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bjbj? Community Digital Media Centre: An Evaluation of the Pilot. DRAFT Report To: CDMC Management
Committee Siochr and Paul Butler 12th February 2010 Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z
\u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576902" Introduction PAGEREF _Toc253576902 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576903"
Background and History PAGEREF _Toc253576903 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576904" The Approach,
Objectives, Management and Facilities PAGEREF _Toc253576904 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576905"
The Approach to Learning PAGEREF _Toc253576905 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576906" Objectives
of the Centre PAGEREF _Toc253576906 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576907" The Learning Space and
Equipment PAGEREF _Toc253576907 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576908" Management Structure PAGEREF
_Toc253576908 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576909" Strategy PAGEREF _Toc253576909 \h HYPERLINK
\l "_Toc253576910" Intended Benefits PAGEREF _Toc253576910 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576911"
Budget PAGEREF _Toc253576911 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576912" Activities and Outputs
PAGEREF _Toc253576912 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576913" The training numbers PAGEREF _Toc253576913
\h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576914" The process PAGEREF _Toc253576914 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576915"
4.3 Management PAGEREF _Toc253576915 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576916" Actual and Potential Outcomes
and Impacts PAGEREF _Toc253576916 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576917" For Course Participants
PAGEREF _Toc253576917 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576918" For Holly Hill CDP and more widely in the
Community PAGEREF _Toc253576918 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576919" Summary PAGEREF _Toc253576919
\h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576920" Analysis and Conclusions PAGEREF _Toc253576920 \h HYPERLINK
\l "_Toc253576921" The Rationale and Objectives PAGEREF _Toc253576921 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576922"
Strategy PAGEREF _Toc253576922 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576923" Outcomes and Impact PAGEREF
_Toc253576923 \h HYPERLINK \l "_Toc253576924" Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc253576924 \h Introduction
The Community Digital Media Centre (CDMC) is a pilot project, funded through the Dormant
Accounts Fund for a two year period until the end of 2010. It is a project of F (in
English the acronym stands for Film in Schools, and in Irish the word means Vision) which
is in turn an initiative of the Dublin Laoghaire Institute College of Art and Design (IADT)
), the National Film School. For administrative reasons, the Lead Partner of the CDMC in relation
to the Dormant Accounts Grant is the Southside Partnership, based in Dun Laoghaire. The CDMC
itself is located in Ballybrack and serves the RAPID areas of Loughlinstown and Shanganagh/Rathsallagh.
The Centre focuses especially on children and young people, encouraging them to participate
in after school community-based programmes. In the most general terms the CDMC is designed
to advance film education as a medium, to enhance the professional development of young
people through the use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies). The purpose
of this Evaluation is, according to the Terms of Reference, to: ascertain and detail the
impact and effectiveness of this pilot project, based on its aims and objectives. One of the
key elements of the evaluation is to ascertain the potential of the project for mainstreaming.
The research involved interviews with stakeholders from November 2009 to January 2010, and a
Focus Group discussion with participants in CDMC activities. CDMC Management Committee
Aileen O Brien.: The Southside Partnership Patricia Byrne: IADT Access Office: Dair n
West: Holly House CDP David Lawless: RAPID Coordinator Ciar n McCormack: F S Creative
Manager: Paul Curran: CDMC Coordinator Others: Martin Doran: St Laurence s College Allison
Larkin: Holly House Management Committee Gina Hogan: Holly House Former Management Committee
Mary Slavin: CDMC Participants Maureen Hogan: CDMC Participants Karen McDonald: CDP worker
Jamie Downer: Southern Ability. A Focus Group discussion was held with participants of CDMC
courses on February 4th 2010. Background and History The CDMC is a logical extension of
a number of other recent digital education projects promoted by F S and its partners.
S was originally established in the year 2000 as an initiative of the Department of Education
and Science with the goal of integrating the subject of film into the Revised Primary School
Curriculum. A pilot was launched in March 2000 in collaboration with the National Centre
for Technology in Education (NCTE) and ran for three years, following which it was mainstreamed
into a larger number of schools. Up to three to four hundred schools use it currently.
