Digital4All Project

As we approach the end of 2024, the Digital4All team wishes you joyful holidays and a successful new year! 🎉✨   Reflecting on 2024, we are proud to share some highlights: ☑️ Conducted desk and field research on equity and inclusion in digital learning higher education across Europe ☑️ Finalised the Translational Report ☑️ Developed the Toolkit for Designing Inclusive Digital Learning ☑️ Published blog articles: https://lnkd.in/dscYv3PX (with more on the way!)   What’s next? 🔜 Finalisation of the Digital4All Training Course 🔜 Launch of the e-learning platform and OER repository 👉  Stay connected and be the first to know about our updates—subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/dDJVtPV3   Åbo Akademi University Innovade LI University of Nicosia International Hellenic University University College Dublin ALL DIGITAL #Digital4All #inclusion

The Digital4All research team identified some of the best practices in the area of inclusion and equity in digital teaching and learning across the EU.   💡 These best practices vary in many ways, but they all aim at strengthening inclusion and equity in higher education institutions. They are helpful to many stakeholders in the field, such as policymakers, higher education teachers, and students.   The best practices can be found in the Toolkit, which will be available early next year! 🎉 #Digital4All #inclusion

🎉 Exciting News! The Digital4All Toolkit is ready! 💻✨ This toolkit is designed to help academics, learning designers, and teaching staff create inclusive digital learning environments. Here’s what it includes: 🔹 Self-reflection readiness checklist (SELFIE tool) – A tool to help users reflect on the level of equity in digital learning environments and identify areas for improvement. 🔹 Step-by-step guide on digital inclusion – A practical guide to systematically tackle issues and barriers of equity in digital education. 🔹 25 Best Practices – A collection of successful strategies for promoting inclusion in digital teaching and learning. Follow our #Digital4All project to learn more about how to strengthen equality in digital teaching and learning in higher education institutions. #Digital4All #digitaleducation #inclusivelearning 

Assessment has an important dual role in higher education. It directs students in their studies by shedding light on their strengths and weaknesses. It also prepares students for post-graduation life by setting up standards, which in turn helps them to gain the required skills and knowledge.   As teaching takes place more and more online, assessment methods need to adapt to the changing teaching and learning environment. More importantly, they need to be inclusive and equitable by taking different learning styles into consideration.   How can higher education institutions ensure that their eLearning assessment methods are inclusive for all? Here are some tips:   💡 Create a safe environment in which students can express their different needs in learning.   💻 Whenever possible, offer students different ways of completing a course.   🎯 Take into consideration students’ different digital skills. Give more time to students who are less familiar with online learning.   Want to learn more? Follow us and stay up to date on the #Digital4All project. #inclusion #assessment

Did you know? 🧐The EU is driving digital transformation in education with its Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027! 💻 🖇This policy initiative is making digital learning more inclusive and accessible by supporting the adaptation of the education and training systems of Member States to the digital age. 🖇DEAP encourages online and blended learning to help European Universities increase student and staff mobility, offer flexible and inclusive pathways, and foster interdisciplinary approaches. Its vision? Building ‘connected universities’ across Europe by strengthening their digital infrastructure and capacity🎓🌐. In line with Digital4All, DEAP addresses key challenges in digital education, such as access and skill-building for teachers and students. By enhancing inclusivity and reskilling, it prepares higher education to meet evolving labour market demands💡👨💻. Follow our #Digital4All project to learn more about how to strengthen equality in digital teaching and learning in higher education institutions! #Digital4All #digitaleducation #inclusivelearning

