Digital Storytelling for Participatory Adult Learning – DigiTales

<< Background >>In 2021, 43% of Europeans lack basic digital skills. The DigiTales project was developed in line with the Erasmus+ priority to meet the need of addressing digital transformation through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity among educators and learners. It aims to provide useful high-quality tools for the creation of a non-conventional pedagogy, that of digital storytelling in adult learning. Digital storytelling is an easily accessible method, which is clearly applicable to age and culturally diverse learning populations, however it is far less used in non-formal adult education. The importance of digitally competent, confident teachers and educators has been dramatically brought to light by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which forced educational institutions to find online solutions to replace face-to-face activities. Similarly, the pandemic has had a major impact on further learning and training with the priorities now shifting towards building digital skills, creating new pathways and fostering inclusion. DigiTales therefore responds to this urgent need for upskilling and reskilling vulnerable adults mostly affected by the pandemic.<< Objectives >>By using and adoption of the DigiTales online teaching tools, we wanted to contribute to the continuous and consistent improvement of adult education through building digital skills and competences as well as new learning and teaching methods. In addition to improve the recognition of non-formal education as important and essential in the contemporary EU society and labour market. There were four objectives of the project:1.The development of the competences of adult education trainers and other personnel who support adult learners in diverse sectors and activities, based on European Commission Digital Competencies Framework and Digital Storytelling methods. 2.The promotion of innovative pedagogies and methods for teaching, learning and assessment that support educators and learners to use digital technologies in creative, collaborative and efficient ways. 3.The development of mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of adult learning policies or to track the progress of adult learners i.e. in the articulation of knowledge and information in digital environments.4.The strengthening of adult education trainers’ awareness on the responsible and educational use of digital technologies<< Implementation >>The DigiTales interactive training curriculum led by EUROSPEAK was used by Adult Educators to support basic and literacy development of adult learners. It promoted a) the participatory approaches of developing digital storytelling pedagogies for adult education and b) evaluated learners’ current and future expectations and c) generated new approaches to adult teaching and learning. Modules and parts of the curriculum were translated into all partner country languages. The DIgiTales Online Platform led by RESET provided both target groups and stakeholders with a common space, tools and resources to obtain knowledge and practical experience related to digital storytelling in adult learning. The platform was used as an open virtual learning environment that will support the delivery of the in-service training. The Platform also hosted the project’s website and transform the DigiTales Interactive Training Curriculum (Activity 1) into a dynamic, multi-media resource to make access easier and more attractive to learners. The DigiTales Social Network led by ASPIRE informed stakeholders and relevant actors to adopt the DigiTales method in their context and countries. << Results >>11 virtual transnational meetings were held. A total of 194 target users were directly engaged with DigiTales learning contents as follows1.The Learning outcomes matrix was localised through consultation with 15 adult educators (5 each per partner country)2.The Interactive Training curriculum consisting of 10 modules was transferred onto the Online learning Platform as a multimedia resource and piloted with 33 adult educators and learners (11 Cyprus, 10 Ireland, 12 Germany). 3.Two Roundtables and 3 workshops were carried out reaching a total of 65 target users in Germany (20) , in Ireland (25) and in Cyprus (20).4.Three National Information days reached a total of 81 target users in Ireland (20), in Cyprus (28) and in Germany (33) The DigiTales social media campaign reached a total of 270 members and followers of DigiTales Facebook, Linked In and Instagram groups and 24,570 views on a wide variety of social media and online platforms as follows: Facebook and Instagram (21,531) Linked In (2,569), YouTube (176), Eventbrite (294) which reached relevant individuals and organisations in Europe and the UK promoting dialogue and interaction around digital storytelling in adult education