MIND THE GAP – a bridge between digital migrants and digital natives

Project Summary

Digital literacy and competences have been proven to be vital nowadays for the individuals as they affect all the areas of life intensely. The channels of social life, personal development and safety, active engagement in citizenship have been changing interdependently with contemporary progresses and alterations. As younger generation assigns their path through digital instruments with ease, elder people have begun to lose their route to follow-up with the rapid changes. Individuals at the age of 55 and above have been referred as “Digital Migrants” since they were born at a time when digital technologies were not widespread which places them at a disadvantageous position when it comes to adapting to the digital competences of the ever-changing era. Whereas people born into digital era have been referred as “Digital Natives” which basically means that they are the “native speakers” of the computers, digital tools and internet. These individuals have clearer insight of change and adapt when the topic is digital era. One of the elements of what departs these two different types of residents of the society is their methods and speed of generating a solution to the current problems of today. Seeing the metaphoric truss spacing between these gens has triggered us to find a way to support these so-called digital migrants. The primary precipitating cause for us to search for a solution was the recent COVID 19 situation. This indeterminate and unpredictable process has led to not only health problems but also social isolation, flaw in daily routines and engaging in active citizenship. Digital migrants need assistance even with the most basic tasks to be managed via digital tools such as arranging doctor appointments, reaching and managing transactions through e-government and ehealth services, digital interaction, online shopping, et. The desolation that come with the pandemic has led digital migrants to loneliness due to their incompetence in digital skills. Meanwhile the digital natives handle these challenges via distant solutions through digital tools, digital natives have mostly failed in speaking a language that they do not know resulting in failure in social inclusion, handling everyday errands and engaging in citizenship through digital tools.

The reason that this project emerged is the incompetence of people across Europe in terms of digital skills, revealed by Adult Education Resolution (AER) by EU Commission. Self-development in terms of digital skills is not only a need for digital migrants but also for adult-learning provider. Adult Trainers have difficulty in transferring skills in which they are competent. For that reason, MIND THE GAP aims to offer customized framework, training contents and tools for both adult trainers and digital migrants to support them in digital skills.

The ultimate formation of the project MIND THE GAP constitutes of the determination of the needs of these digital migrants in terms of setting a framework for contemporary digital skills, developing new learning contents and methods in accordance with this aim, providing an e-learning platform including digital-ed modules and webinars as maps to help digital migrants become active participants in digital environment.

Target Group of the Project:

Coordinator:

• Asociación La Bien Pagá Espacio Escénico - Spain

Partners:

• KIST Consult e.U. - Austria
• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - Greece
• ISTANBUL VALILIGI - Turkey
• Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi dans les Services A la Personne et la Silver Economie - France
• INSTITUTO PARA EL FOMENTO DEL DESARROLLO Y LA FORMACION SL - Spain
• Beykoz Kaymakamlığı - Turkey
• INNOQUALITY SYSTEMS LIMITED - Ireland