support offered via video sharing and other websites

or apps, and chat facilities.

3. Access support services on Government and other public-sector websites by using

correct links on the site

Safety and security: Seek only trusted sources of online help and support. Identify where

websites may contain malicious links and pop-ups that should be avoided.

e. Creating is the last area that refer to the engagement with communities and

creation of basic digital content.

For Individuals: creating a social post, creating a text document, creating and share a photo

album, creating and share feedback using shopping websites

For Organisations: creating content (pictures, logos, text) to promote the organisation and

reach customers, creating communities around services and products using social media to

engage with customers, creating help resources and guides for employees for improved

employee skill levels

Safety and security: Respect the privacy of others/third parties and be aware of copyright;

protect your personal data.

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Basic Digital Skills for Work

a. Managing Information

Description: Find, manage, store and present digital information and content relating to

employment securely.

Skills:

1. Apply search terms to generate better results whilst searching for information.

2. Gather and organise information from different digital sources.

3. Organise information using files and folders.

4. Use storage, including the cloud, to store files, photos and other data.

5. Qualify information sources, evaluating their reliability and suitability for a purpose.

6. Synchronise information across different devices.

7. Make use of standard analytical tools in applications to better interpret information.

Safety and security: Follow business privacy and security policies when accessing systems and

handling business information.

b. Communicating

Description: Communicate, interact, collaborate, share and connect with others securely in a

business context.

Skills:

1. Use a range of contemporary digital media to communicate with others in business.

2. Set up and use email address books and contact lists.

3. Use online video conferencing or direct messaging applications to communicate with

others.

4. Select communication modes for different business interactions.

5. Contribute to online networks and communities.

6. Use business etiquette when communicating.

7. Share information securely with colleagues through the cloud.

Safety and security: Adopt professional approaches to using digital communications and social

media.

c. Transacting

Description: Purchase and sell goods and services, and interact with financial systems whilst

protecting personal and company data and respecting others’ privacy.

Skills:

1. Create and maintain a secure online identity, recognising own digital footprint and the

long term impact of all online activity.

2. Make use of online learning resources (e.g. tutorials or videos).

3. Apply the requirements of copyright and intellectual property rights when using online

content.

4. Use shared and cloud-based online digital applications.

5. Follow licensing guidelines, using only approved and licensed software applications.

Safety and security: Conduct business transactions safely and securely.

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d. Problem-solving

Description: Increase independence and confidence by solving business related problems and

finding solutions using digital tools; identify malicious websites, links, pop-up windows and

associated scams.

Skills:

1. Can contact a helpdesk or seek online help to solve a problem.

2. Plan learning in basic digital skills by making use of available resources including online

tutorials, FAQs and advice forums.

3. Keep up to date with digital developments in the work environment adopting new

techniques to improve productivity in business.

4. Make use of online gallery sites to store and share images and video.

5. Use different multimedia formats according to purpose.

Safety and security: Seek support from approved sources and escalate security related issues.

Why digital skills are important?

Increasing the digital skills of women across the word can help them access the numerous

benefits of being online, providing them with easier access to work and education. In Europe,

the report of the recent study of Women in digital age show that there is a growing gap between

men and women's participation in the digital sector in education, career and entrepreneurship.

According to the main finding of the study, there are four times more men than women in

Europe with ICT-related studies - there is a decrease in women taking up ICT related higher

education when compared to 2011. The share of men working in the digital sector is 3.1 times

greater than the share of women and moreover, the annual productivity loss for the European

economy of women leaving their digital jobs to become inactive is calculated to be about EUR

16.2 billion. 3 This study shows once again that there is an urgent need of new digital education

plan that can encourage girls and women to take up ICT related education and be able to adapt

to the needs of the digital age.