The F S a D project, implemented in the Liberties areas of Dublin city, also addresses young
people from disadvantaged communities. The project was managed and delivered by the IADT,
the National Film School, in which F S is now housed. F S is also supported by a number
of corporate sponsors, notably AIB , and has an agreement with Apple Computers for reduced
cost equipment. This early success was followed by a number of topic-specific packs, for instance
on drug use, and a summer school. What sparked the idea for the CDMC was the realisation
that very few film and digital media initiatives exist at community level, especially in disadvantaged
areas. F S had participated in a number of once-off digital media projects at community
level in the area, including a successful short film completed with Springboard, a HSE
Family Support Project in Ballybrack, in association with St. Laurence s College in Loughlinstown,
and involving the Southside Partnership and the RAPID programme. A group of students produced
a video, linked to a Website, which won the top prize at Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Community
Awards, a notable feature being the interagency cooperation involved. The success of this
spurred the group into considering something more systematic. At the same time the Access
office in the IADT saw the potential of such an initiative in terms of attracting interest
among students from disadvantaged communities for possible progression into the IADT. The
Dormant Accounts Fund prioritises initiatives in disadvantaged areas covered by the RAPID
Programme, and in June 2005 an initial proposal was developed for as the F S 3 Media Project.
In 2006, the proposal was further developed and a Management Committee of various community
and statutory stakeholder representatives constituted (see below). An application was
submitted to the Fund in June 2006, drafted by F orter time frame of just two years. The
project was approved by the Dormant Accounts Fund on November 8th 2007, with the project
cleared to launch at any time after that. A significant change did come about between
the approval of project and its launch. The Centre was originally to be located at St.
Laurence s College, in the context of a school extension that would also have also involved
the installation of IT equipment. However, a number of possible issues arose such as
maintaining the school open after hours, access for people from the community, and the size
of the space available. As these issues were being considered, an additional room was made
available to the Holly House Community Development Project (CDP), located within the RAPID area
of Loughlinstown (recognised locally as Ballybrack). The additional room had already been secured
by the RAPID programme coordinator for the CDP and was in the process of being renovated.
The timing from the point of view of the CDMC was thus fortuitous, especially since the
cost of renovation was borne by the RAPID programme. It was decided to move the Centre
to Holly House. Initially, a number of members of Holly House Management Committee had understandable
concerns about locating the Centre in their newly acquired additional room. It was, after
all, an external initiative with a Management Committee comprised mainly of statutory entities
being given a space within their CDP. Furthermore, the benefits of use of digital technologies
were unclear. However, with suitable reassurances from the Manager of F S, agreement was reached.
It is generally felt that the new location, in the heart of the RAPID community and associated
with the Community Development Project, is preferable to the original proposal. It remained
for the CDMC to install the equipment, plan the activities, and open for business. The
first payment was drawn down from the Dormant Account Fund on [give date] and Centre was
officially launched on [give date]. The Approach, Objectives, Management and Facilities The
Approach to Learning The inspiration behind the CDMC, as expressed by the manager of F
S and main originator of the Centre, is a particular approach to pedagogy called Constructionist
Learning. This maintains that learning is most effective outside a formal context when
people are at the same time active in making tangible objects in the real world: learning-by-making.
Building on the ideas of well-known educationalist Jean Piaget, Seymour Papert, the founder of
constructionism, defined it as follows The word constructionism is a mnemonic for two
aspects of the theory of science education underlying this project. From constructivist
theories of psychology we take a view of learning as a reconstruction rather than as a transmission
of knowledge. Then we extend the idea of manipulative materials to the idea that learning is most
effective when part of an activity the learner experiences as constructing a meaningful product.
Thus at the core of Constructionism is the idea that people learn better when they are
at the same time applying that learning in practice and (going beyond learning-by-doing
to learning-by-making) actually producing a public output. The activity is also inherently
interesting in itself, enhancing the motivation for learning. In the context of the CDMC this
was applied as a means to encourage children from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate
in after school community based activities. Initially the focus was to be on a film project
that integrates a range of creative activities including Digital Photography, Web Design,
Music and Digital Video incorporating visual art, music, drama, dance, literature and media
studies. Although Constructionism is not explicitly referred to in the Project Plan, many elements
are there. The initiative will enhance the creative and educational learning experiences
of young people and provide them with direct involvement in the learning process. The project
will emphasise the engagement of the participants in both artistic expression and response to
the medium. Most importantly, the Centre s activities were intended to: help those involved
to develop key skills in ICT, Creative Visualisation, Digital Media Content, Communication, Problem
Solving, Critical Thinking, Inquiry, Investigation and Analysis and Social and Personal Awareness
and Interaction. It is primarily through building capacities in these skills, some specific,
some general, that the Centre is seen as achieving its objectives. The F S manager describes
the learning process as akin to misdirection , the sleight of hand magicians practice
in order to direct attention away from what they are actually doing towards another activity.
