Introduction
'Digital inclusion', a term coined in the late 1990s, amounts to far more than simply providing convenient access to computers and the internet. It describes efforts to help ensure everyone is able to understand and enjoy the benefits that the internet has brought to modern life. As government services progressively move online, digital inclusion involves citizens knowing that these facilities are there, why they are handy, how to use them... and actually using the services. Issues for Government
Here are three digital inclusion questions to consider:
- How do you give the 35 per cent of the population who have never used the internet the chance to benefit from eGovernment services?
- How can you engage existing internet users in making use of all your hard work developing eGovernment services? (So far only 17% of the population do)
- What other benefits can digital inclusion deliver for government?
Our work evaluating community-based computer learning centres suggests answers to all of these questions. Here we will look at one approach.
Getting people involved with ICT
In 2000, the Government began the launch of a network of thousands of ICT learning centres with the aim of helping people to acquire the skills and confidence to participate in the opportunities of the electronic age. Many of these were college learning centres or private sector training centres that were brought under the UK online brand.
However, the Government also recognised that many people, particularly in deprived areas, were not likely to use the ordinary UK online centres. So, they funded in the region of 5,000 special centres, mostly in disadvantaged communities. These were charged with taking a more proactive approach in order to reach those who might well have thought that ICT just wasn’t for them. Recognising different starting points
The first thing the centres had to recognise was that people who are not using ICT are at different places in their levels of interest:
- Some people were familiar with computers but wanted to learn a lot more
- Some knew they were missing out on something – communications with family, job opportunities, being able to help the kids use the home computer – but didn’t know where to start without help
- Some people came along to the centres to do something else – make use of free childcare, get job advice, learn a non-IT hobby – and came across the ICT learning opportunities
- Some people had no intention whatsoever of learning about ICT and thought it wasn’t for them. But outreach workers knocked on their door, engaged their interest and gave them lots of encouragement. So they came along and liked what they found.
The more funding, partnership-working and initiative the centres had, the further down the scale of these groups they could reach. Those that just provided the centre reached the first group and maybe the second. Ones with good partnership working and creative programming reached the third. But centres who were highly proactive and involved in the community were able to engage that final group.
The last two groups are among the 19 per cent of the population who told the National Omnibus Survey in 2004: "I've never really considered using the internet before and I’m not likely to in the future."
Making it easy to learn about ICT
These centres were designed to reach people that mainstream computer courses weren't reaching. So how did they do it? It's all about comfort and user-friendliness.
The centres are part of the community
The centres are part of the community, both in location and in attitude. Their staff are very friendly, approachable, supportive and patient. Courses are generally free or very cheap and in smaller stages, so there is less to commit to; you can even drop in and just ask for help. Class sizes in the centres are smaller – sometimes only a few people – so learners are comfortable to ask questions. These often become a social experience as well as a learning opportunity, so coming along improves people’s lives in more than one way. The learning is geared to what’s relevant to people’s lives and fun with a strong ethos of boosting people’s confidence and letting them learn at their own pace. Ideally centres also offer internet access so those who don’t have access at home can keep making use of their new skills.
Does the centres' approach work?
They attract people who wouldn’t learn anywhere else
Our user surveys found 40 per cent of people using the centres had not participated in any formal learning in at least five years. Many, particularly older people, had had such bad experiences at school that they had thought they wouldn’t be learning again.
The centres attract people lacking skills and confidence with ICT
Half of users in libraries (where people also come just to use the internet) and around three quarters in other types of centres weren’t confident with ICT before they came. Around a third of users came with no ICT skills or experience at all before.
The centres boost people’s confidence
Nine out of ten of centre users felt their confidence had improved since coming to the centres – even those who had just dropped into a library to use the free internet access.
Centres do get people using ICT. Of users who were brand new to ICT when they came to the centres, six to nine months later:
- 84% had typed and printed a letter
- 70% had sent an email
- 70% had used the internet to do research for hobbies or interests
- 43% had tried desktop publishing, and...
- 37% had used eGovernment services.
Across the UK, almost half of all centre users surveyed had used eGovernment services. Rather more successful than the 17 per cent across the wider population.
So what’s the lesson to government for getting more people online?
As you can see, these centres have been a powerful tool for reaching people who would otherwise have let the internet and all your work on eGovernment services pass them by. But their funding is running out in many cases and few have strong links with their local authority or government departments.
To make the most of what they have to offer, find out where your local centres are and how you can support and work in partnership with them.
Related Links
- To find local centres in England, click on www.ufi.com/ukol/.
- For more information on the CALL and UK online centres, see the evaluation reports:
- CALL Learning Centres Evaluation, Second Interim Report, Hall Aitken for the Big Lottery Fund (PDF Document: 187KB)
- Evaluation of CMF-funded UK online centres, Hall Aitken for DfES (PDF Document: 665KB)
Quelle: eGov monitor, 17.06.2005