3 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/increase-gender-gap-digital-sector-study-women-digital-age

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The strategy which the Commissioner in charge of Digital Economy and Society has launched

outlines actions in three main areas:4

1) challenging stereotypes;

2) promoting digital skills and education;

3) advocating for more women entrepreneurs

However, the issue of digital skills gap is talked about in countries around the world. The most

pressing factor in the digital skills gap is the lack of digital skills amongst existing workforces and

the second one is the lack of properly trained graduates to fill digital posts in growing

technological industries. New studies show that although basic literacy rates in Latin America

and the Caribbean are higher than the global average, there remains a gap in digital literacy and

skills (see the pictures below).

The survey report show that insufficient infrastructure and teaching support for digital

education prevents many mobile users from exploring the benefits of the internet. Analysis of

web traffic data shows that less than 30% of content accessed in Latin America and the

Caribbean is locally hosted and in local languages. Moreover, the content available on app stores

and mobile operator websites is largely entertainment related. The study identified the

following main barriers: lack of locally relevant content (less than 30% of content accessed is

hosted locally in local language; excess of entertainment-related content overshadows

productivity benefits of internet), lack of digital literacy and skills (digital literacy not formally

measured; high demand for digital skills education but insufficient teaching support in many

countries ; lack of ICT infrastructure in schools and colleges) affordability barriers (high income

inequality; cost of mobile ownership is on average 17% of income for bottom 40% of the

population; high mobile-specific taxes in countries such as Brazil and Argentina) and network

coverage to last mile (64 million people still not covered by mobile broadband; challenge to

connect sparsely populated areas − mountain ranges, rainforests and islands; unreliable and

patchy network coverage discourages users).5

4 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/women-ict 5 https://www.gsmaintelligence.com/research/?file=895f6c0a1efa7a25f5d6b4ff874e92f1&download

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To make sure all the terms above are understanble we will define some of them in the following

page:

Digital Literacy

While the word "literacy" alone generally refers to reading and writing skills, when you tack on

the word "digital" before it, the term encompasses much more. According to the American

Library Association's digital-literacy task force: "Digital literacy is the ability to use information

and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information,

requiring both cognitive and technical skills." 6 According to them, a Digitally Literate Person is

able to use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to retrieve information, interpret

results, and judge the quality of that information; understands the relationship between

technology, life-long learning, personal privacy, and stewardship of information; possesses the

variety of skills – technical and cognitive – required to find, understand, evaluate, create, and

communicate digital information in a wide variety of formats;

From a competency perspective, digital literacy is framed with literacy, fluency, and mastery of

skills needed to use the internet. From an academic perspective, digital literacy is a part of the

computing subject area alongside computer science and information technology.

Digital Divide

A digital divide is an economic and social inequality with regard to access to, use of, or impact

of information and communication technologies (ICT). The divide within countries may refer to

inequalities between individuals, households, businesses, or geographic areas, usually at

different socioeconomic levels or other demographic categories. The divide between differing

countries or regions of the world is referred to as the global digital divide, examining this

6 http://connect.ala.org/node/181197

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technological gap between developing and developed countries on an international scale. 7 The

digital divide typically exists between those in cities and those in rural areas; between the

educated and the uneducated; between socioeconomic groups; and, globally, between the

more and less industrially developed nations. Even among populations with some access to

technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of lower-performance computers,

lower-speed wireless connections, lower-priced connections such as dial-up, and limited access

to subscription-based content. Unfortunately, in the gender digital divide, women fall behind

and women’s lack of technological access is caused by many different factors.

Broadband

In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports

multiple signals and traffic types. The medium can be coaxial cable, optical fiber, radio or twisted

pair. In the context of Internet access, broadband is used to mean any high-speed Internet access

that is always on and faster than dial-up access over traditional analog or ISDN PSTN services8.

The old dial-up connection is the only non-broadband internet service available, and even

though it is cheaper, most Internet users are moving towards the faster broadband Internet

connection.

IT infrastructure

IT infrastructure refers to the composite hardware, software, network resources and services

required for the existence, operation and management of an enterprise IT environment. It

allows an organization to deliver IT solutions and services to its employees, partners and/or

customers and is usually internal to an organization and deployed within owned facilities9. The

fields of IT management and IT service management rely on IT infrastructure, and the ITIL

framework was developed as a set of best practices with regard to IT infrastructure.

