In the population aged between 25 and 64 years (population of reference statistics) is relevant the presence of functional illiterates, or lowed skilled, people who can read and write but who cannot develop a critical thinking and have difficulty understanding simple texts (InfoData Search). Non-digital natives, moreover, have difficulties in facing anxieties or fears about the use of the computer, to express doubts (Jimoyaiannis research, Gravani 2011), but overcoming these difficulties can have important repercussions from the social point of view, for the effects of inclusion (or exclusion) that they involve. In relation to the fact that for the population of reference of the statistics the training is non-formal and informal, it was decided to develop a project to create a "Laboratory of knowledge" in which each person can freely express their "knowledge" that can be filled with the support of a teacher / mentor and / or colleagues themselves, with a methodology similar to the study circles. The general objectives of the project are to identify best practices to improve the digital knowledge of lowed skilled and non-digital natives and to promote the adoption of best practices in the network of partners and stakeholders concerned. The specific objectives are to: -Elaborate a White Paper on best practices; -Create a knowledge laboratory for the application of good practices; -Disseminate the results of the project on the Internet; -Disseminate project results to adult education centres. The project is addressed to direct users who are the trainers and teachers of education and training institutions and to the final users who are the lowed skilled people, the non-digital natives and the social partners and enterprises involved in adult education. Methodologies used: The objective of the project is to produce a white paper in which innovative methodologies for the implementation of a "laboratory of knowledge" for new technologies are explained. To achieve this goal, the project activities will be developed this way: research phase - reflection on research - training activity - reflection on training activity - White Paper. The expected results for the structures that deal with education/training are: - Promoting innovation in adult education through the use of new training methods illustrated in the White Paper; - Improve the participation rate in vocational training of people excluded from the knowledge society. The expected results for the end users (lowed skilled and non-digital natives) consist of: - to make the participants in the knowledge laboratory discover their own attitudes and the desire to know the new technologies without any worry; - to make the participants aware about the possibility of rediscovering and developing the skills possessed. The project will impact on direct participants, participating organisations, indirect participants and stakeholders in terms of methodological improvement, raising general standards of service, increasing the effectiveness in managing training pathways for functional and non-native digital illiterates, contributing to the improvement of access to employment opportunities in relation to the acquisition of skills related to the use of new technologies.
With the implementation of the project, we wanted to identify best practices for improving the digital knowledge of low-skilled and non-digital natives and in promoting their adoption in the network of partners and stakeholders involved. This is why we wanted to draw up a white paper in which we would present a model of a "New Technology Knowledge Lab" based on new training methodologies and in which we would apply the best practices that the research carried out by the partners had highlighted. In addition, with the realisation of the project, we wanted to disseminate the innovative methodologies to adult education centres so that, with the application of the new methodology, people who until now were unwilling or unable to do so could be brought closer to the new technologies.
In the population aged between 25 and 64 (the reference population for the statistics) there is a significant presence of functional illiterates, or low skilled, people who can read and write but cannot develop critical thinking and have difficulty understanding simple texts. The InfoData research showed that Italy has 28% of functionally illiterate people, Turkey 47%, France 22%, Poland 19% and Finland 11% Non-digital natives also have difficulty in dealing with anxieties or fears about using computers, to express doubts (Jimoyaiannis, Gravani research), but overcoming these difficulties can have important repercussions from a social point of view, for the effects of inclusion (or exclusion) that they entail. It is precisely for this type of person that we wanted to develop a project to create a 'Knowledge Laboratory' in which each person can freely express their 'non-knowledge' that can be filled with the support of a teacher/mentor and/or colleagues themselves, with a methodology similar to study circles.