Similarly, the learner is simply enjoying the creative process, and the learning occurs
with ease and almost unknown to the learner. Thus while young people are planning, rehearsing
and filming scene for a short film, they are also gaining other capacities, such as building
group interactive skills, improving interview skills, and enhancing their conceptual abilities
and so forth. Furthermore, they may transfer these positive learning skills to the classroom,
improving their educational achievements. Finally it is worth noting that the initiative
also: supports the notion that what happens at primary and second level has a significant
effect on progression to further or higher education. Such Community links are effective
in encouraging, facilitating and assisting participation in higher education. Objectives
of the Centre The above approach is reflected in the Centre s objectives, as outlined in
the Project Plan. Objectives relating specifically to learning are to: Promote young people s
appreciation of, and response to, the medium of film Promote the use of ICT among young
people and the wider community Give young people the opportunity to explore the film-making
process Enhance the educational and life experiences of young people in the project area Focus
on learning through film exploration and the arts Further objectives relate to the means
by which this is achieved, the message disseminated and the process sustained. These objectives
are to: Establish a Community Digital Media Centre Implement measures to encourage and
facilitate young people to participate in after school community based programmes Develop
the necessary skills required for the youth workers to facilitate film in relation to
arts and media activities Involve the whole community; young people, teachers, parents
and the wider community. Become a viable initiative - throughout the project and in its final
delivery Contribute to models of good practice for the use of film as a learning resource
in Community Centres The Learning Space and Equipment The Centre is located in a room
adjacent to the existing premises of the Holly House CDP, in the heart of the community.
It is externally secure and also has toilet facilities (though not suitable for use by
those with disabilities who must use the facilities next door in the CDP.) It is also equipped
with some relatively advanced and very user friendly equipment. Eight Apple iMac computers
have been installed in the Centre, all networked and connected to the internet and equipped
with digital editing software. In addition the Centre has: Three broadcast quality digital
video cameras, and two held-held Digicams Three Tripods, A Midi key board Two Apple
Laptops S also provide on loan a further seven laptops, totalling nine available for use
at external venues; as well as a nd lights. [insert photo of Centre] An innovative aspect
of the learning space is that it can readily be put to use for other purposes. The iMacs
have flat screens incorporating the CPU attached to the walls, and all equipment (keyboards,
mouse and peripherals) can easily be packed away into a secure closet. The advantage is
that Holly House CDP can utilise the space for other purposes, with no risk to equipment.
The video, camera equipment, and the laptops are suitable for transporting to other venues
(the Centre uses several other venues: see below), offering further flexibility. Management
Structure As noted, the lead partner for the purposes of the Dormant Accounts Fund grant
is the Southside Partnership, with whom F S had previously worked on a film project
with refugees. This arrangement is to suit the administrative requirements of the Dormant
Accounts Fund. The Management Committee comprises: The Southside Partnership: Aileen O Brien.
IADT Access Office: Patricia Byrne. Holly House CPD: Dair n West (and her replacement
while on maternity leave, Joan Dwyer) RAPID Coordinator: David Lawless S Creative Manager:
Ciar n McCormack CDMC Coordinator: Paul Curran Martin Doran, the Home Schools Liaison Officer
from St. Laurence s College, had also originally sat on the Committee but resigned some time
after the location of the centre was switched from the College to Holly Park CDP. An advisory
Steering Committee was also envisaged, comprising community organisations and centres located
within the RAPID areas. The Manager, part time, is Ciar n McCormack, the Creative Manager
of F S; and the CDMC Coordinator is a full time position, Paul Curran, recruited on October
2008. Strategy The final Strategy comprised a number of stages, the elements of which
may be summarised as follows. Year 1: Establish, equip and staff the Community Digital Media
Centre, and ensure it is open and available at appropriate hours for community use Develop
a Youth Worker Training Programme Provide training to Youth Workers, initially a group
of sixteen, two each from eight community centres and development groups in Loughlinstown/Shanganagh
RAPID Area. Develop a CDMC Website, including space for individual group projects Develop
Resource Packs, delivered via the Website. Support Youth Workers to provide training
at local level Establish and run a total of 16 individual community digital media projects,
each including pre-production, production and post-production Archive all project outputs
Year 2: Review of Year 1 and assessment of potential for expansion within the groups
Identification of Projects for four age classifications: under 10 years; 10 13 years; 13 to 15 years;
15 years +) Encourage local groups to bring onboard more Young People s Groups Develop
and implement Advanced Training Programmes Run Ideas Workshops in a number of areas,
and develop Personal Digital Storytelling Develop and implement 24 new Projects arising
from advanced training Develop the Website further, including resource packs, and archiving
Celebrate the achievements. Alongside these were ongoing monitoring and final evaluation,
allocation of resources, and other supporting and administrative activities. As noted, implementation
of the strategy was originally planned over a three year period but with the reduction
in funding, this was telescoped into two years and the number of stages in the plan was reduced
from twelve to eight. Year 1 remained unchanged, however. The main difference between the two
plans is that the level of training provided was less advanced in the shorter version.
