Wales EAAL Impact Forum Adult learning and Technology

17th April 2015

Susan Easton

Head of Digital Learning

NIACE’s work as UK coordinator

• National and international webinars, learner and provider surveys

• Identified barriers to use of technology for learners, tutors and providers

• Developed resource kit for self organised learning groups.

Digital Learning and Digital Skills: Landscape

The Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC, 2013) found that an average of 14.9% of adults across OECD countries possessed either no or basic levels of ICT competence.

Digital skills for employment: By 2015, 90% of jobs in the EU will need at least basic computer skills

Around half of adults in the UK do not have these skills

62% of employers concerned about the level of IT skills in their current workforce.

Digital Skills for Life In the UK, approximately 9.5 million people aged

15 and over, do not have Basic Online Skills Cannot use technology to communicate, find,

retrieve and publish information, while keeping safe online - essential skills to participate in 21st century society

Less likely to manage their finances and access cheaper products and services.

More likely to suffer from isolation, have lower incomes, be disenfranchised and have children who underachieve at school.

More likely to be socially disadvantaged. Impacts on them, their communities and families,

democracy, public services and the UK’s economic and social health.

Digital Skills for Tomorrow’s World UK Digital Skills Taskforce, July 2014"Internet use and Loneliness in Older Adults, Sum et al., CyberPsychology and Behavior, Vol 11 No

2, 2008Livingstone, S., and Helsper, E. J. (2007): Gradations in digital inclusion: Children, young people and

the digital divide. New Media & Society, 9: 671-696.Scottish Government, Digital Participation in Scotland: Review of Evidence, 2011

Digital skills for employment• Range from generic to specialist skills

for specific occupations. • More advanced digital skills – can build

and create• Without digital skills, less likely to

find, gain and sustain employment. • By 2015, 90% of jobs in the EU will

need at least basic computer skills

 and over half the UK workforce will require more than basic digital skills  

• Around half of adults lack these• 62% of employers concerned about the

IT skills of the current workforce

Digital Skills for Tomorrow’s World UK Digital Skills Taskforce, July 2014"Internet use and Loneliness in Older Adults, Sum et al., CyberPsychology

and Behavior, Vol 11 No 2, 2008Livingstone, S., and Helsper, E. J. (2007): Gradations in digital inclusion:

Children, young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society, 9: 671-696.

Scottish Government, Digital Participation in Scotland: Review of Evidence, 2011

Across the divide. Tackling digital exclusion in Glasgow. Carnegie Trust, April  2013

Digital Skills for employment

The House of Lords calls for improvement in careers advice and recommends connections between digital skills providers and employers to “future-proof young people”

Report identifies importance of higher level digital skills for employment, for those in work as well as those seeking employment

Select Committee on Digital Skills (2015) Make or break: The UK’s Digital Future p.44

 

Digital skills for learning

• Many adults without basic digital skills have had little formal education or achieved little educational success in earlier life.

• Technology could transform their access to learning, overcoming geography, physical condition and finance and changing what, where, when and how they learn.

• Technology could also present barriers. As more learning moves online, many who could benefit most from learning could be left behind.

 OxIS 2011 Report: Next Generation Users

 

Digital skills and community learning

• Adult learning has a good track record of delivering basic digital skills to marginalised learners

• Community learning uses multiple approaches to digital inclusion, which have been effective in overcoming barriers to digital participation

• What then?

Adult learning – potential for learning technologies

• Widens engagement and reach• Increases participation with large scale online

learning e.g. MOOCs• Personalised learning• Increased learner autonomy• Different models of learning – self directed, flipped

classroom etc• Different support models – peer support, virtual

support etc• Different models of course development e.g. Open

Educational Resources

NIACE’s work as UK coordinator

• Webinar polls, surveys• Identified barriers to use of technology: access and

support for staff development• Developed resource kit for self organised learning

groups. • NIACE (2014) Self Organised Learning

http://www.xtlearn.net/p/sol

Questions to the Forum Community learning providers and practitioners are keen

to increase their use of learning technologies. However they have identified barriers including those of lack of staff capability, resource and support. What are the views of delegates and how should these issues be addressed?

Are forum members aware of any further examples of technology use by Self Organised Learning Groups? What are these and how effective is that use? How would forum members use / adapt the SOL online toolkit?

Adult learning providers have a good track record of delivering basic digital skills to marginalised learners, but lack institutional support, resources and connectivity. How could this be addressed to ensure learners progress their skills and what partnerships would help?

Thank you for watching

Produced by NIACE 2015Shared Under Creative Commons 4.0 BY-NC-ND

Susan Eastonsusan.easton@niace.org.uk

@susaneaston

www.niace.org.uk@niaceHQ