The Digital Immigrants Survival Kit (DISK) project was an Erasmus+ Adult Education initiative that focused on strengthening the digital competences of adults, particularly so-called “digital immigrants” — adults who are disadvantaged in society due to limited digital skills and low participation in digital environments. The project addressed the growing need for digital inclusion and aimed to support adults in becoming active, independent, and confident participants in modern digital society. Through innovative adult education approaches, the project contributed to reducing digital exclusion and improving access to lifelong learning opportunities.
Objectives
The main objective of the project was the development, implementation, testing, and evaluation of a comprehensive Digital Immigrants Survival Kit (DISK) consisting of 15 practical training modules covering digital competences related to everyday life. The modules addressed essential digital skills required for communication, information access, participation in society, and digital problem-solving.
A central pedagogical element of the project was the application of Flipped Learning 3.0 as an innovative adult learning methodology. The project combined multimedia-supported self-learning, collaborative learning processes, and competency-based approaches to create flexible and accessible learning opportunities for adults with different educational backgrounds.
Another innovative aspect of the project was the development of a competency-based self-evaluation system using self-evaluation mandalas, enabling learners to reflect on and assess their own digital competence development in a visual and learner-friendly way.
Deliverables and Results
The project also developed:
- a comprehensive competence map,
- a transferability and implementation guide,
- pilot learning activities,
- Open Educational Resources (OERs),
- and sustainable strategies for further use and adaptation of the developed modules in other European contexts.
The DISK modules were published as OERs under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 licence to ensure long-term accessibility, adaptability, and sustainability.
DISK-Project: Structure and overview, deliverables, impact and contributions of Peter Mazohl
Impact
The project generated impact on several levels:
- at nano level through practical digitalisation within each module,
- at micro and meso level through the direct support of adult learners and trainers,
- and at macro level through the sustainable integration of the courses into the training programmes of participating adult education organisations.
Approximately 120 adult learners participated directly in the pilot phase and formed the first generation of more confident and experienced users within the digital landscape. The project therefore became an important contribution to digital inclusion, adult empowerment, and lifelong learning in Europe.
Project Overview
Project Number: 2019-1-PT01-KA204-060898
Project Title: Digital Immigrants Survival Kit (DISK)
Period: 1 November 2019 – 31 October 2021
Programme: Erasmus+ KA204 – Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education
Coordinator: University of Porto
Responsible Contact: Peter Mazohl
Official project website: www.disk-project.eu
Project Partners
The partnership included five organisations from different European countries:
- University of Porto – Portugal (Coordinator)
- EDRASE – Greece
- TRAINING 2000 – Italy
- Ossiannilsson Quality in Open Online Learning Consultancy – Sweden
- European Foundation for Quality in Blended Learning – Austria
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.