7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide 8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband 9 https://www.techopedia.com/definition/29199/it-infrastructure

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If you still wonder, why you should care about technology take a look at the infographic.

There is no doubt that our society is constantly changing and the most important characteristics

of our era may be the transformation, transmission and dominion of information. We live in an

information society where the leading role has been given to new technologies, especially those

devoted to information. The tech industry by its very nature is progressive and innovative, but

when it comes to women in tech, it certainly is not. Women's participation in the tech sector

will provide a boost to the economy and allow for full participation in society, but unfortunately

the negative trend of women's participation in the digital sector is still high. However, equipping

citizen from all background with relevant digital skills is a responsibility shared between

governments, industry, academia, and individuals. New digital action plans and strategies need

to be launched in order to faster the empowerment of women in the digital field and ensure

their engagement for a long term period. Addressing digital skills in formal and informal

education is the first step in a life-long learning approach, contributing to confidence and

competences for life.

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II. Benefits of using ICT

ICT, or information and communication technology, makes many ordinary tasks uncomplicated

and facilitates communications from virtually any part of the globe. ICT brings forward countless

of benefits, enabling women with the right skill and outlook to stay ahead in the increasingly

aggressive race. In the following paragraph we will see what does it mean virtual collaboration

and what are the most popular digital tools that make virtual collaboration possible.

What is Virtual Collaboration?

Virtual collaboration is the method of collaboration between virtual team members that is

carried out via technology-mediated communication. Virtual collaboration follows the same

process as collaboration, but the parties involved in virtual collaboration do not physically

interact and communicate exclusively through technological channels. Distributed teams use

virtual collaboration to simulate the information transfer present in face-to-face meetings,

communicating virtually through verbal, visual, written, and digital means.10

Through virtual collaboration tools people:

a. Share information: Enable the sharing of knowledge between parties who cannot

exchange information due to physical separation. Virtual collaboration platforms allow

the transfer of different types of information between collaborators to work towards a

common goal.

b. Dispersed Collaborators: Collaborators within virtual collaboration are physically

separated from each other and can only interact virtually. However, being able to

physically interact with a team member affords many benefits that virtual collaboration

cannot provide, and eliminates any need for virtual meetings (sharing of context,

interpersonal relationships, etc.)

c. Technology-mediated: Because virtual collaborators cannot interact physically they use

technology to share information over several mediums. Most virtual collaboration

platforms are carried out via the internet, for example email, video conferencing, and

virtual workspaces. Audio conferencing can also be a means of virtual collaboration, as

information is shared over a telephone or other audio device.

10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_collaboration

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Nowadays, virtual collaboration can provide an easy way for virtual or freelance staff members

to work side by side with in house staff. It can help women to combine both, work and family

responsibilities. On the other hand, also for companies is increasingly important to integrate

new technology and virtual collaboration tools among their employees. They need to create a

work environment that can help their teams accomplish companies’ goals and in the same time

save money and improve time management. For many companies the integration of digital

technologies is still challenging task but for those that have employees in more than one office

or especially for those who are geographically far apart or work in different time zones, is must

to do task.

However, as with any developing technology there are both positives and negatives parts. Below

you can check some of the advantage and disadvantage of virtual collaboration.

There are also certain challenges that can be taken into consideration.

Technology-related challenges - The team need to have knowledge on both, nature of their

work and the virtual collaboration media they choose, and select the best suited media to deal

with the most suited situation. The team also need the skill to deal with the media to overcome

issues coming from the media. That's why having digital skills is MUST have for today's

workplace, for both women and man.

Cultural diversity-related challenges - The team members need to have good knowledge on

cultural differences between members and the knowledge of choosing the proper media to

smooth these differences. The members are expected to have the skill to adjust their

communication behaviour and the language proficiency to achieve cultural adaption.

Geographic dispersion-related challenges - The team member should clearly understand pros

and cons of choosing synchronous and asynchronous medias to avoid issues resulted from

dispersed workplaces. The skill of time and self-management of team members are also

emphasized to overcome this challenge.

