As more of our everyday lives become digital, from paying bills, to contacting companies and services and keeping in touch with your friends and family - it has become crucial to include everyone in the online world. What type of skills do people need to ‘be digital’? Do different people from different ages and abilities need different types of skills and training? And how can we foresee what skills will be needed for future work? While these questions have been occupying the private sector and policy makers, as more tasks become automated and digitalised they become ever more crucial.
Evidence shows that inequalities in access to and use of digital media have measurable impacts on the life chances, health and economic wellbeing of citizens. The GoodThings Foundation published a report on September 2018 which identified that over 11 million UK citizens lack the basic digital skills they need to participate fully in our digital economy. As the Foundation predicts, by 2028 the UK will lose over £22 billion of value as a direct result of digital exclusion.
Since the introduction of machine learning and artificial intelligence research has shifted to understanding inequalities in complex skills and use. In addition, as ‘fake news’ and misinformation have become common practice by various entities it has introduced new avenues to include in digital literacies. This shift has become key to some governmental digital strategies, such as those of the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and their equivalents around the globe. This conference will bring together academic research with policy makers and stakeholders to review the current state for the art in digital inclusion policy and practice.
The conference will draw upon over two decades of research, policy, and practice. Over this time digital inequalities, digital inclusion and digital literacies have changed in response to developments in digital technologies and media. Though key themes have remained, such as: material and financial access; skills and digital literacy; effective use by citizens and communities; the impact of socio-economic factors; motivation and attitudes; and, more recently socio-economic and socio-cultural variations in patterns of usage. Digital inequities therefore have become an important part of broader persistent issues of social equity and justice.
The primary aim of this conference is to link up international policy efforts to address digital inequalities, access and skills with the outcomes of recent research at from around the globe. The intention being to support sharing best practice and research insights.
The conference will be a mix of invited presentations from policy and research colleagues, along with open paper sessions. For the open sessions we seek presentations that cover empirical research as well as policy and practice interventions, such as:
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Data analysis of levels of digital inclusion/exclusion and engagement
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Studies on the link between misinformation and data literacies
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Studies of the impacts of digital exclusion
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Policy interventions
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Case studies of initiatives and programmes
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Case studies of community impact
Contact
For questions and other inquiries please email Dr. Elinor Carmi - Elinor.Carmi@liverpool.ac.uk
We look forward to seeing you in June!
Venue
The conference will run from 18 June to 19 June at the London Campus of the University of Liverpool, University of Liverpool in London, 33 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1AG: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/london/ – just off London’s “Silicon Roundabout” district: http://www.siliconroundabout.org.uk/ .