In other words, Year 2 and Year 3 had originally been largely similar, with the main development
in Year 3 being in the degree of sophistication of training and content developed. Summarising
the key components of the core strategy, they can be stated as: Establish and equip the
Centre; Train two Youth Workers from each of eight different local groups; Provide ongoing
support for the process with a Website, Resource Pack and support workshops; Enable these Youth
Workers to provide training to local young people; Gradually expand the number of local
groups involved, and the number of digital media created; Enrich the process with Ideas
Workshops, and ongoing support for project development; Deliver at least 16 community
digital media projects in Year 1; Gradually extend the quality and scope of training towards
more advanced modules, and deliver 24 more advanced projects in year 2; Differentiate
projects for four age classifications: under 10 years; 10 13 years; 13 to 15 years; 15
years + Constantly build the archive of projects, and of Resources; Ensure ongoing evaluation,
capturing of lessons ands celebration of achievements. Several key strands run through this strategy.
One is sustainability, in the sense that the Centre should, it is hoped, be able to run
with no, or very limited, external ongoing expertise and indeed funding. A second is
replicability: that the core dynamic of the strategy could be readily replicated in other
communities. A third is that it is a cumulative process, where projects/programmes become
more advanced over time, capable of passing on higher levels of competence and skills.
Intended Benefits A broad set of benefits was envisaged by the project, as follows (this
is taken from the original Project Plan): The individual would benefit from the project
by: Offering new solutions through the use of technology Improving individual quality
of life Enhancing communication of everyday life of citizens Breaking the intergenerational
cycle Preventing early school leaving Supporting informal learning Facilitating participation
in IADT s Access Taster programmes Challenging participants within a supportive environment
The wider community would benefit by: Reflecting developing needs of individuals and local
communities Introducing participants to learning though enjoyable and informal activities in
non-threatening environment Providing new and motivating focus for non-formal learning
Developing participants capacity to interface as a group Tackling intergenerational disadvantage
by key inclusion of family members. Providing an access route into education to marginalized
groups Reaching out to community to overcome alienation from education Promoting community
cohesion Applying technology to the task of empowering citizens to play full role in society
Encouraging the involvement in local affairs and civic engagement i.e. DLRCC s e-government
initiative. Developing the professional skills of community workers in facilitating film
in relation to arts and media activities Applying project result to other projects, thus actively
investing in community development and social cohesion Providing opportunity to disseminate
information and to share new ideas and approached at a national level Contributing to models
of good practice for the use of film as a learning resource in the local community In
addition, with the introduction of the Holly House CDP as the location, a further four
benefits were added, speci wide range and extensive list of benefits, the Digital Media
Centre had thus set itself an ambitious goal. Budget The budget approved by the Dormant
Account Fund was as follows Table 1: Original Two Year Budget Year 1 Year 2 Type of Funding
d over a number of days or sessions. They are analysed below in quantitative terms,
followed by a qualitative discussion. The training numbers The overall figures are impressive.
During 2009, a total of 1,268 trainee/sessions were completed i.e. this is the number of
sessions delivered, multiplied by the number of trainees attending them. The usual length
of session is 1.5 hours, giving an approximate number of trainee hours delivered of about
1,900; and most courses comprise 5 to 8 sessions, with some continuing on according to needs
expressed. In line with the number of PCs available and the personalised approach taken
to learning, the maximum number of learners in each session was limited to about 6 to
8, an exception being some delivered in schools where the group was larger. About two thirds
of such sessions were conducted within the Centre itself (including all staff and youth
volunteer training), the rest delivered in other locations within the RAPID communities
they serve, and a couple outside, using the nine additional laptops. Below is a breakdown
of the broad categories of participant, in the number of learner sessions, learner hours
(based on 90 minute session average), individual courses (some courses repeated several times),
and unique individual learners. Table 2: Total Participants, sessions, learner hours, courses
and unique learners 2009 Broad Categories of Participant Number of learner sessions
Number of learner hours (approx) Number of separate Courses Number of unique learners
Youth training 1,340 154* Adult training CDP Staff Youth Volunteer Training Total =SUM(ABOVE)
1,268 =SUM(ABOVE) 1,904 =SUM(ABOVE) =SUM(ABOVE) *Eleven young people took a second course,
giving a total of 165 youth course placements. In terms of gender breakdown for young people
was close to even: 74 male compared to 80 female. And five boys and six girls went on
to take a second different course. Including them, an average of 8 hours per course per
youth participant is suggested. For adults, the average course participation is lower,
at about 6.4 hours. Five Youth Volunteers from Holly House were trained, aged 19 to
21 years; as well as five staff from Holly House, three from Springboard, seven from
the Shanganagh Youth Project (five of whom were from outside RAPID areas). The table
below shows a breakdown of the number of individual courses, the number of trainee/sessions (i.e.
