European Union, European Social Fund Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment

Indie

We comprehensively develop the skills of teachers, instructors and coaches to operate in digital environments together with their clients.

The project is finished.

The exceptional circumstances caused by the Corona virus, and in particular the increased need for teleworking, have highlighted the inequalities in society caused by the different levels of basic digital skills that have already been observed. Some students, learners, and trainees remain digitally obscured at all levels and in organizations that provide guidance.

For example, a person in need of special support is often already within the limits of his or her cognitive tolerance, even in a normal guidance situation. Even the small additional load brought on by digital devices and systems easily causes the person being controlled to skip the entire control process. Similarly, students have widely highlighted the disadvantage that the increased e-learning caused by the corona has increased the workload of students in many cases already unbearable. Interruptions in studies are more likely than during pre-corona conditions.The customer base of the project implementer Parik consists of a very wide range of customers, whose starting points and relationship with digital services are at very different levels, even divided in two. On the other hand, there are those who have some barriers to using digital devices or services, and similarly, those whose inherent operating environment is specifically online. The most common barriers are a lack of skills and the necessary equipment, financial barriers to acquiring them, and negative attitudes in general.

Both South-East Finland University of Applied Sciences and Parik have identified the need to develop a remote coaching model that works from a user perspective in order to better meet different service needs and develop customers’ work and study skills. In addition, there is a need to support the skills of job and individual coaches in digital and remote control skills, especially in the intermediate labor market. It is also important to build an understanding of the application of information technology, especially in coaching work, so that coaches are able to use participatory and customer supportive methods also in the digital operating environment.

The European Union’s Accessibility Directive lists a wide range of technical requirements for online services and content provided by public organizations. The directive focuses very much on the technical features and requirements of digital media. This poses two levels of problems for developers of digital services covered by the Directive. The wide range of technical requirements makes the production of services and content increasingly technically challenging. An even more important observation during the preparation of the project is the fact that focusing on the implementation of the technical requirements of the Directive means that the whole pedagogical guidance process is not viewed from the perspective of inclusiveness and equality.

Goals & results

The main goal of the project is through inclusive pedagogy and accessible learning

  • increase the participation of under-represented groups in vocational training, polytechnics and the intermediate labor market

and as a sub-objective using the same methods

  • improve the study ability, motivation and working life skills of the persons involved
  • enhance and improve their transition to education and employment.

At the heart of the project are multidisciplinary service design workshops developing the whole of inclusive digital pedagogy. They develop the whole process of digital teaching and guidance from the user’s point of view.

The workshops will be preceded by a preliminary study and an overview of the current situation of digital systems from the perspective of inclusive pedagogy

The concrete results implementing the project objectives are:

  • Solutions to increase inclusion in digital learning
  • Handbook on digital pedagogy design principles
  • A shared virtual digital pedagogy laboratory
  • A model for expanding the digital pedagogy laboratory partnership

As a long-term effect, the inequality and exclusion created by digital systems will decrease, the drop-out rate for students and trainees will decrease, and equality in teaching and coaching will increase.

Project name:

INDIE – Inclusive Digital Pedagogy Design

Project duration: 1.5.2021–30.4.2023

Info

Lead partner: Kaakkois-Suomen ammattikorkeakoulu
Partial partners: Parik-säätiö sr
Focus area: Digital economy
Research centre: Creative industries

Budget

Financier and main source of funding: Hämeen ELY-keskus ja Euroopan sosiaalirahasto
Total budget: EUR 267 765
Xamk part of the total budget: EUR 198 150

More information

Minna Porvari
Project Manager
minna.porvari@xamk.fi