This ePractice.eu workshop takes place against a background of intensified effort by public authorities and other stakeholders to address issues around digital literacy and e-competences. A key element of the Riga Ministerial Declaration approved in June 2006 involved setting agendas and targets to reduce by half gaps between the EU average population and certain groups at risk of exclusion due to factors like accessibility and lack of skills. In particular the Riga Declaration highlighted not only the fact that a significant proportion – some 41% of citizens - were below the minimum digital literacy level but also the fact that certain groups showed much lower than average levels of literacy, notably people older than 65 (only 17% digitally literate), economically inactive (27% digitally literate), and people with low education (35% digitally literate).
THE WORKSHOP
This workshop provides a timely opportunity to bring together policy-makers, experts and practitioners in the field of digital literacy in order to explore key issues and problems, share information and experiences and contribute to ongoing intellectual, policy and practice agendas. Three themes of particular relevance to digital literacy have been selected to provide a platform for discussion:
- Content and delivery, focusing on questions like: which organization and institutional structures – for example telecentres; schools – best support different kinds of digital literacy needs and learning scenarios? what kinds of pedagogic models and approaches best support the different needs and scenarios? what kind of partnerships are necessary to support digital learning initiatives? how can e-competences be assessed and accredited?
- Usability and accessibility, focusing on questions like: how can technology design be effectively adapted to support different learning capacities? what kind of user involvement in technology design is desirable and how can it be supported? what cost-effective issues need to be considered?
- Motivation and sustainability, focusing on questions like: what motivational barriers are inhibiting the acquisition of e-competences for ‘hard to reach’ groups and how can they be overcome? what is the role of ‘intermediaries’ in reaching the ‘hard to reach’? how can digital literacy connect with, and be supported by, initiatives in other e-sectors like health, employment, lifelong learning and government e-services? how can communities of users be created and supported?
Each theme will be illustrated in the workshop with reference to a relevant case study presentation. These presentations will be followed by three interactive discussion groups that will further explore the three themes and their respective issues in the light of the cases presented, and supported by the insights and experiences of workshop participants themselves. Workshop participants are encouraged to consider the themes and questions posed by the workshop, and to be prepared to bring to the table their own views and perspectives.
FEES
Registration is now closed
Attendance is free of charge. If you are not yet an ePractice member, before signing up for the workshop you need to register.
ACCOMMODATION
Participants are offered the possibility to book accommodation at L'Esplai hostel in Barcelona at a special rate: 50€ single room (45€ for students max. 26 years old). You may book online here. Please ensure that you cite the following code in the Observations area: "Workshop EU. Practice European Commission".