the session multiplied by the participants at each), the number of unique learning places
(i.e. unique individuals, including multiple entries for those few who completed more than
one course); the group or project involved in each course. Table 3: Number of Courses,
Trainees, Learner places and locations (excluding staff & volunteers) 2009 Courses Run Number
of courses Number of trainee/ sessions Number of learning places * Group or Project involved
Social inclusion film CDMC Centre Digital Music CDMC Centre Shanganagh Youth Project*
CDMC Centre Digital media CDMC Centre St Tiernan s Community School* Animation CDMC Centre
Shanganagh Youth Project* Film Making CDMC Centre Loughlintown Community Rooms Shanganagh
Youth Project* Comic Book CDMC Centre SpringBoard Family Support Shanganagh Youth Project* Colmcilles
Senior School (primary)* Computer Games (summer camp) School Completion Programme Fight Scene
Film SpringBoard Family Support Adult Computer Literacy CDMC Centre Ballybrack Young at Heart
Environmental Film Project St. Laurence s College* Photography DLR VEC: Bentley House*
DLR Community Addiction Team* Parents fun photography St. Laurence s College (secondary)
Documentary DLR VEC: Bentley House Total 1,137 * These courses were run outside the Centre;
all others were in the Centre. Each of the 14 courses is independent, in the sense that
they are not designed to be taken as a series or cumulatively, although some do of course
have overlapping content. They are almost all suitable for ICT beginners, the focus
being on the group working together. The first year of course development and delivery has
not involved a significant level of differentiation or segmentation of the young people participating
within the courses. The age cohorts participating in the courses delivered within Holly House
have tended to mirror those engaged in the general youth work activities/ after school
programmes on offer within the CDP. As these programmes tend to work with primary school
level young people, there has been a strong associated overlap of this age cohort within
CDMC courses. Few young people who are involved in the junior cycle of second level have participated
in courses and fewer still from the senior cycle at second level. [Numbers, if possible,
here from Paul] The course development and training process Key components of the workplan
implemented during 2010 are described below. Outreach and Participant Recruitment Outreach
and promotion of the CDMC was undertaken through the local community Newsletter, by word of
mouth and at the wider Holly House Registration Day when people living in the community can
also subscribe to a variety of Holly House activities during the following year including
Homework Groups, Activities Camps and Competitions. The Holly House Children s Centre for four
to seven year olds sometimes refers older children to the CDMC, as they leave, enabling
them to keep in touch. A similar arrangement is developing with the Loughlinstown Community
Rooms, another active community centre in the area, with which one course has already
been organised. In relation to courses run outside the Centre, either the CDMC Coordinator
made direct contact with a view to assessing needs and then negotiating an agreement; or
he was contacted directly by an external entity. Course Preparation, material and Delivery
Course content has been produced by the Coordinator, tailored to the needs of each specific type
of course and participant. Tools and materials utilised are those available on the iMac and
the accompanying manuals. Other sources of pedagogical materials in relevant areas were
sought only to a limited extent. There has also been only very limited documentation
of the materials, in virtual form or hard copy. Delivery is hands-on, and involves a
lot more than simply learning hardware and software. Indeed hardware and software are
somewhat incidental in the learning process. Learning itself focuses on the steps involved
in producing the product , both in the technical sense and in the interactivity with other
people. This is how the CDMC Coordinator conceives of it fully in line with the constructionist
approach (though he is not consciously applying that). Similarly, in teaching potential trainers
how to deliver CDP workers and volunteers no new materials have been prepared. Training
delivery involves a number of skills. It requires good familiarity with the software being used
(for the specific products involved), for which training materials would be no substitute.
