1. DAIN is a digital inclusion project in the East Midlands of England run by the WEA (the UK’s main independent adult education provider) with match-funding from the European Social Fund. It is a research project and thus is learning about what will and won’t work as it goes along. DAIN has been running in seven areas: Nottingham, Leicester, Chesterfield, Lincoln, Mansfield, Buxton & High Peak, and Kettering & area.
I got involved because I was unemployed, had IT skills which were not being used except for myself, and had always wanted to do work to help other people, but had never found an area which involved something I actually wanted to do or was good at. When I heard about DAIN I realised it would combine these two interests, and I have found it very fulfilling for that reason.
2. I would like to see what is different in other countries, in this case Belgium. I would like to learn about any approaches or methods we have not tried here that we could possibly copy, also what a different society shows about the specific patterns and limitations of our own society and approach to IT and digital inclusion. In addition we might find things we can teach them.
The DAIN project is about digital – IT inclusion by encouraging people to use technology. This is about making technology appear more user friendly and relevant to everyday uses, improve peoples lives and being used to connect communties.
As a person with family and friends accross the world. I hope to learn about how projects in other nations promote digital inclusion accross local, regional, national and social boundaries.
1. DAIN is a digital inclusion project in the East Midlands of England run by the WEA (the UK’s main independent adult education provider) with match-funding from the European Social Fund. It is a research project and thus is learning about what will and won’t work as it goes along. DAIN has been running in seven areas: Nottingham, Leicester, Chesterfield, Lincoln, Mansfield, Buxton & High Peak, and Kettering & area.
I got involved because I was unemployed, had IT skills which were not being used except for myself, and had always wanted to do work to help other people, but had never found an area which involved something I actually wanted to do or was good at. When I heard about DAIN I realised it would combine these two interests, and I have found it very fulfilling for that reason.
2. I would like to see what is different in other countries, in this case Belgium. I would like to learn about any approaches or methods we have not tried here that we could possibly copy, also what a different society shows about the specific patterns and limitations of our own society and approach to IT and digital inclusion. In addition we might find things we can teach them.
My name is Linda and I am hopefully going on the trip to Belgium. Today I have been at the Broadway Studios in Nottingham for the first session of the Eurolink 2011. I have meet my fellow travellers and have started to get to know them. I will be making additional blogs as I go on this exciting new journey to discover how Brussels deals with the different problems of digital exclusion
My name is Robert J. and I want to tell others what DAIN stands for and means for people in England what its aims are and who it wants to include. I want to encourage others to get on board with it because I am also an activate perticipant. I see it as an effective tool for people to overcome their fears and misconseptions about I.T. in a very user friendly way.
What I hope to get out of learning from other projects in Belgium and Europe is to begin to gain a greater understanding of some basic commonalities and differences in learning about ITand its
everyday practical applications between people in the England and other European countries.
The DAIN project is part of the UK’s approach to getting everybody online. It is a research project that allows volunteers to engage digitally vulnerable community members. Funded by the WEa and ESF it is providing a lot of facilities and help to merge communities through digital inclusion.
I approached DAIN with the intention to enhance my credentials. I continue to volunteer with DAIN as I have picked up and will gain other skills and knowledge, such as confidence building, communication skills, increased awareness of communities and society in general. Overall, I like to participate with something worthwhile that will benefit myself and others.
2. Hopefully, my experience in Belgium will either confirm reasons/theories for strategies undertaken in the UK or will either bring attention to areas the DAIN project may be missing. Either way the study trip will provide ammunition for discussing change to the project if necessary. I am particularly interested in sustainability abroad and hope we will see how digital inclusion affects the economy in Belgium.
Wow, what a day! The two hour drive from Buxton started through a foggy Peak District and ended with getting lost in the low-sun dazzled urban hell that was Nottingham town centre on a beautiful summer’s day. We dashed on foot through the town in the vague direction of the Lace Market, and eventually found someone who knew where the Broadway was. Once settled into our seats and introductions made the real hard work started. I was introduced to new people, words, concepts, ideas; it was a lot more cerebral than I could possibly have imagined. I was concentrating hard all day long and still came away feeling I’d missed more than I understood. A great day, like a long distance mental bike ride, it left me exhausted but exhilarated. Even the coffee was good. I look forward to next week, which I hope will be less foggy – both mentally and meteorologically.
My name is Andria Birch and I am the DAIN project manager. What interests me particularly are the innovative examples of good practice that have been developed by our colleagues in Belgium to support specific target communities, and how we may be able to apply these back in the UK.
The group of Digital Activists who form the study trip team have a very impressive range of skills and experiences which will all contribute to making this a very effective phase in our action research project. . I’m really looking forward to the rest of the journey!
Hi Neil, details in our draft programme on the Study trip training page. But we also hope to hear from more projects through responses to the questions on the home page of this blog.
Finally arrived in Nottingham for our 3rd training session, looking forward to getting to grips with the difference between posts, comments and reply in WordPress!!
I am Ian Baker and I want to look at the wider issues of Digital Exclusion and how the projects that we visit fit into Brussels, Wallonia and the Belgian state’s policies on the subject. With Europe’s economic difficulties spreading, will these lead to funding issues ? What happened after the 2008 crisis ? Will we see a repeat of this part of history ? A change caused by learning from these events ? Some commentators note that Brussels success is down to the highly educated workforce. If this is true does Britain’s problems dwarf Belgium’s ? Does Belgian’s lack of a government help or hinder the situation ? How many questions can I answer in four days ? Especially with so many, interweaved with a fast moving news story.
Very interesting day today discussing our aims on the study trip and some background information about Belgium. I’m realy looking forward to the trip.
