In our latest TeachNet Learning Podcast , Dr Michael Hallissy speaks with Maria Ward and Eoin Flood from Educational Services to Prisons and City of Dublin ETB about an exciting new QQI Level 4 Special Purpose Award in Digital Citizenship for adult learners, including those in prison education.
To start Maria and Michael discuss the vision behind its development and how they’ve endeavoured to future-proof the programme’s relevance in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Eoin, then details how the programme is structured with eight units designed to support learners to confidently navigate our increasingly digital society by providing them with the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies to be responsible, informed and reflective digital citizens, as individuals and in their communities. He also explains how the development of these skills can act as a primer to further studies in many areas and can help towards gaining employment.
Maria continues and explains the accreditation process and how the close collaboration between City of Dublin ETB and Donegal ETB was pivotal to its success in addition to QQI’s support to swiftly move on the accreditation process. Eoin quips ‘That the real work starts here’ as he and Maria detail how they hope the programme will rollout including the awarding of micro-credentials and also how it might be adapted across various learning cohorts and environments. To conclude Michael commends their innovative work in developing this Special Purpose Award and how it aligns with the European Union’s Digital Education Action Plan.
Find out more at the Digital Citizenship Resources Hub (Donegal ETB)