Ireland - AONTAS: Online Disinformation Workbook Developer

Description

AONTAS – Digital Citizens Strengthening Communities Training Initiative – Application for an Online Disinformation Workbook Developer AONTAS are the Irish National Adult Learning Organisation of Ireland, founded in 1969 and passionately working ever since to make education equal and accessible for all. Backed by our robust research and focused community work, we advocate and lobby for quality education for all adults and raise awareness of the impact of adult learning on people’s lives and on society. We work on behalf our members, who connect with all communities across the island of Ireland. Our members and adult learners inform all our research and campaigns for social change. The AONTAS Strategic Plan “Leading Collective Action for Social Change”: 2023-2026 is informed by principles of: social justice, feminism, partnership, valuing diversity, advancing equality and supporting social inclusion. Championing these principles and acting as a cooperative, trusted, critical friend to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation, Research and Science, we continually strive to offer work of the highest quality. We engage with learners and educators from further education and training, community education and higher education on a daily basis, affording us key insights into practice. We have expertise in educational equality and we advocate strongly for community education, as the most inclusive, yet underfunded part of the education system. AONTAS membership includes organisations and individuals committed to educational equality for adults: over 400 members [including all 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), over 100 community education organisations, adult learning/access departments of Higher Education Institutions, social justice NGOs, educators and learners across the Island of Ireland]. Project outline AONTAS will use an integrated curriculum and change-oriented approach to enable marginalised group participation and build digital capacity. The activity workbook will be delivered to several different groups identified as susceptible to receiving disinformation. The emphasis of the activity workbook will be on the promotion of digital competencies to ensure participants engage with digital technologies in a critical, collaborative and creative way, and understand how disinformation can impact on the human rights of ethnic minorities. As a result of this project, the adult and community education sector will be better equipped to address racism arising from online disinformation with a free, accessible and community driven training tool. Aims and objectives Project aim The overall aim of Community Education Against Disinformation – An AONTAS adult learning programme is to co-create a community education activity workbook addressing issues of online disinformation. The workbook will support providers in promoting solidarity and inclusion for diverse communities living side by side. Disinformation is on the rise in Ireland, evidenced by the escalation in anti-migration protests and the Dublin riots in recent months. Racist disinformation underpins challenging discussion amongst learners in education centres across the country. AONTAS’s network of over 400 members indicates strong demand in the adult education sector to address these challenges. This is further supported by AONTAS’s local and national research. The project will build practitioners’ capacity to address disinformation and racism in the classroom, fostering changes in learners’ understanding of how disinformation impacts the human rights of ethnic minorities. Project objectives – relating to online disinformation workbook developer role In conjunction with AONTAS, carry out desktop research to understand the needs of each target group in relation to online disinformation and decipher how to best incorporate a safe learning environment for practitioners and tutors delivering the workbook to learners. Facilitate consultatory workshops with adult and community education practitioners and learners representing marginalised groups to decipher specific needs of each target group regarding disinformation. Develop an activity workbook which improves on information navigation skills and understanding of online manipulation for participants with lower literacy levels and create awareness of the impact of disinformation on affected communities. Present project draft to the AONTAS working group and advisory group and incorporate their feedback into the final design. Please see document attached below for further information. Closing Date for Receipt of Application The closing date is 20th September, 2024 at 5pm. Any applications received after this time and date will not be considered for adjudication. Application Submissions Application submissions should be emailed to: recruitment@aontas.com Further Information For further queries please contact AONTAS research officer and project lead, Aisling Meyler – recruitment@aontas.com

Opportunity closing date

20 September 2024

Value of contract

to be confirmed