Trust in Truth: Digital Literacy in a Post-pandemic Time

About the Project

Trust in Truth: Digital Literacy in a Post-pandemic Time (2021-1-DE04-KA220-YOU-000030309) is an Erasmus+ cooperation project that aims at advancing both the professional and personal development of youth workers and building capacity of partner organisations.

Young people across Europe today are facing diverse challenges; youth work, in all its forms, can serve as a catalyst for empowerment. Young people must know the difference between a trustworthy and untrustworthy source. Once they master the informal logic approach, it will significantly increase their ability to analyse media content and draw their own conclusions. Young people will gain a deeper understanding of the information they have found. Digitally literate youth workers can contribute to close the digital divide and advocate for change and seek innovative solutions by using the project results.

Objectives and Approach

The project Curriculum, coupled with the Web-app, serves to enable differentiation in the youth work setting in order to meet the needs of all learners. The Web-app enables front-liners to give their target groups a choice in the kind of activities they take part in. It is especially important in diverse youth work settings in which young people are bringing different cultures and social backgrounds into the mix. Hence, the youth workers need to make thoughtful cultural platforms and appropriate technology choices. In this way, youth workers will be able to address real-world problems and make learning accessible for youth of all backgrounds.

This cooperation partnership project consists of four stages: planning, preparation, implementation and follow-up. The implementation stage includes:

Activities

1. Management Activities

• Creation of Management plan
• Monitoring and quality evaluation plan
• Communication plan
• Risk assessment plan
• Promotion and dissemination plan
• Sustainability plan

Four transnational project meetings and frequent online meetings were organized. The kick-off meeting established face-to-face personal contacts. Partners discussed all steps of the project and tasks, addressed foreseen results of the project regarding the target groups, and elaborated a concrete plan about regular contacts and how to match the stakeholders' needs. The mid-term evaluation meeting allowed fine-tuning of the created curriculum and digital literacy practices for the Web-app and addressed the achievements done so far on a local level. The evaluation meeting had an important role for analyzing materials for the Web-app, with partners sharing feedback received from the participants of local activities they organized. The final meeting concluded and summarized the whole project with the aim to prepare a final report.

2. Training Courses

Two training courses were organized. The first training course focused on practical examples of using digital literacy tools. The goal of the activity was for trainees to develop their digital competence. Participants learned how to shape innovative digital literacy workshops and integrate them into their daily work. They also went through content analysis cases that examine argumentation, specifically how social media intentionally or unintentionally create disinformation. The second training course included an exchange of ideas, professional competences, methods and practices on media and multimedia roles in NGO work.

3. Development of Results/Deliverables

Prior to the development of the curriculum and the Web-app, there was a research phase in order to select the best options for work on the content of two outcomes. Partners created digital literacy practices which were used for future project activities and included in the curriculum and Web-app.

4. Local Activities

Training, workshops and study visits for youth workers and young people were organized. Local activities included promotion of the project and cooperation with associated partners. Most importantly, there was testing of the curriculum and the Web-app involving youth workers, young people and associated partners. This allowed partners to receive feedback from potential users and include it into the development of the final version of project results.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation were implemented regularly during the whole project. There were evaluations of all mobilities, local and dissemination activities, as well as mid-term and a final evaluation of the whole project.

6. Promotion and Dissemination

Promotion and dissemination started before the project proposal was selected for funding and continued after the end of the project. There were offline and online activities and multiplier events in six countries.

Results and Impact

All the activities of the project were designed in an accessible and inclusive way and were open to people with fewer opportunities. The project incorporated the use of digital tools and learning methods to complement physical activities, and to improve cooperation between partner organisations.

By implementing this project, partners ensured young people have better access to reliable information, support their ability to evaluate information critically and engage in participatory and constructive dialogue. This was done by the application of activities and methods from the Web-app. The multiplier effect of this project contributed to the visibility and recognition of non-formal education, frameworks on digital competences of education and the Erasmus+ Programme.

Dissemination and follow-up activities raised awareness about contemporary challenges, fostered international cooperation and gave opportunities to explore what the Erasmus+ Programme provides in order to encourage the personal and professional development of youth workers and building capacity of organisations to work transnationally and across sectors in Europe and beyond. This project facilitated networking and synergy between youth organisations.

The project Web-app and Curriculum (available in multiple languages including Estonian) provide ongoing resources for youth workers and organizations working on digital literacy with young people.