Teaching coding and mobile devices in telecentres

Context/background:This project was based on the long-standing experience of the participating organisations in developing training courses for end users and training e-facilitators, as well as on the identified needs for developing training courses on coding and mobile devices in telecentres. These too topics were demanded by the end users, and were especially relevant for young jobseekers. E-facilitators (educational staff in telecentres) needed to be prepared for teaching these courses. The partners had been experienced in developing a comprehensive curriculum with 11 modules for capacity building of e-facilitators in two previous projects. Objectives:The overall objective of this project was to improve the delivery of key digital competences in telecentres. This objective was two-fold: on one hand, we wanted to develop the digital competences of unemployed youth people through innovative introductory courses on coding and mobile devices. On the other – to enhance e-facilitators’ competences by training them how to deliver these courses. Number and profile of participants:We involved 17 e-facilitators from 4 countries who participated in blended learning mobility including face-to-face training and online learning experience. They were trained to teach coding and mobile devices according to the curricula for e-facilitators, which was developed for this purpose. Additionally many other European e-facilitators did benefit from the online learning resources, which was part of the curricula and was made available on the CodeMob online platform, presented at the final event, and described in the final Toolkit. More than expected, 125 young job seekers took part in the pilot trainings in four countries, led by the trained e-facilitators.Description of activities:The activities were related to the achievement of the main intellectual outputs:- Needs analysis and mapping of existing curricula for teaching coding and mobile devices;- Drafting of needs analysis and existing curricula reports;- Developing curricula for end-users on each topic;- Developing curricula for e-facilitators on each topic;- Carrying out the face-to-face training course for e-facilitators;- Carrying out the online learning activities for e-facilitators;- Organising curricula validation workshop with other Telecentre Europe members;- Carrying out pilot trainings with end users;- Stock-taking, refining of the curricula and producing the final outputs;- Developing and publishing a 'How to?' Toolkit for other organisations; - Organising a final event for valorisation and exploitation of the two courses.Methodology:CodeMob achieved its objectives by designing two new courses on coding and efficient use of mobile devices for telecentres. Each course followed the same approach and consisted of two parts: 1. Training curriculum for end users and 2. training curriculum for the e-facilitators to train them how to teach those courses in telecentres. Each course was developed by two field partners – one in charge of the training curriculum for end users and the other of training materials for e-facilitators. E-facilitators were trained in both courses during a one-week face-to-face training and a follow-up online training course. The development of the curricula was preceded by a needs analysis and followed by a validation workshop and piloting with end users. Both courses were piloted with end users in all four participating countries (Belgium, Croatia, Spain and Hungary). Results and impact:The main results of the project are two training courses – on coding and on the use of mobile devices – and the benefits that come with them. The project equipped the four partner organisations with structured programmes for teaching coding and mobile devices, which were added to their training offer. E-facilitators increased their capacity of teaching coding and mobile devices and exchanged good practices with other e-faciltiators teaching those topics in telecentres. The project increased the knowledge of unemployed young people (the end users of the courses) on the two topics, equipping them with new skills, which would help them to find employment, and possibly motivate them to pursue an ICT career by giving them a “taste” of the numerous possibilities that ICT offers. Potential longer-term benefits:The long-term desired impact of the project on the European level is that telecentres are recognised as innovative trainings hubs, capable of catching up with the latest developments in digital economy and teaching digital skills as transversal skills in an accessible way to their specific target groups.