<< Background >>COVID 19 exposed how ageism endangers all of society by dividing generations at a time when unity is particularly important. For decades, psychologists’ research has shown that ageism undermines older adults’ mental and physical health by implying they are less capable and more burdensome. The pandemic has exacerbated the portrayal of older people as vulnerable and weak. Similarly, intergenerational tension is also felt among the younger population, as social distancing and other public health measures were primarily aimed to benefit older people, yet the economic and social costs of these measures have been imposed overwhelmingly on young people. At the same time, the failure of younger people to live up to these moral expectations is denounced as selfish and students are stereotyped as reckless. Therein, generational solidarity is at an all-time low. The project grew out of concern for the civic engagement responsibilities of HEIs during the pandemic and the need to do more to help students tackle intergenerational tension, while also meeting community needs. IDOL offers a solution to combat this and rejuvenate the civic service mission of HEIs through intergenerational digital service learning. Therefore, IDOL has been carefully designed to meet the needs of HEI educators and staff, and is aligned with partner needs, some of whom university staff themselves.Our Partners recognize that civic engagement and shared European values are more important than ever. We also know that we NEED to be doing more to tackle these issues, and not just because it meets our “third mission”. Civic engagement and service learning have enormous potential to tackle the multiple negatives impacts of the pandemic, and by engaging more people in service learning and civic activities we contribute conscientiously to the society on whose behalf we are working. Partner recognized that in order to fulfil this objective, we need; i) effective methods to upskill HEI lecturers in digital competences, ii) we need new approaches to pedagogy that enable older and younger students to collaborate together and iii) partners need persuasive resources to showcase service learning as an essential part of HEI education mission. Moreover, in a strategic sense, the project also responds to our need to align our training with wider European trends and policy (eg: European Skills Agenda; EU Renewed Agenda for Higher Education). IDOL’s focus on intergenerational digital service learning will allow us integrate transversal digital and civic competences which have come to the fore in the last year.For the wider HEI sector needs mirror our own partner needs, particularly so amongst ACADEMIC STAFF, while for HE MANAGERS, they are aware that business-focused third mission activities have outstripped civic engagement. They need scalable, practical ways to integrate European values into taught programmes so as to better prepare students for 21st century adult life, and need to provide academics with a broader set of incentives to do so.Finally, IDOL responds to the needs of both younger students (in undergraduate programmes) and older adults, (from our continuous education or lifelong learning programmes) to partake in civic engagement activities- particularly those that build intergenerational solidarity. All our resources need their needs but especially R3, the Hackathons, which will see both groups working purposefully to reflect, deconstruct and reconstruct beliefs and engage in meaningful exchange of knowledge and skills on new intergenerational projects.<< Objectives >>The overall objective of IDOL is clear: to design and develop a new teaching approach which empowers HEI staff and lecturers to implement intergenerational digital service learning through; innovative modes of collaboration, improved digital skills and better understanding of the role of service learning not just a “third mission” activity but as an essential part of HE educational mission.In doing so, we contribute to three important European Priorities. The first is addressing common values, civic engagement and participation. Running through the IDOL project is the message that digital service learning is an essential third mission activity, our resources, especially the Practical Guide to Intergenerational digital service learning (R1) and Digital Service-learning Toolkit (R2) will enable hundreds of HEI educators and stakeholders to better understand this and acquire the knowledge and skills to integrate learning that boosts cultural awareness, value-based learning and active citizenship into exiting educational programmes. We will make an important contribution to the way in which the HEI sector and wider education, approach Digital Transformation and the need for Innovative learning and teaching practices. Service Learning is a proven teaching and learning strategy that is growing in Europe, however, in the context of the pandemic, new norms of social distancing and increasing digitalization requires new forms of practice. IDOL responds by adding two more innovative elements to service-learning practice, making it even more fit-for-purpose in HEIs: 1) The intergenerational focus and 2) The digital aspect of our service learning. These innovative aspects are supported by the Practical Guide (R1) Toolkit (R2), but especially by the IDOL Hackathon Guide. A Hackathon is a contemporary methodology, by encouraging HEIs to use this approach the project is congruent with innovation in both methodology and outcomes.The project aims to have a significant impact on the skills and professional capacities of one of our main target groups: HEI academic staff, tutors and lecturers. As an immediate impact of the project, university educators will have (for the first time) resources and skills to teach intergenerational learning through digital service learning. By engaging fully with the results, the project will enable them to acquire a new mode of collaboration through “tandem teaching” that will equip HEI staff to facilitate intergenerational learning through DSL activities. Ultimately, the project impacts on the professional development of university educators, and this is in turn contributes to the development of digitally proficient organizations who are more responsive to the learning needs of students.In addition, the project will have an immediate impact on students and older learners who participate in IDOL activities, firstly by strengthening key competences relating to service learning/community engagement i.e. creativity, empathy, problem solving etc. Secondly, students/ learners will develop stronger digital skills and consolidate the learning objectives of their HEI study through experiential learning. Moreover, participating in the IDOL hackathon will rebuild intergenerational solidarity fraught by the pandemic through knowledge exchange. Over time, participating students will be more engaged, connected and empowered digital champions and active citizens. Not only will they improve their personal and professional development, they will make a greater positive contribution to society around them.Finally, we expect that the project will spur stakeholders in the HEI sector to understand the need for intergenerational digital service learning and to reflect on how education must continually update to meet labour market and society needs. They will be conscious of IDOL as a valuable part of third mission objectives and not a niche field and reflect on a policy change.