SMART Generation – Smartphone potential and educational resources for young generation Erasmus Project

Project Title

SMART Generation – Smartphone potential and educational resources for young generation

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The smartphone is the personal media that has become more widespread among children in the last decade. However, the use of this device without adequate precautions exposes them to various risks. The specific objective of the SMART Generation project was then to develop an innovative training model able to promote a conscious use of the smartphone and to stimulate a public debate on the role of digital technologies in the process of constructing the quality of social relationships between young people and between generations.

In particular, the project has reached the following sub-objectives:
• Investigate the way educators/teachers and young people from different European Countries use smartphones
• Develop, test and transfer to different European territories an educational model able to develop competences for a conscious use of the smartphone
• Help young people to develop critical thinking and educate them to properly and constructively “live” these tools as aware producers
• Spread a culture of collaborative learning between schools and extra –school environments through cooperation and exchange opportunities
• Promote confrontation with policy makers, stakeholders and experts to reflect on the necessity of smartphone education and necessary conditions to make it effective

Main project activities were: analysis of the training needs of young people and educators/ teachers about smartphone; development of an educational model on the conscious and critical use of smartphone; testing of the pilot path through workshops of Media Education in schools and extra-school environments; elaboration of Policy Recommendations on smartphone education; creation of an e-learning platform and dissemination of these outputs through 2 multipliers events.

Main targets were educators/teachers and non-formal groups of young people from 12 to 19 years old. SMART Generation involved a high number of people coming from different Countries: 2.180 people in the research activity and 1.669 in the testing phase.

The partnership is made of 6 organizations coming from 5 EU Countries (Italy, Spain, Romania, Latvia, Belgium):
– Centro Ferrari (IT), deals with economic, political, cultural, historical and social dynamics at local and international level. It created “In-ForMedia”, permanent centre for education to communication means
– Cibervoluntarios Fundation (ES), which uses new technologies as tool to encourage social innovation and citizens’ responsibility
– ANFMR (Asociatia Nationala a Femeilor din Mediul Rural) (RO), manages a secondary school specialised on new technologies
– Ligzda Organization (LV) is active in non-formal education, supports the development of trasversal competences and civic and social participation
– EAEA (European Association for the Education of Adults) (BE) is a network with 142 members from 44 Countries and is particularly active in the integration of innovative concepts on adult’s education
– Solidarci (IT) works in the field of culture, active citizenship, education on key competences and has a wide experience in European projects involving innovative methods of formal and non-formal education.

Main project results are:
– increased knowledge on training needs of educators/teachers and young people on the critical and responsible use of smartphone, also for educational purposes
– developed pedagogical model on smartphone education
– raised awareness and skills of educators/teachers and young people on the critical and responsible use of smartphone, also for educational purposes
– developed an analysis about effectiveness and efficiency of the pedagogical model
– elaborated policy recommendation to support an effective smartphone education
– made materials available to replicate the intervention

The project impact resulted in:
– creation and consolidation of relations among and with formal and non-formal education thanks to the participative path at local level
– increased sensitivity of educators/teachers concerning the role of smartphones in the life of teenagers and augmented capacity to use this device for educational purposes
– different perception among young people of risks and potentialities of smartphones
– amplified educational offer on smartphone education
– consolidation of a European partnership interested in these topics, possibly enlarging also thanks to networking activities realized at local and European level

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 166248,69 Eur

Project Coordinator

Centro culturale Francesco Luigi Ferrari & Country: IT

Project Partners

• SOLIDARCI
• FUNDACION CIBERVOLUNTARIOS
• EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF ADULTS
• Jauniesu organizacija “Ligzda”
• Asociatia Nationala a Femeilor din Mediul Rural