Software packages come with their own help packages, which would serve the function of
a manual. A more difficult aspect is the skills relating to the production process. For instance
producing a story board for a video involves the ability to construct a narrative, the
capacity to visualise scenes as well as basic graphic skills. Materials are more important
in this area, and can give step by step instruction. People skills , encouraging and enabling interactions
and team building, is clearly a central activity for this training and hence also for training
trainers. Here some materials could be deployed in relation to the specific activities involved,
suggesting exercises and approaches. But these skills tend to be associated with youth work,
development activities and facilitation more generally. Given that the age cohort most
involved in CDMC courses in Year 1 are seven to thirteen year olds, a developmental approach
with a central focus on the enjoyment factor has proved an appropriate and successful pedagogical
approach. Should year two see the addition of consistent engagement with older group
of second level students and a move towards promoting specific progression routes to further
or higher education, a more structured and potentially formalised approach may become
necessary. Course Implementation and training trainers So far, all courses have been delivered
by the CDMC Coordinator, but it is acknowledged that a central requirement of sustainability
will be to ensure that others are available to the community to deliver the courses. A
number of candidates have been identified to take up this role. Although CDP staff and
those employed by the three CDPs on CE schemes locally are receiving training in part to
improve their ICTs skills in their work generally, some may also take on training roles in the
future. In addition, five volunteer young people, aged about 19 to 21 years, are receiving
training. They live within or near the area, and are students or in jobs. These are seen
perhaps more so that CDP workers as potentially the model for providing training in the future.
Of the five, three have applied for Garda clearance for working with young people and
have been waiting for about two months, and the other two are in the process of applying.
Much of the training for CDP staff and volunteers has been similar to other sessions. However,
for those expecting to provide training, the practice has been to have a session directly
with the Coordinator immediately before the same subject is delivered to a group of young
people. The trainees then accompany the coordinator on the actual training session, to observe,
absorb and participate. Due to the limited set of age cohorts of young people (mostly
of primary school going age) participating in the courses in Year 1, the training of
trainer modules have evidently been focused on a pedagogical approach in line with engaging
and supporting these young people. The Products and Showcasing Also in line with the pedagogical
rationale for the CDMC, each of the courses results in distinct products for the participants.
They hardly need elaboration: film and animation based courses produce a short film, usually
one per course; the photography courses allow each participant to produce a set of photos;
the comic book produces a digital comic strip; and the digital music courses result in a
digitally produced music track for each participant. DJs learn the process of running a disco,
and their product can be seen as implementation of the disco itself. Even the adult computer
literacy and photography courses are based around producing something, such as a presentation
of holiday photographs to music. Considerable effort goes into show-casing these to the
wider public. Most are available on the CDMC Website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.digitalmediacentre.ie/"
http://www.digitalmediacentre.ie/ ) to be viewed on the Web. Specific public showing
are also organised (see below for more detail). Among the most successful was the environmental
film project, which produced an public announcement advertisement shown in many cinemas locally.
Another course s outputs were displayed in the Cube building on the IATP Campus, which
had the significant added advantage of bringing the class onto the Campus; the Bentley House
photographs (see below) were exhibited in the public library in Dun Laoghaire and received
much favourable comment; course videos were shown in pre-Christmas event in a local school;
and of course some of those completing the DJ course could demonstrate their skills through
running discos in the area. Training for Non-Rapid areas A few courses were run with groups of
disadvantaged people outside the RAPID area, or within the Centre but for people not resident
in the area. (Given that the funding is provided for use exclusive among RAPID communities,
care was taken to ensure that the time and resources spent on these would not detract
from any local activities). From the pilot point of view, and apart from any benefits
to those participants, these are also useful as a way to test the approach among more diverse
groups. The courses were: Bentley House, an innovative centre for homeless people run
by Dun Laoghaire VEC and offering a range of services. Two courses were delivered, one
on photography and the other a documentary making course, to residents in their own premises.
The CDMC received payment at VEC trainer rates. (The coordinator gained accreditation as a
VEC trainer for this purpose.) The Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Community Addiction Team (part of
the local Drugs Task Force) sponsored a course on photography, run in the Centre, and in
this case a volunteer trainer delivered the course. The photographs were displayed in
the local library in Dun Laoghaire. Linkages with other Entities The CDMC has engaged in
or organised several other community activities, as direct spin-offs from the training. These
include a discoth que for eight to 12 year old, run in a local school by participants
in the DJ course using the recently acquired discoth que equipment; and an open pre-Christmas
event at which the videos produced in training were shown publicly, to music played by another
DJ. A further four discos are planned for early 2010. The Centre also works with the
local Newsletter: Community Working Together, produced three times annually jointly between
eight community organisations in Ballybrack, Loughlinstown and Shanganagh. Currently the
CDMC produces a page for each issue, but the plan is for the Centre to support the layout
and enable print-ready copy to go to the printer, possibly with ongoing volunteer support. St.
