Forging new pathways of research and innovation in open and distance learning

Forging new pathways of research and innovation in open and distance learning:
Reaching from the roots
Proceedings of the 9 th European Distance and E-Learning Network Research Workshop, 2016
Oldenburg, 4-6 October, 2016
ISBN 978-615-5511-12-7
ELENE4WORK – DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR SOFT SKILLS
AND DIGITAL SOFT SKILLS FOR EMPLOYABILITY
Deborah Arnold, AUNEGE-Université de Bourgogne, France, Maria Cinque, EUCA, Belgium,
Teresa Guasch, Barbara Garreta, Anna Espasa, UOC, Spain, Andrzej Wodecki, Magdalena
Jasinska, UMCS, Poland
Introduction
The ERASMUS+ funded eLene4work project (http://elene4work.eu) helps students develop
the soft skills mostly required by companies and will help companies exploit the digital talents
of new employers and young workers. eLene4work proposes a strategic partnership among
universities whose goal is to test and monitor the possibility offered by MOOCs (Massive
online courses) and OERs (Open Educational Resources) to fill the gaps between the
university and the labour market. Our goal is to help the companies identify the digital skills
that would be of value to their business, taking into account a sample of pre-selected key
digital skills, i.e. the soft skills developed by digital activities such as e-collaboration, digital
communication, social network participation, social media management and web 2.0 activities
in general.
The aim of the eLene4work project is to enable students to develop autonomy in identifying
their own gaps in soft skills and competences, in order to develop or improve them and their
potential in digital soft skills, thus helping them in their entry to the labour market. Also,
students should autonomously learn how to fill their skills gap using MOOCs (and OERs) and
to include their soft skills and their digital soft skills in their CV in order to enhance their
employability. The final outcomes of the project will also contribute to the development of the
labour market through the exploitation and the added value of the creative potential of
students/new workers in terms of digital competences.
This paper describes the pathway we created to help students develop soft skills and digital
soft skills, taking into account the framework that emerged from the first two outputs of the
project (comparative analysis and focus groups) and its application in three main concrete
outputs of the project: a self-assessment tool for students and young workers, an orientation
guide and a personal journal. The pathway will be tested during the field evaluation phase
from September 2016 to August 2017.
344