14 Feb Digital4All – Building the capacity of universities to develop digital strategies to serve all learners
14 Feb, 2024
Europe is home to close to 5000, higher education institutions, 17.5 million tertiary, education students, 1.35 million people teaching in tertiary education and 1.17 million researchers (Eurostat, 2022). Universities play a critical role in achieving the European Education Area. Diversity, inclusiveness, and gender equality in the higher education sector have become more important than ever. A recent report by Eurydice (2022) “Towards equity and inclusion in higher education in Europe” highlights the need for universities to train their staff in more inclusive practices and using digital tools to support learners across Europe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions across Europe had to switch to distance education; half of the students’ world population was forced to learn via a partially or fully virtual mode (UNESCO, 2021). Existing inequities among learners within education systems intensified and were doubled. Vulnerable and minority students with diverse backgrounds in terms of gender, ethnicity, financial status, abilities, and educational needs, are still suffering from digital exclusion, having limited support to deal with the additional obstacle of remote learning (OECD, 2020).
To date, though, there is a lack of strategic plans through holistic systemic approaches and practices (EC, 2022; Rumbley, 2020; UNICEF, 2021) for developing digital HE systems that are resilient and cater to the needs and well-being of disadvantaged groups. Upon the aftermath of the pandemic, the digital mode of teaching remains, in the format of blended, online, and distance learning. The European University Association’s vision for 2030 directs towards universities “designed in a holistic way to accommodate the different needs of a diverse university community and allow for flexible and blended approaches” (EUA, 2021, pp. 5-6).
To respond to the emerging needs, Digital4ALL project aims at strengthening universities’ readiness, faculty and staff’s skills in supporting all learners to equally participate in digital learning experiences.
The project will support higher education institutions in offering digital learning experiences that are inclusive and equitable for all, through appropriate strategies and practices.
Digital4All aims to:
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- Build the competences of academics, learning designers, and teaching staff in designing inclusive elearning courses.
- Develop a Toolkit, a training course, and an online OERs repository on designing digital inclusive curricula in higher education
- To raise awareness on the need to be inclusive in the new digital era
- Improve the supply of quality digital higher education opportunities for all
The project supports a digital transition where participation of all students is established, especially those at risk of marginalisation due to diverse needs, with resilient educators in terms of the digital and pedagogic competences needed to provide student-centred experiences.
Main results:
- Toolkit with 25 best practices, a practical guide and self-assessment checklist
- Training course with pilot implementations with more than 100 HE staff and academics
- E-learning platform with online course and more than 50 OERs
- General awareness raising throughout EU about how to use Universal design to tackle digital exclusion in HE
- Improved competences of HE faculty and staff to follow inclusive practices during digital teaching and learning
Project partners:
Abo Akademi University (Finland)
University of Nicosia (Cyprus)
University College Dublin (Ireland)
