1. Citizens Online, LSE, e-Learning Foundation
Meeting Their Potential: The role of education and technology in overcoming disadvantage and disaffection in young people
Citizens Online, LSE, e-Learning Foundation
for Becta
Citizens Online, LSE and eLF did a review for Becta on technology and disadvantage.
Today I proposed to focus on framing issues of disadvantage, to understand the barriers and opportunities of technology
D i g i t o p i a n

2. Framework of Disadvantage
Tier
Features
Characteristics
Influences 1.
Physical and socio-economic infrastructure
Physical and socio-economic factors
Poor Housing
Deprived community
Poverty
Oppressions Limited job opportunities
Government policy and regeneration programmes. Community activity. 2.
Relationships and socialisation
Emotional support, and socialisation processes leading to social and cultural capital
Cues eg role models
Abuse and harshness
Social capital
Cultural capital
Mentors, role models, teachers, peers, public educational measures 3.
Identity and internalisation
Personal interpretation and response to the world
Disaffection
Low Self-esteem
Lack of aspirations
Poor motivation
Parents
Close personal relationships
A first frame of reference is the Framework of Disadvantage:
This has three tiers with the following features, characteristics and influences
Example 1 Health
Tier 1
Pollution
Food outlet choices
Quality of health and social services
Family members’ smoking / eating / drug habits
Tier 2
Models of behaviour
Knowledge of how to access better goods and services
Peer pressure
Tier 3
Decisions to eat poorly or start smoking
Non-compliance with / non-attendance in health services

3. The Path to Failure
Physical and socio-economic infrastructure
Relationships and socialisation
Identity and internalisation
One tier of disadvantage feeds another and leads to a downwards spiral, the energy flow is taking the person along a path to failure. Thus the idea of a vortex, when you negatively internalise messages of poverty, inequality and lack of worth, the peer group you attract can be negative, this can lead to you taking the brunt of the negatives in your community- crime, lack of employment, poor health, etc

4. Interventions
Interventions to improve life chances, need to be holistic:
Start early – because negative effects set in very early
Be targeted – because resource rich people will naturally engage with further support
Be sustained – because support is needed throughout a young persons life
Be complete – because all aspects of the framework of disadvantage need tackling
These areas collectively can be termed “taking a holistic approach”

5. Interactive technology and communication systems
Role of ICT
Supporting literacy
Alternative informal learning environments
Personalise learning
Online curriculum and resources
ICT is used in formal learning environments in a number of ways- personalising learning, online resources, etc
ICT can also create alternatives to school for those disengaged or those with other lifestyles, eg travellers.
Supporting education

6. Labour market skills
Role of ICT
Social networking
Cultural identity and diversity
Confidential mentoring, counselling and experience-based behaviour prevention
Guidance and information networks
Labour market, or softer skills can be developed by certain informal uses of ICT (eg some games and social sites), skills such as networking, negotiation and collaboration. ICT can be a cultural and social tool, it can help re-enforce identities and can widen a persons horizons and experience of social diversity.
Finally, it can be used to provide guidance and information as well as confidential mentoring and counselling. Products have been developed, eg digital babies or software to give the experience of prison life, that attempt to persuade a young person away from mistakes.
Developing soft skills

7. Role of ICT
Support for frontline staff and teachers
Behavioural and attendance management systems
ICT offers the opportunity to innovate and be more effective and efficient in service delivery, leading to transformation.
Frontline staff can have mobile tools, better connections to other staff and less bureaucracy
For teachers and schools this means sharing resources, improving internal and external communications and managing information to support assessment and attendance.
Operational data sharing means that multiple interactions can be managed and services can be targeted.
Strategic data sharing allows better planning through insights into pockets and drivers of social exclusion
Operational data sharing
Supporting policy making and delivery
Delivering support services

8. Interactive technology and communication systems
Labour market skills
Role of ICT
Social networking
Supporting literacy
Alternative informal learning environments
Cultural identity and diversity
Personalise learning
Guidance and information networks
Online curriculum and resources
Confidential mentoring, counselling and experience-based behaviour prevention
Behavioural and attendance management systems
Collectively these uses of ICT could underpin the holistic approaches we need to support disadvantaged and disaffected young people in increasing their life chances.
ICT’s allow:
Government to be transformed
Education to be personalised
Simultaneous and strategic focus on many issues
The potential exists
Support for frontline staff and teachers
Operational data sharing
Supporting education
Supporting policy making and delivery
Developing soft skills
Delivering support services