<< Implementation >>The project involves three key educational resources (results), as well as the horizontal activities required for successful project execution: management, impact evaluation, promotion and sustainability.RESULTS DEVELOPMENT Our results will be developed in sequential order; the results of the previous one informs the next. Although the IOs can be used independently, they are designed to be cumulative, based loosely on Bloom’s taxonomy moving from information, to comprehension, to application.RESULT 1: Practical guide introduces Intergenerational digital-service-learning. It comes first to enable partners to quickly engage in knowledge sharing about challenges and opportunities for intergenerational digital service-learning education in respective countries, consolidating working relationships and laying the groundwork for the following outputs.RESULT 2: Digital Service-learning Toolkit is our second major activity. This involves developing a new guide on the use of relevant digital tools/apps. It is the most overtly “train the trainers” aspect of our work since we recognize that educators will not teach digital service learning effectively until they are digitally confident themselves.RESULT 3: IDOL Hackathon Guide for IDOL involves creating an opportunity to translate theory into practice, guiding organizations on how to bring together educators, young students and older learners in a 1 or 2 day event that generates creative solutions to existing community problems (potential service learning topics) All resources will be open, published online and free to download and use, and where possible editable formats will be used to enable materials to be adapted and transferred for further use.ROUTE TO IMPACTBuilt around the resources are the transversal and project management activities which enable us to ensure their introduction, effectiveness and longevity as resources for use in European education projects.Impact Evaluation is a key component to ensure results are translated into impact. In the first partner we will carry out an impact+ workshop session to strengthen our understanding of the theory of change implicit in the project.Testing and implementation with the target groups is also essential. 96 HEI educators and 48 HEI students/learners will use the resources. Their experience will contribute to improvements before the final materials and promotion, as well as playing an important role in our multiplier events, wider promotion and sustainability strategy as “ambassadors” to the project’s impact.In terms of promotion, our plan is robust and will be supported by seven events scheduled for month 23/24. They will ensure that our resources are promoted, and that stakeholders actively understand their value and are motivated to introduce them in their own organisations.<< Results >>The most visible result of the project will be the introduction of a new topic of learning – intergenerational digital service learning –which will contribute to modernizing HE policy and practice, empower learners to engage in civic projects and equip HEI’s with an innovative mode of co-cooperation through “tandem teaching”. This will be made possible by providing HE managers and academic staff with a set of flexible tools that enable them to introduce teaching and opportunities to engage in IDOL:TANGIBLE RESULTSRESULT 1: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO INTERGENERATIONAL DIGITAL-SERVICE LEARNING introduces HEI lecturers to the topic with rigorously researched, up-to-date knowledge on the impact of the pandemic on the practice of service learning, education and intergenerational relationships. The guide will provide best practices to shift service learning to digital service learning and will introduce the innovative method of “tandem teaching”. It addresses the Erasmus+ priority for Innovative learning and teaching practices in HEI, as well as civic values/engagement. RESULT 2: DIGITAL SERVICE-LEARNING TOOLKIT will provide practical guidance and tools for HEI educators and lecturers, wishing to incorporate digital service-learning activities into their curricula/teaching strategies, with a focus on increasing their confidence in using digital tools. These tools will practically support HEI staff, students and the older learners to practically implement the service-learning project either partially or fully online. This will address the E+ priority for supporting Digital Capabilities of HE sectors. RESULT 3: IDOL HACKATHON GUIDE will design, develop and implement a transferable and replicable model of HEI led intergenerational e-service learning which has the power and potential to positively build bridges among generations and help students & older learners in HEIs to collaborate beneficially. This will address the E+ priority for Innovative learning and teaching practices. During the project, the following outcomes will be achieved: - 36 HEI Educator will use/test R1: Practical Guide and once launched it will be downloaded more than 240 times during the project lifespan. They will acquire new knowledge and be motivated to implement both digital service learning and the “Tandem teaching” approach.- 36 academic staff will use/test R2: Digital service-learning toolkit and once launched it will be downloaded more than 240 times during the project lifespan. They will significantly increase their confidence in using digital tools.- 24 HEI staff (6/HEI partner) will use/test R3: IDOL Hackathon Guide with a minimum of 48 students & older people. Educators will grow in confidence in this new teaching approach and participants will develop new competences to develop and implement innovative intergenerational social good projects.- At least 190 academics, HE managers & stakeholders will participate in multiplier events. They will gain knowledge of emerging models of intergenerational digital service learning and be more equipped to integrate these across all faculties.As a result of the above:As a result of the above, the project will make a significant contribution to updating the provision of service learning within HEIs, particularly with regard to digital and intergenerational approaches:- Partners and HE Institutions will have more relevant, high quality training products that are free to use.- Lecturers and teaching staff will develop skills needed for 21st education, helping them thrive in the post-pandemic context and navigate the challenges of increased digitalization. - Students and Older people will benefit from improved approaches to service learning, with effective pedagogies and a learning culture that enables inclusion, civic engagement and intergenerational solidarity.Additionally, partners will use the project to facilitate the professional development of their own teaching staff and to better fulfil 3rd mission.