A Pathway to Digital Inclusion: The Role of Digital Taste in Adult Basic Education Courses

• In Event: Digital Literacy in Adult Education

Abstract

Objectives: In Germany, one in eight adults is low literate (Grotlüschen et al., 2019). Due to profound mediatization, participation in society requires not only basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but competencies in using digital media are equally fundamental (Couldry & Hepp, 2016; Koppel & Wolf, 2021). But people with low literacy in particular tend to have lower skills in using digital media compared to literate individuals (Buddeberg & Grotlüschen, 2020; Wicht, Reder & Lechner, 2021). At the same time, adults with low basic skills and low-income earners have particularly low participation rates in continuing education (OECD, 2021).
The digital divide is intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which digital media is relied upon to sustain educational pursuits. Often, low-literate adults lack the necessary technical and content experience (Buddeberg & Grotlüschen, 2020). Accordingly, ideas that adequately address digital preferences of learners and thus motivate them to participate in adult basic education courses are gaining importance (Koppel & Langer, 2020).
But how can digital inclusion be promoted in adult basic education courses?
Theoretical framework: The sociological concept of the Digital Taste according to Reder (2015) provides the theoretical framework for this. Reder used PIACC data to derive a four-step Digital Inclusion Pathway, in which the Digital Taste can be seen as playing a certain key role.
In the presentation, the individual stages of the pathway will be placed in the context of the current state of digitalization and related to current results from the GediG project (funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research).
Methods: Included in the analysis are quantitative and qualitative data from online questionnaires with course instructors (n=34) and course participants (n=74) of adult basic education courses as well as online interviews with course instructors (n=11) and course participants (n=8) in 2021. The online questionnaire for learners was equipped with a video sequence for information about the project and privacy policy, as well as a read-aloud function and icons for better understanding. Both questionnaires were subjected to reliability testing and communicative feedback. The quantitative data were analyzed via SPSS. Eleven interviews with course instructors and a total of eight course participants were interviewed in focus groups and individual interviews. These surveys were conducted with the inclusion of special stimulus material suitable for the target group and examined for their suitability via piloting. Audio recordings of all interviews and focus groups were transcribed according to pre-established guidelines and subsequently anonymized. The qualitative data were analyzed via qualitative content analysis with MAXQDA.
Conclusions: The focus of the presentation will be on the Digital Taste and the thesis will be put forward that the Digital Taste represents a condition for success for the promotion of digital literacy. As it can be assumed that the development of the Digital Taste is not yet sufficiently supported within adult basic education, considerations will be made as to how the knowledge gained from the overall project can be transferred into a didactic orientation framework for adult basic education.

Author

• Sandra Langer, University of Education Weingarten
  Presenting Author