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Top 6 tools and apps that make virtual collaboration possible and easy

We will divide the tools into the following categories: meetings and communication, file sharing,

project management and project feedback.

a. Meeting and communication

Skype is one of the most popular digital tool accessible by most people with an internet

connection. Thanks of Skype people users can instantly connect with land-based phones. Skype

is free to download and easy to use. If you want to have a video call, you just need to connect it

to a webcam and you can make free video calls to anyone in the world as long as they have the

same equipment and a Skype account. Skype for a personal use can be perfect for smaller

companies up to 20 employees, and Skype meetings enable managers to connect with their

team for free.

Slack is a software program that helps businesses,

employees and clients communicate in real-time.

Slack is an instant messaging and collaboration

system. Slack’s channels help you focus by enabling

you to separate messages, discussions and

notifications by purpose, department or topic. When

you need to send a message to one person instead of a group, Slack provides traditional instant

messaging functionality for you to do. Slack offers a “free to use forever” pricing tier and no

matter where you go, you can use Slack through mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows

Phone or also at your desk, for Mac, Windows and Linux.

b. File sharing

Google Docs is a web-based document management application for creating and editing private

and public, word processing and spreadsheet documents. These documents can be stored both

online on the Google cloud and/or on the user’s computer. Access to these files is available from

any computer with an Internet connection and a fully-featured Web browser. The documents

may be viewed by other google groups and members with the document owner’s permission11.

Working on documents with co-workers is easy with Google Docs, and it remains one of the

most trusted collaboration tools available for the modern workplace. Staff members can easily

check a document from their home computer or while traveling.

11 https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13626/google-docs

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c. Project management

Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams track their work. It was founded

in 2008 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and ex-engineer Justin Rosenstein, who both

worked on improving the productivity of employees at Facebook. Asana is a cloud-based project

and task management solution that enables companies and NGOs to manage and organize tasks

and projects, communicate and collaborate. It is helpful for teams and companies that handle

multiple projects at one time, and it can serve organizations of any size. Features include task

management, reporting, automatic notifications, a customer portal, collaboration tools,

dashboards, a mobile application, document management and task assigning. Asana can be

accessed through mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. Important to know

is that Asana is free for up to 15 users. Beyond that, the price band is based on the number of

users a company has. Asana can be integrated with various applications such as DropBox,

Sunrise, HipChat, Slack, Box and Google Drive 12.

Trello is web application

that gives you a visual

overview of what is being

worked on and who is

working on it. The simple

goal of Trello is to help

people track their projects

in a well-organized, user

friendly programme. It

used the Kanban system,

which was developed in

Toyota as a system to keep

production levels high and

maintain flexibility. It is best represented as a whiteboard filled with post-it notes. Each post-it

represents different tasks involved in the project. A board has specific members that can see it

and control the creation and flow of cards between the lists. They can add themselves or others

to cards, begin conversations on the cards, add attachments and create checklists. Women can

also use Trello for their personal projects, like household chores, home improvement projects,

appointment schedules. The best future of Trello is that its interface is completely intuitive even

for those with basic digital skills.

12 https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/asana-profile/

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d. Project feedback

GoVisually develops a visual collaboration tool that enables sales and marketing teams to share

their visual content with their clients to obtain their approval and feedback. It is able to facilitate

multiple projects and design files.

It´s a free program that allows not only designers, but anyone else, to share a project with other

people in an easy-to-use environment that encourages feedback. Unlike most collaboration

programs that only allow for annotations to be made in a straightforward text format, GoVisually

includes many design tools that are found in the most popular software programs, like

Photoshop and Illustrator. Notes can be made using shape or lasso tools, and each new change

is applied as a different layer, so designers can flip back to previous versions while deciding

which changes to accept.

Although the people involved in virtual collaboration are not physically together, they rely on

technology-based products to accomplish many of the necessary project requirements,

including meetings, cross-discipline collaborative project management, and final sign-offs on

business plans. Digital tools can help us do more things more easily, keeping our lives organised,

on time and stress-free.