Improving the Digital Competences and Social Inclusion of Adults in Creative Industries Erasmus Project

Project Title

Improving the Digital Competences and Social Inclusion of Adults in Creative Industries

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

DigiCulture (Improving the Digital Competences and Social Inclusion of Adults in Creative Industries) created a sustainable and accessible online course focused on openness and inclusivity and aimed at low digital skilled adult learners in the creative industries (CI) from Romania, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, UK and Ireland.

The project addressed the low emphasis in CI education on the use of digital technologies, with recent graduates and existing employees lacking important skills. The recent pandemic proved to be especially challenging for CI stakeholders but evaluation of our project suggests that it helped improve digital skills, employability, creativity and marketability.

Its development was based on EU DigComp 2.1, and each course included the development of 2-5 digital competences to at least basic level. The diverse partnership comprised adult education centres from arts, humanities and technical universities, SMEs with expertise in art and eLearning and professionals in eLearning and cultural associations.

The project targeted young unemployed adults, staff and volunteers in European Capitals of Culture, adult workers with low digital skills at all levels in creative industries, actors, artists and volunteers in traditional activities (dancers, painters, wood and ceramic workers), museums, media, architecture, humanities, cultural and heritage organizations, traditional fairs, freelance performers (musicians, actors), members of disadvantaged and minority groups, stakeholders in creative industries, museums, architecture, humanities, adult education centres, universities, associations which support enhancing digital skills, and local and regional associations and departments.
We reached 24.871 individuals from these categories through information and dissemination and involved them in various activities.

All project objectives were fully or partially met:
1.To enhance awareness of the need for training in digital skills for the creative industries
2.To design and validate cross-country Guidelines for Digital Competences for Creative Industries
3.To create an Integrated Virtual Learning Hub as an online and mobile
4.To design, develop and deliver a Digital Skills and Social Inclusion for Creative Industries Course, OER translated into all partners’ languages, delivered as a mix of blended learning course and, a fully online MOOC type course for the target group
5.To improve the achievement and recognition of digital skills through formal and informal learning by introducing Digital Skills e-assessment and Open Badges for adult education in CI
6.To provide engaging and effective learning experiences in the Digital Skills for CI course
7.To enhance collaboration between education providers, universities, cultural and heritage institutions and associations, cultural actors, workers and volunteers
8.To provide evidence about how achievement, assessment and validation of digital skills contributes to the uptake of new skills in creative industries

Outcomes include the DSC MOOC, with 13 modules available in EN, RO, DE, IT, LT, DK, GA (98 courses in 7 languages), available online and through blended learning, the Integrated Virtual Learning Hub including new Open Education Resources (OER) and accessible to people with limited digital skills, and validation through e-assessment leading to Open Badges and Certificates for Digital Skills.

The DSC modules are:
The Internet, World Wide Web and introduction to the digital world
Digital content & Publishing
Data Protection and Open Licenses
Digital Curation – Digital Libraries and Museums
Digital Safety, Security and Ethics
Digital storytelling
Social media for culture
Digital audiences, Digital analytics
Augmented and Virtual Reality – Immersive experiences
Mobile Apps and Mobile User Experience
Digital management in culture
Digital Communication & Presentations
Online and mobile digital media tools (audio-video)

They provided new opportunities for the 1,587 learners involved to access knowledge, gain new digital skills and intercultural competences and improve their chances of finding employment or performing better in their current employment through 1,201 open badges and certificates.

Other results
New OERs created in the DSC MOOCs: 153
NEETs adults trained in DSC: 67
Unique visitors and 102 posts on project website: 6,554
Unique VLH UniCampus/DSC users: 5,637
Self assessments 56,000
Open Credentials (Badges and Certificates) 1,201
Mobile Apps 349 downloads
YouTube views 893
Twitter followers 193
Multiplier events 6
Dissemination events 120
Leaflets or promotional materials distributed 22,470
Published papers in conferences and journals 16
Stakeholders reached 24,733
Transferable initiatives 25
Facebook reach 28,336
Countries reached 60

All DigiCulture tools, courses, resources and materials are under the Creative Commons License, available online https://digiculture.eu/en

Project Website

https://digiculture.eu/en/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 292338 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA TIMISOARA & Country: RO

Project Partners

• NACIONALINE DISTANCINIO MOKYMO ASOCIACIJA
• AALBORG UNIVERSITET
• DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY
• UNIVERSITAET GRAZ
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRE
• JME Associates Ltd
• Fundatia Interart Triade