👨🏫Did you know that 5 October is World teacher's day? 👩🏫      On this day, we not only honour teachers worldwide and the fundamental role they play in guiding younger and older generations through the lifelong journey of learning, but also take the opportunity to reflect on the support they need to fully realize their potential and passion, and to reconsider the future direction of the teaching profession on a global scale. 🌎💬   📌Why this day?    This day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. It establishes the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and key standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions. The Recommendation has been regarded as a crucial framework for enhancing the status of teachers to promote quality education.    📌What is the theme for this year teacher's Day?    The 2024 celebrations will focus on "Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education" emphasizing the pivotal role that teachers play in shaping the future of education. It highlights the urgent need to incorporate their perspectives into educational policy and decision-making, not only to address their challenges but, more importantly, to acknowledge and benefit from the expert knowledge and input that they bring to education. 📌Our contribution Digital4all is committed to supporting quality education by promoting equity and digital inclusion in higher education. Our goal is to address the challenges and opportunities in creating inclusive digital learning environments at both the European and national level. 🌐📚 By enhancing the competencies of academics, learning designers, and teaching staff, the aim is to improve and promote quality education. Follow our #Digital4All project to learn more about how to strengthen equality in digital teaching and learning in higher education institutions! #Digital4All #digitaleducation #inclusivelearning

🏫 What do teachers in higher education (HE) think about digital tools? The Digital4All team conducted a survey about inclusion in digital teaching and learning in HE. Over 200 respondents from various European higher education institutions (HEI) shared their thoughts. 📈 The results show that the majority of HEI teachers encourage their students to use digital technologies to communicate and collaborate. In addition, a significant majority of teachers use digital technologies to communicate and interact with their students. Want to learn more? Follow our project and check out our website: https://lnkd.in/dP3epZsJ #Digital4All #digitaleducation #inclusivelearning

👩💻What are the main challenges of digital inclusion in higher education?👨💻 👉Limited access to digital resources in HE. Not all students have equal access to digital tools or reliable internet, especially due to socioeconomic differences. This limits some students’ ability to fully participate in digital learning environments. 👉Addressing students’ diverse needs. Students with specific learning difficulties or disabilities often face extra challenges. Certain digital tools’s features aren’t designed to be accessible for all, limiting their ability to follow the learning process or participate in other school activities. 👉Systematic barriers. While some higher education institutions are moving towards inclusion, many others require additional support to get there. The digital divide —the gap between those who have access to technology and those who don’t— often leads to feelings of isolations, widening the gap in educational opportunities.   👉Inefficiencies in addressing digital inclusion. Adapting to digital learning comes with hurdles, these include assessment methods, exam administration, student selection and admission processes, as well as learner engagement and the adaptation of instructional design for online learning (European Commission, 2020). Many students feel disconnected in digital environments, particularly when they lack access to adequate support services like academic advising, counselling, and peer interaction. 👉Insufficient digital training. Many teachers and staff lack proper training to effectively use technology for teaching and learning, failing to be prepared when transitioning to remote learning. No guidance or support is provided by public authorities on using new technologies in teaching and learning (Eurydice, 2022). Follow our #Digital4All project to learn more about how to strengthen equality in digital teaching and learning in higher education institutions! #Digital4All #digitaleducation #inclusivelearning

The Digital4All Project team in Greece conducted a study on digital inclusion in Greece’s higher education institutions. The study included desk research as well as field research. Here is what the team found out: · Digitalization of teaching is included in the goals of the national strategy for the digital transformation of Greece. · Greek students in higher education experience multiple challenges in using digital services. · Participants in field research state that they consider students’ diverse digital needs when designing courses. · They also argue that they have a need for ongoing professional development to stay current with the latest technological tools and best practices for promoting digital inclusion and equity. · Continuous efforts and collaboration among educators, institutions, and policymakers are important to harness the potential of digital technologies in fostering inclusive education.   Find more about the study here: https://lnkd.in/dpDdMAxQ The IHU Digital4All Project team: Vasilis Grammatikopoulos , Konstantinos Diamantaras , Marina Delianidi , Theodora Margaritopoulou

🔎 How to make digital teaching and learning more universally accessible? The United Nations explore three keys to unlock the power of universally accessible digital teaching and learning: content, capacity, connectivity. Read more on the article below: https://lnkd.in/dBqZyHwX