In the past few years, global crises have affected society and the adult population in many ways. How have digital transformations and technology supported the adult learning sector in recovering from these crises?

The global crises experienced in the past few years have changed our operating environment extensively in terms of social interaction, the economy, work as well as learning. The change has been accelerated simultaneously by technological developments and the progress of digital transformations in society. In connection with these changes, the role of competence such as basic digital skills has been highlighted strongly among the adult population.

What kind of impacts have the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting other challenges had on the adult population and adult learning? Alongside accelerating the change, how have digitalisation and technologies also supported recovery from the crises?

In 2023, we will publish a series of articles in EPALE. The articles will discuss the progress of digital transformations in the adult learning sector in the light of topical societal issues. This article provides tools for improving crisis resilience and promoting recovery with the help of digitalisation in the adult learning sector.

For the article, we interviewed Leena Pöntynen, Director of Skills and Competence at Technology Industries of Finland, and Merja Sjöblom, Accelerator of Digital Skills at TIEKE Finnish Information Society Development Centre.

New competence needs of adults

The crises and development trends concerning society often affect the adult population and the learning needs of adults directly through the job market. Over the past few years, especially the digital and technological competence needs have proved to be topical and diverse.

“There are needs ranging from basic skills in digitalisation to highly advanced technological competence,” describes Sjöblom.

In addition to the internationally strong competence in digitalisation and the data economy, the cooperation between the public, private and third sector is strong in Finland. However, according to Finland's Digital Compass, success is challenged by “the low amount of ICT investment aimed at increasing productivity, a shortage of skilled professionals, marginalisation and the changes in operating culture and paradigms required by digitalisation”. At least two of these, marginalisation and the transformation of the mindset required by digitalisation, can be influenced through targeting the provision of adult learning and collaborative learning.

As a result of the crises, more attention has now also been paid to cybersecurity competence and the training for it. Adult learners should also be offered opportunities to improve their information processing skills, such as media literacy, the importance of which has continued to increase. In addition, adults need tools for navigating the changes in the economy.

“The developing technology must also change the pedagogy,” notes Leena Pöntynen.

Competence and competent people central to recovery

In addition to basic digital skills, the building of society after the crises is about matching the need for digital competence and people with that competence. To respond to the lack of competent people pointed out by the Digital Compass, the sector also needs strong specialist ICT expertise from abroad. The diversity of society and working life in turn contributes to whether competent people from other countries and their families engage in society in Finland.

Learning the language fast increases the person's functional capacity in society, but engagement often requires the experience of inclusion, as well. The importance of the language training offered in adult learning with regard to achieving the proficiency sufficient for working and the importance of the community gathering together to learn are also emphasised in this respect.

The digital skills themselves are also considered to promote employment and social and societal inclusion. In addition to the strengthening of competence, the persons interviewed also mention the verification of competence in their responses.

“When you think about immigration leading to employment, the verification of competence in the country of origin is important from the point of view of responding to the lack of competent people”, Pöntynen remarks.

When we reflect on why so many of the Ukrainian refugees managed to begin studies in higher education in Finland very quickly, one of the most important factors was successful study guidance, in which lessons learnt from previous refugee crises were made use of. Guidance can be facilitated, for example, by using ChatBot platforms to answer the most common questions and then guide the person to a suitable service. 

The development of the competence of a large group of people requires learning that is independent of place and time and can be promoted through online learning and learning games.

“At the moment, the development is towards learning in small pieces, which is supported by YouTube videos and learning games,” Merja Sjöblom explains.

Both interviewees consider personal encounters and finding a balance between technology and the human side important. To enhance language proficiency, digital competence, cybersecurity, media literacy and financial skills, it is essential to find and create places in which learning can take place. According to Sjöblom, libraries and either contact or remote workshops are examples of shared places of learning.

In addition, Pöntynen highlights the interoperability of data interfaces and the transfer of data as important issues. They contribute to how an individual can transfer information related to their competence from one place to another.

Data utilisation, analytics, enterprise architecture and cybersecurity skills are digital and technological aids that increase sufficient understanding of the operating field and the impacts of changes. Data mining, artificial intelligence and future scenarios may be helpful in the anticipation of the needs of working life and in the planning of training. Anticipation and outlining future scenarios will also contribute to preparedness for sudden crisis situations.

Digital solutions to competence and training needs

In Finland, work is currently done to create digital services and an enterprise architecture for the verification of competence. Directing people to education and training is promoted by distributing information in several languages, and groups vulnerable from the perspective of continuous learning, immigrants, over 55-year-olds and persons with a low level of education are supported, in particular. For example, the digital services and data resources maintained by the Finnish National Agency for Education and the development of a system of digital services for continuous learning, led by the Ministry of Education and Culture together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, provide help in finding education and training and in identifying prior learning.

One good example of the digital solutions developed for anticipating skills needs is Osaamispulssi, which has been developed by Technology Industries of Finland in cooperation with other parties. The solution originates from an expert need study conducted using data analysis and artificial intelligence. The data used in the study consisted of a huge number of job advertisements, final projects and research publications. 

Osaamispulssi can be utilised both in the strategic management of companies and in the planning of education and training. Another advantage of Osaamispulssi is the opportunity to examine what shortcomings there are in education in the short term, while companies can use it in the long term to profile themselves strategically.

“An example of how Osaamispulssi can be utilised is Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, which changed its learning plan process because they want to be pioneers in how real-time the education they offer and the material they use are,” Pöntynen explains.

In the Competitive Skills project, a national set of competence badges administrated by TIEKE was in turn created to enhance and verify digital competence.  The competence badges are already used by VET students, in working life, and by employed and unemployed adults. In addition to the project, digital basic skills have also been addressed in several other projects, often in cooperation with the companies of the sector. As an additional example, Pöntynen mentions FINSKU, the open learning material for learning Finnish for Ukrainians, created by Technology Industries of Finland together with Reactored and other parties.

“Is the public education and training system agile enough to react and, for example, to produce learning material in crisis situations?” Pöntynen reflects.

As for Finnish learning technology solutions, Pöntynen and Sjöblom have noticed technology solutions being used in adult learning at least in connection with learning contents, learning games, management systems, learning environments, learning a language, the STEAM pedagogy as a whole, coding and analytics both in businesses and in educational institutions. Education technology companies have been listed by theme in maps such as the Edtech Finland and the European Edtech Alliance maps.

There are also international frameworks for defining digital competence, such as DigComp, ESCO and DigCompEdu. The DigComp framework has been used to define the digital basic skills in vocational education and training, for example. As a goal, the promotion of digital transformations is international as such, as it is used to seek solutions to matters such as climate issues, to promote the learning of new skills, to create new jobs and to enable the participation of all people in democratic life.

The author Reetta Paloheimo (MSc, MA) has worked as a teacher of adults and in the field of digitalisation at the Finnish National Agency for Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture. She describes herself as a constant learner who utilises her competence on both the logical and the artistic side. Reetta works as a specialist in education (Kooppi asiantuntijapalvelut) in cooperation with educational institutions, education technology companies and actors in education administration. 

LinkedIn: ReettaPaloheimo

WEB: kooppi.fi

For more information, contact:

EPALE National Support Service (epale (at) oph.fi)

Reetta Paloheimo/Kooppi (reetta.paloheimo (at) kooppi.fi)