RAY DIGI » Research project on the role of digitalisation in youth work and non-formal learning in the context of the European youth programmes
>> Started in 2021
This research project explores the dimensions of digitalisation, document the progress of digitalisation in the European youth programmes, and develop recommendations to strengthen and support digital dimensions in youth work.
RAY DIGI looks into digitalisation systematically and analyse where and how the gap between digitalisation and youth work can be reduced, starting with the context of the European youth programmes. The project is implemented in close co-operation with the strategic co-operation project (SNAC) on Digital Youth Work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.
Aims & Objectives
The key objectives of this research project are to
- explore aspects of digitalisation in young people’s life of relevance for youth work, and approaches to integrate such aspects into youth work practice;
- explore national youth policies and strategies, as well as national youth work frameworks, and map their approaches to digitalisation in youth work;
- explore approaches to integrate digital environments into non-formal learning environments and analyse their strengths and weaknesses;
- explore hybrid learning environments and methodologies that mix and remix digital and analog ways of learning and analyse their strengths and weaknesses
- analyse the effects of exclusively digital, hybrid, and exclusively analog learning environments on accessibility for young people with fewer opportunities;
- map the support needs of European youth work bodies, groups, networks and organisations for successfully engaging with digital and online youth work, in particular in the context of the European youth programmes.
Research Questions
Core research questions:
- What are the key gaps between the relevance of digitalisation in young people’s life and its trailing translation into youth work practice, and how can they be reduced?
- What are the competences necessary for youth workers to add meaningful digital dimensions to their work with young people, and how can youth workers be supported to develop these competences?
- What are the competences necessary for youth workers to enable young people to competently deal with the digital dimensions of their lives, and how can youth workers be supported to develop these competences?
- How can youth work be supported to build and discover a unique character for non-formal learning in online environments?
Further Information
- Which aspects of digitalisation in young people’s life are relevant for youth work, and how can European youth work integrate these aspects into its practice?
- How can digital environments be integrated into non-formal learning environments, and what kind of support would be needed for that?
- How can digital and analog learning in youth work be mixed and remixed, combining their respective advantages and strengths to their mutual advantage?
- Which effects do exclusively digital, hybrid, and exclusively analog learning environments have on accessibility for young people with fewer opportunities, and what are options to make these environments fully inclusive?
- Which kinds of support does European youth work need to better respond to the digitalisation in young people’s life and change youth work practice accordingly, in particular in the context of the European youth programmes?
- Which competence frameworks are relevant for youth workers seeking to add meaningful digital dimensions to their work with young people, in particular in the context of the European youth programmes?
Module 1: Thematic module for RAY COR survey
Multilingual thematic module for the RAY COR survey exploring approaches to digitalisation, their consequences for non-formal learning environments in youth work, and their effects on accessibility. This mapping will feed into all work packages of the strategic co-operation project on digital youth work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.
Module 2: Mapping of youth (work) frameworks
Mapping of national youth (work) policies and youth (work) strategies and their approach to digitalisation. This mapping will feed into Work Package 1 of the strategic co-operation project on digital youth work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.
Module 3: Interviews on digital competence frameworks
Interviews with the core developers of digital competence frameworks, exploring how these frameworks have been used so far, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how digital youth work frameworks can be developed or improved. These interviews will feed into Work Package 2 of the strategic co-operation project on digital youth work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.
Module 4: Mapping of (self-) assessment tools
Mapping of self-assessment tools of relevance for digital youth work, their approaches to self assessment, the competences they cover, and the competence framework they rely on, if any. This mapping will feed into Work Package 2 of the strategic co-operation project on digital youth work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.
Module 5: Case studies on digital youth work
Case studies of approaches to digital work with young people, including in the context of the European youth programmes but also from outside the youth sector, exploring successful approaches, formats, methodologies and settings to working with young people in digital learning environments. These case studies will feed into Work Packages 3 and 4 of the strategic cooperation project on digital youth work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.
Module 6: Thematic module for monitoring surveys
Multilingual thematic module for the RAY monitoring surveys (RAY MON & RAY SOC), exploring digitalisation in youth work. This module will be developed towards the end of the research schedule, and will be informed by this research project as well as the strategic co-operation project on digital youth work of Erasmus+ Youth NAs.