9. Disadvantage Social exclusion Deep exclusion
Mapping policy
Tier
Relevant Government Policy focussed on positive outcomes
Disadvantage Social exclusion Deep exclusion 1.
Physical and socio-economic infra-structure
Focus on poverty reduction
Build community cohesion Reduce workless households
Improve social housing Reduce crime in high crime areas
New Deal for Communities
----Schools White Paper for improvements in investment;---
UK online centres & Learn Direct Collaborative teaching and learning through ICT, e-Strategy, Computers for Pupils----
Literacy and numeracy strategies
2. Relationships and socialisation
-A more personalised service for adults with multiple problems (SETF) Not in Employment Education or Training focus------
--Lead professionals for each child with additional needs. (Every Child Matters)--
--Personalisation of learning (The DfES Five Year Strategy, 2004)--
Extended Schools work
----Increase voluntary and community engagement----
Skills strategy
-Youth Matters (DfES 2006) young people shaping local services-
‘Teenage Pregnancy: Accelerating the Strategy to 2010’------
The Respect Task Force looking into behaviour and how to improve it
--Connexions programme of advice and guidance to teenagers (under review)-- 3.
Identity and internalisation
Sure Start Local Programmes More problem drug users on programmes--
Focus on reducing obesity Strategy for helping teenage mothers, young fathers and their families Identifying and targeting those at-risk early------
----Parenting support programmes for at risk families------
The good news is that govt policy does address the different tiers..but not all programmes are widespread and the biggest negative is lack of join-up- we haven’t got there yet on the transformation agenda.
The focus is more towards the most disadvantaged / socially excluded people, except notably the skills agenda focuses on “low hanging fruit”. This is likely to be a key error in tackling social exclusion.

10. Examples
Supporting education
Developing soft skills
Delivering support services
PICTA
World ECitizen
Ariel Trust
Skool.co.uk
Girls Textback Service
Kooth
Notschool.net
E-LAMP
Shelter – Know your rights
Child protection online
Connexions database
Truancy Call
Learning 2 Go
Reading Companion
Managed Learning Environments
Knowsley Plus One Challenge
Netmums
ThinkUKnow
YoungLivin
There are many examples of innovations, case studies of practice (most not well / independently evaluated)
However, there is no example in the middle, no approach covering all three areas, no example of a locality that we know of that has got things joined up for young people. There isn’t a holistic solution!

11. and “Field” of operation
Common sociology terms help us to understand why holistic solutions are necessary:
Social Capital
Cultural Capital
Financial Capital
and “Field” of operation
Some sociology terms
Social capital: the networks and relationships that people have available to them
Cultural capital: the knowledge and skills people have to interpret the world and make the most of opportunities available
Field: the set of “rules” under which society operates, this includes the nature of opportunities society chooses to offer and the messages it gives about who is valuable and worthy.

12. Main components of a young person's environment
Capital
Technology
A young person’s social (network and relationships); cultural (knowledge, skills, interpretation); and financial capital
Appropriate and innovative technologies to support young people in work, leisure and education
Opportunity
Products, services and emotional support
There are three components to a young persons environment in the context of this report, that can increase their life chances
The capitals are all located in the pink circle and the field of play is both technology and opportunity
Main components of a young person's environment

13. Young advantaged person
Technology
Capital
in a resource rich environment, opportunities grow as the child gets older, their capitals allow them to take benefits in fact the opportunities are tailored to fit their capitals (by the Field or rules of societal play). Their capitals grow and so do the possibilities to use technology beneficially, which grows capitals and opportunities- the overall effect is an increase in beneficial life circumstances, a greater chance of realising potential.
An example
This means that as an opportunity arises, eg to learn an instrument at school, the young person feels enough confidence to try, their parents encourage them and buy them things they need, they might meet other young musicians online which give them information beyond the school gates. Their experience about living widely in the world, might encourage them to travel to an event and meet new people, etc etc
The mountain is the child potential and they get help to reach it!
Opportunity
Young advantaged person

14. Young disadvantaged person
Technology
Capital
For a disadvantaged young person, although the opportunities may be similar, the ability to make use of them, because they are not tailored to their circumstances means they may be missed. The beneficial technologies around a disadvantaged young person have also not been developed with them in mind often, by the mainstream market place and government services have not been transformed in the same way that the business world has. The result may well be some journey towards optimising life chances but potential is not reached.
An example
When the young disadvantaged person gets the opportunity to play music at school, they may feel it just isn’t relevant to them, think its something the posh kids do. Their parents are externally encouraging that type of hobby. They might be very interested in music, with the result that they download it from the internet (perhaps illegally!). The outcome is less advantageous.
The mountain is the child potential and they don’t get enough help to reach it!
Opportunity
Young disadvantaged person

15. Citizens Online, LSE, e-Learning Foundation
Meeting Their Potential: The role of education and technology in overcoming disadvantage and disaffection in young people
Citizens Online, LSE, e-Learning Foundation
for Becta
The end
D i g i t o p i a n