In LiveElearn project we envisaged trainers currently teaching to adults and senior learners to incorporate in their courses and educational activities information and communication technologies (ICT). The motivation was originated because the most common way of teaching ICT is by tool-centered courses, using computer or internet services, practicing exercises or examples offered by ICT-trainers. This is the traditional way of teaching ICT. It is very convenient on beginners, but as students becomes more competent, it is more convenient to teach ICT as something they use, enjoy, share and allow to create networks; this is the most challenging, and also beneficial, that is why the project is called “Live eLearn”, where electronic-mediated learning could be promoted to keep learning other courses in a more experiential way. Trainers should be capable to adopt ICT to increase the impact of their courses and teaching activity no matter the topic of the course; technology and the network potentiates the acquisitions of digital competences from a very integrated and practical way. By this way of adopting technology, adults and senior learners will keep practicing ICT to be used for activities they enjoy, sharing, co-creating, communicating and using Internet services for an intrinsic need and meaningful purpose. We aimed at extending and developing the competences of the staff involved with non-formal and informal education of senior learners through the effective use of ICT. We promote social inclusion and digital inclusion, active participation and collaboration through innovative ICT-based methods, providing tools for educators for assessment and validation of competences learnt. 6 Methods about how ICT could be included on traditional courses has been produced. Each method includes 2 study cases to shoe how to do that as an example: • Learning by research; discovering and spreading • Blended learning; the best of both worlds • Digital Storytelling for creativity and teamwork • Engaging online handcraft lessons • Walky-talky lessons with digital media and physical activity features • Gamification as a teaching method in community colleges Also, an evaluation toolkit helps learners, trainers and managers in a very different way: • Learners will know their own ICT competence level, their potentialities to improve on ICT and share their strengths with friends. • For trainers, we propose a training method based on their capacities and aims that will foster their learners’ competences. • Managers or coordinators; they will know their organisation digital level and get suggestions: new courses, methods and training activities. • As researcher, they will know how the LiveElearn assessment toolkit works. More information: https://www.liveelearn.eu
Our main aim was to extend and develop the competences of the staff involved on non-formal and informal education of adults and senior learners with the purpose that they could better integrate the ICT in their own courses and subjects, potentiating the learning experience and motivation of their students, while doing a fruitful and effective use of ICT tools and therefore, increasing digital competences on the learners. To reach previous general aim, we stablished following objectives: 1. to create an evaluation tool, methods catalog, plus study cases, so they educators and managers can analyze learners and trainers needs and capacities, propose methods and adopt them and use from a very practical way. 2. to train, facilitate and promote the use or innovative ICT- based methods, experience-based in their own courses and subjects. 3. Thanks to the seamlessly use of ICT in other courses, we will reach learners enjoy while integrate ICT in for more social purposes and soft skills, reaching a better digital inclusion.
Adult and senior citizens education centers are currently offering ICT (Information and Communication Tools) courses to help students reach good competence on specific tools and services, those allow learners to acquire hard skills (as searching, sending mails, using a word processor...) but there is a lack on digital soft skills (that is being able to analyze, compare and integrate information, collaborate, being creative...). There is a shortage on the offer of educational activities that promote those soft digital skills. Our proposal is to deploy educational methods that could be integrated in other courses and subjects, so now the ICT will not be observed as a toot itself, but something that could be used to potentiate their learning experience, while making use of ICT of a medium to reach other aims; we center on the process with the prospect that the learner adopts technology in a more seamlessly way.