final conference workshop 1: practices - facilitator: guntram geser

Links-up Final Conference, Budapest, 22 September 2011

Learning 2.0 for an Inclusive Knowledge Society – Understanding the Picture

Links-up Final ConferenceLinks-up Final ConferenceBudapest, 22 September 2011Budapest, 22 September 2011

Web 2.0 for Social Inclusion: Bridging Web 2.0 for Social Inclusion: Bridging Practices and Policies Practices and Policies

Workshop 1:Workshop 1:PRACTICESPRACTICES

Facilitator:

Guntram Geser



Focus and main question

• Focus: Web 2.0 and social inclusion – practices (good and bad ones)

• Main question: What works with whom under which conditions?



Web 2.0 and social inclusion

• Hypothesis: Web 2.0 (Learning 2.0) can support social inclusion

• Yet, very small evidence base – mainly case studies of projects – e.g. Links-up 24 case studies

• Projects are experiments with intervention concepts



Intervention concepts

• Main focus: Re-engagement in education, vocational training, LLL– Learning (i.e. acquisition of competences) is

understood as a strong driver of social inclusion

– Requires active engagement (discipline) by individuals

– Important basis of employability and participation in social life



• Some related focus points– Develop alternatives to traditional educational

settings (Notschool)– Promoting creative activity (Roots & Routes)– Vocational orientation and job finding (MOSEP) – Counselling young people in critical situation

(Cyberhus) – Strengthening deprived communities and

minorities (Web in the Hood, Savvy Chavvy)



Web 2.0 practices – major issues

• Overcome resistance of organisational cultures – ingrained mindsets and working paradigms of professional communities (schools/teachers, social workers, youth offending teams,…) – Requires commitment and support by management– Need to show that there are also benefits for the

organisation and professional staff– Involve trusted third parties and intermediaries



• Web 2.0 tools per se do not drive inclusion, participation and learning – In the first place social barriers to participation must be

addressed– People - and organisations - must be convinced that

social activity and learning on the Web is worth the effort – Need to build trust and achieve buy-in by leading

community members (e.g. migrant communities)– Peer mentoring can help drive participation and

outcomes



• Get clear about appropriate methods and tools– Avoid approach of “build it and they will come”

– Initial lack of e-skills always requires a “blended” approach

– Also promotes social relations and sharing of experiences among participants

– Can then be extended and enhanced by using Web 2.0 tools

– Usage of tools must be reflected thoroughly (simple tools vs. scaleable platforms)



• How to demonstrate impact– Often difficult in projects with hard to reach groups

under the pressure of funding regimes– Involve relevant third parties and multipliers

systematically (e.g. local cultural centres and media)

– Document interventions and results regularly– Present role models of success – help convince

target communities, organisations and sponsors



Discussion

Does Web 2.0 support social inclusion?

PRO CON



• PRO– It can empower people to express themselves,

have their voices heard– But, avoid “intervention concepts” for Web 2.0

• Example from participant from Romania (G8WAY project): young Roma people do not really feel to be socially excluded, they have a strong sense of belonging to their social community

– Yes, it can support, but people need “stability” of learning 2.0 environments like in traditional learning settings (though not the same)




• PRO continued…– Need appropriate design approaches ->

participatory design! – Yes, but projects need to be more ambitious

and serious about what they promise to deliver




• CON– Depends on the “intervention concept” used– Time to tell the EC this paradigm does not work– People still afraid of the technologies, because

they change too quickly– Projects need to be more innovative




Contact

Join the LINKS-UP Community @ www.links-up.eu

Dr. Guntram Geser, MTM

Salzburg Research, Austria

[email protected]

final conference workshop 1: practices - facilitator: guntram geser

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