Laurence s College has had several forms of interaction and suggests some direction in
relationships with local schools can develop. The environmental film project run in the
school was considered a great success, not least because the short film produced on illegal
dumping was shown in cinemas in Dundrum, Dun Laoghaire and Stillorgan. A group of from
five to seven students in 5th year, all from disadvantaged backgrounds, produced the film
with the support of teachers, home/school liaison office and the Centre coordinator.
A Parents Fun Photography course was also run in the Centre, spun out of a school parent
s group. The school made other uses of the CDMC: the Centre provided equipment on loan
to produce a video for the annual conference of a group in Bray that introduces children
from the school to working with horses; and the Centre s coordinator also assisted in
producing a video on a school musical. In addition, the CDMC has supported the work
of other community events and organisations. Working with volunteers, they filmed a Fun
Run event in the community; a Social Inclusion Week video of Local Voices was produced, and
a Variety Show in the Loughlinstown Community Rooms. Copies have been provided for showings
and dissemination. Not all the ideas with which the Centre has experimented have worked.
For instance the coordinator at one point trained several school teachers in video production,
who it was hoped would introduce it into their school using the laptops available. But this
proved unworkable as it was difficult for them to find the time for training and implementing
the programmes. However, the idea may be reactivated in the future. Activities for 2010 For the
CDMCs second year, refinement is underway in course content and delivery, and in interactions
with the community. A key goal is to complete the training of Volunteers and CE workers
to take on sessions themselves, and to mobilise them in training courses. At present a CE
worker from Holly House and a Volunteer from Southern Ability are being trained to deliver
to the Southern Ability group. But it is anticipated that all five volunteers will eventually become
involved in training. The Coordinator is also developing a new approach to training in a
DigiCamp course run at the Centre. This puts a greater emphasis than before on individualised
products from the course, such as films, so that each participant produces there own.
Alongside this, DigiCamp is beginning to combine different training components, such as 3D
modelling, stickman animation, and music creation, into a single product (the combination of
several smaller products); with certain aspects remaining as a group development such as web
development. A major advantage here is that people can move at their own pace, and can
also miss out classes without falling behind. Another advantage is that it offers an incentive
to return when classes are missed, since they can pick up where they left off. This is a
new development and is being tested. It is likely to be more challenging for the trainers
since different participants are out of step with each other, and organisationally it would
suggest a more flexible approach to the beginning and end of courses. It may ultimately require
a rolling course in which participants can move at their own pace, though the logistical
challenges to this may be significant. A number of new projects are also planned during 2010,
going beyond the training and courses development and involving deepening the engagement with
the community. They include a One Book, One Community project, between St Laurence s,
F S and the Centre, that will widely distribute Roddy Doyle s book Wilderness among pupils,
parents and teachers in 11 local schools. A set of vodcasts will be filmed, and a competition
run between them; with the best being highlighted on the F S Website. Some groups are planning
to go beyond the training, to produce products related to their goals. The Southern Ability
group for disabilities, for instance, is planning to do a video on issues confronting the area
for people with disabilities that could be used for advocacy or find-raising; and the
women s group in Holly House is considering a similar project. 4.3 Management Since the
official start of the project, the Committee has met on five occasions: October 2008; and
March, May, August and October 2009. Apart from progress reporting and administrative
issues, the minutes note decisions concerning items such as the launch of the Centre, the
development of new courses, initiatives and collaborations, the opening of a Bank Account,
and the evaluation. The CDMC now also has it own bank account and keeps basic books.
The Coordinator has a desk in the Cube , the F S premises on the IADT Campus. During
school term, perhaps 60% to 70% of his time is spent at the CDMC and other training locations,
the rest at the F S Cube; and somewhat less at the Centre during summer and Christmas
holidays. The Manager and Coordinator are in regular communication, the former advising
and assisting in many aspects of the Centre s development. The advisory group envisaged
at the outset was never constituted. Actual and Potential Outcomes and Impacts An evaluation
will normally consider the outputs, outcomes and impacts on the target group, as progressive
effects rippling forward in time and flowing from the actions support by an initiative.
