Fostering literacy in educational technologies in youth work training

<< Background >>Through consulting, aufZAQ and HYWA learned that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a short-term increase in digital educational activities in the youth sector. It became clear that the necessary digital competences were often only developed temporarily and rarely integrated sustainably into the structures of organisations. This is where our project came in: we aimed to systematically collect, prepare, and make existing digital learning formats and tools accessible to a broader audience. At the same time, existing knowledge and developed skills were to be anchored in organisations in the long term, and the digital competences of trainers strengthened in a targeted manner to prevent this expertise from being lost.Another key need relates to the lack of formal recognition of youth work in Austria and Greece. There are hardly any standardised educational pathways for youth workers, meaning organisations depend on external support for knowledge transfer and the exchange of good practice. Our motivation was to provide sustainable impulses for the professionalisation of youth work through this project – in particular by developing high-quality, low-threshold digital learning opportunities for both full-time and voluntary youth workers.<< Objectives >>The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for digital learning opportunities in the youth work sector. Many education providers lacked the knowledge and tools to offer effective digital learning environments. With this project, we aimed to strengthen digital competences in youth work education by preserving existing knowledge, promoting good practice, and supporting the sustainable integration of digital tools. Our goal was to collect practical examples from youth work organisations in Austria and Greece that already use digital learning tools. Based on these findings, we developed a manual on digital tools and didactics and tested it in pilot workshops with youth work trainers in both countries. The course material and resources were made accessible to other trainers through online platforms. Through this project, we aimed to build the digital skills of trainers, promote good practice, and facilitate mobility in non-formal youth worker education. In addition, we supported organisations in preserving digital knowledge and advocated for the advantages of digital learning such as flexibility and accessibility. The project also contributed to the recognition of youth work and highlighted innovative learning approaches.<< Implementation >>1.Development of the Training Manual:-Country Analysis: Five interviews conducted with education providers from the field of youth work in Austria and Greece-Creation of three tutorial videos-Concept and Development of an accompanying website (quality indicators, digital tools, good practice, decision assistant, code of conduct) 2.Implementation of Pilot Workshops and Development of a Prototype Train-the-Trainer Programme: -Development/ implementation/evaluation of pilot workshops In Austria: One face-to-face workshop, One online workshop (20 youth workers and trainers); In Greece: One face-to-face workshop (20 youth workers and trainers) -Additionally, parts of the workshops were recorded, and participant experiences were documented-Development of a concept for an interactive, self-paced online course:Building on the trainer’s manual, the tutorial videos, the short videos featuring trainers’ experiences, workshop recordings, and feedback from the pilot workshops, a concept for an interactive online course was developed3.Dissemination of Results:-Publication of the Online Course on the HOP SALTO Learning Platform & MoodleCloud-Dissemination: various communication and outreach activities were implemented << Results >>•Country analysis, 10 conducted, transcribed, and analysed interviews with youth organisations and education and training providers in Greece and Austria •Publication of a Trainer’s Manual for education and training providers on digital learning opportunities and digital tools. The manual can be accessed via the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform.•Workshop reports for the pilot workshops in Austria and Greece. The reports document the workshop procedures, collected feedback, and suggestions for improvement. (Reports attached)•Publication of the interactive online Trainer’s Manual on a dedicated project website: https://lettra.aufzaq.at/ (in German and Englisch) •Three video tutorials, demonstrating three selected digital tools. (https://www.youtube.com/@aufzaqzertifizierung8069/videos ) •Eight AI-assisted short videos: insights from experts in the field of youth work on digital teaching/learning. (https://www.youtube.com/@aufzaqzertifizierung8069/shorts)•Publication of a self-paced online course. The course is available on the SALTO HOP learning platform and MoodleCloud. (Links on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform)•Comprehensive dissemination activities (overview of dissemination activities attached)