1. DAIN is a digital inclusion project in the East Midlands of England run by the WEA (the UK’s main independent adult education provider) with match-funding from the European Social Fund. It is a research project and thus is learning about what will and won’t work as it goes along. DAIN has been running in seven areas: Nottingham, Leicester, Chesterfield, Lincoln, Mansfield, Buxton & High Peak, and Kettering & area.
I got involved because I was unemployed, had IT skills which were not being used except for myself, and had always wanted to do work to help other people, but had never found an area which involved something I actually wanted to do or was good at. When I heard about DAIN I realised it would combine these two interests, and I have found it very fulfilling for that reason.
2. I would like to see what is different in other countries, in this case Belgium. I would like to learn about any approaches or methods we have not tried here that we could possibly copy, also what a different society shows about the specific patterns and limitations of our own society and approach to IT and digital inclusion. In addition we might find things we can teach them.
The DAIN project is about digital – IT inclusion by encouraging people to use technology. This is about making technology appear more user friendly and relevant to everyday uses, improve peoples lives and being used to connect communties.
As a person with family and friends accross the world. I hope to learn about how projects in other nations promote digital inclusion accross local, regional, national and social boundaries.
Aammer
1. DAIN is a digital inclusion project in the East Midlands of England run by the WEA (the UK’s main independent adult education provider) with match-funding from the European Social Fund. It is a research project and thus is learning about what will and won’t work as it goes along. DAIN has been running in seven areas: Nottingham, Leicester, Chesterfield, Lincoln, Mansfield, Buxton & High Peak, and Kettering & area.
I got involved because I was unemployed, had IT skills which were not being used except for myself, and had always wanted to do work to help other people, but had never found an area which involved something I actually wanted to do or was good at. When I heard about DAIN I realised it would combine these two interests, and I have found it very fulfilling for that reason.
2. I would like to see what is different in other countries, in this case Belgium. I would like to learn about any approaches or methods we have not tried here that we could possibly copy, also what a different society shows about the specific patterns and limitations of our own society and approach to IT and digital inclusion. In addition we might find things we can teach them.
attempt #2, as guest LOL
My name is Linda and I am hopefully going on the trip to Belgium. Today I have been at the Broadway Studios in Nottingham for the first session of the Eurolink 2011. I have meet my fellow travellers and have started to get to know them. I will be making additional blogs as I go on this exciting new journey to discover how Brussels deals with the different problems of digital exclusion
My name is Robert J. and I want to tell others what DAIN stands for and means for people in England what its aims are and who it wants to include. I want to encourage others to get on board with it because I am also an activate perticipant. I see it as an effective tool for people to overcome their fears and misconseptions about I.T. in a very user friendly way.
What I hope to get out of learning from other projects in Belgium and Europe is to begin to gain a greater understanding of some basic commonalities and differences in learning about ITand its
everyday practical applications between people in the England and other European countries.
The DAIN project is part of the UK’s approach to getting everybody online. It is a research project that allows volunteers to engage digitally vulnerable community members. Funded by the WEa and ESF it is providing a lot of facilities and help to merge communities through digital inclusion.
I approached DAIN with the intention to enhance my credentials. I continue to volunteer with DAIN as I have picked up and will gain other skills and knowledge, such as confidence building, communication skills, increased awareness of communities and society in general. Overall, I like to participate with something worthwhile that will benefit myself and others.
2. Hopefully, my experience in Belgium will either confirm reasons/theories for strategies undertaken in the UK or will either bring attention to areas the DAIN project may be missing. Either way the study trip will provide ammunition for discussing change to the project if necessary. I am particularly interested in sustainability abroad and hope we will see how digital inclusion affects the economy in Belgium.
Wow, what a day! The two hour drive from Buxton started through a foggy Peak District and ended with getting lost in the low-sun dazzled urban hell that was Nottingham town centre on a beautiful summer’s day. We dashed on foot through the town in the vague direction of the Lace Market, and eventually found someone who knew where the Broadway was. Once settled into our seats and introductions made the real hard work started. I was introduced to new people, words, concepts, ideas; it was a lot more cerebral than I could possibly have imagined. I was concentrating hard all day long and still came away feeling I’d missed more than I understood. A great day, like a long distance mental bike ride, it left me exhausted but exhilarated. Even the coffee was good. I look forward to next week, which I hope will be less foggy – both mentally and meteorologically.
My name is Andria Birch and I am the DAIN project manager. What interests me particularly are the innovative examples of good practice that have been developed by our colleagues in Belgium to support specific target communities, and how we may be able to apply these back in the UK.
The group of Digital Activists who form the study trip team have a very impressive range of skills and experiences which will all contribute to making this a very effective phase in our action research project. . I’m really looking forward to the rest of the journey!
Can you tell us what the innovative examples of good practice are?
Hi Neil, details in our draft programme on the Study trip training page. But we also hope to hear from more projects through responses to the questions on the home page of this blog.
Finally arrived in Nottingham for our 3rd training session, looking forward to getting to grips with the difference between posts, comments and reply in WordPress!!
I am Ian Baker and I want to look at the wider issues of Digital Exclusion and how the projects that we visit fit into Brussels, Wallonia and the Belgian state’s policies on the subject. With Europe’s economic difficulties spreading, will these lead to funding issues ? What happened after the 2008 crisis ? Will we see a repeat of this part of history ? A change caused by learning from these events ? Some commentators note that Brussels success is down to the highly educated workforce. If this is true does Britain’s problems dwarf Belgium’s ? Does Belgian’s lack of a government help or hinder the situation ? How many questions can I answer in four days ? Especially with so many, interweaved with a fast moving news story.