At this point, just 12 months into the operation of the CDMC, it is not possible to point to
ultimate impacts, and indeed even to many outcomes. What we can consider is the outputs,
and formulate reasonable inferences concerning how such outputs may link future outcomes
and ultimately to impacts. In conventional training terms outputs may be summarised as
follows: Table 4: Summary Training outputs Youth Adult Sub-total Staff Volunteer Sub-total
Sessions multiplied by participants =SUM(LEFT) 1,169 =SUM(LEFT) Individual courses completed
=SUM(LEFT) =SUM(LEFT) Unique learners =SUM(LEFT) =SUM(LEFT) Average hours per participant =SUM(LEFT)
14.4 12.4 =SUM(LEFT) 18.5 Youth and adults can be distinguished from staff and volunteers
since the former are the direct target groups, whereas the latter are seen primarily (though
not exclusively) as the means to sustain the learning and training activities. The fact
that 154 young people have received training averaging eight hours each during the course
of the year is of course an achievement in itself, as it the 64 adults with an average
of 6.4 training hours each. This is a highly disadvantaged area and motivating people to
participate in training and education activities can be difficult. Furthermore, many of the
courses were oversubscribed and if more facilities were available, more could have been done.
There is little doubt that the nature of the course, using modern IT equipment, focused
on non-formal learning techniques and on generating products, is a major attraction for the participants.
Course participants highlighted that the following factors were important in their decision to
become and stay involved in the courses: the community based setting of the centre; the
informal manner in which the courses were structured; the new and interesting ICT tools;
the peer learning approach. However, what is required is evidence that this training,
as well as the other activities, will lead to outcomes for the participants and for the
community. Such outcomes fall into a number of possible categories. For Course Participants
There is strong evidence that the participants in courses enjoy them, find them creative
and interesting, both in their own accounts and from others. An immediate benefit from
their perspective is to be engaging in creative and social activities. Staff at Holly Hill
also report that parents enthuse about the Centre s activities, based on what their children
tell them and what they here back from them. Those with a computer at home are taking a
greater interest. Beyond these general comments, interviews do suggest that the training may
lead to further outcomes for course participants. Participants identified specific skills or
competences acquired through the course work such as: Increased levels of confidence when
it comes to using ICTs (especially those on which they had received training); Lack of
fear in relation to working with new people or approaching new learning situations; Ability
to formally interview groups; Confidence about working in a group and completing a series
of tasks; Ability to accept support and actively contribute to the process of learning in a
team. However, such a short exposure to the training is unlikely in itself to bring about
major change, unless it can act as a catalyst for something further. The products , according
the most people involved in the courses or otherwise, are a source of pride for participants
and beyond that, contribute to feelings of self esteem. The sense of achievement is real,
and significantly magnified through the public show-casing of the outputs. Participants described
the satisfaction with completing the steps towards producing a tangible output as well
as being able to demonstrate the product to family and friends e.g. a printed comic strip
that included their image, animated characters that could be displayed to friends on their
mobile phones, animated films on display through the website, and a film shown in the Pavilion
Theatre to some parents and community workers as well as to the general public. Implementation
of courses in schools allows some opportunities for monitoring of outcomes. The Home School
liaison officer in St. Laurence s College reports that the students in the Environmental
Film Project all from disadvantaged backgrounds are all attending school and doing well (though
this is not to suggest they had had problem prior to this this is not known). The same
source points out also that feedback from the parents of these children suggests that
the positive school experience reported to them by their children - some of whom might
have had negative school experience may also better predisposed more positively towards
learning thereafter. Other than this, evidence, though coming from youth workers and CDP staff
in the area, is essentially anecdotal: One of the DJs is reported by a local youth worker
as having thrived since he took it up, especially enjoying the discos, gaining confidence and
avoiding situations of trouble that had previously been an issue for him. The parent of a young
person says that since he has been to the course he has enhanced his ability to concentrate
and uses the home computer extensively for school related work; Another participant in
the Centre s training, previously in a Homework group because of difficulty in keeping up,
now finds new confidence in being able to learn and be creative through the use of the
Centre s equipment So far there are no reported cases of progression in the formal sense,
for instance through early school leavers retuning to school, moving on to further relevant
educational courses, or to employment that utilises the skills developed. For Holly Hill
CDP and more widely in the Community Additional benefits have accrued to the community, mainly
in the form of reinforcing the community development groups and activities. This can be related
directly to the training, or following from other activities. Wider benefits from the
training accrue where a community organisation is directly involved in the training or where
those trained undertake work with the organisation. An example are the DJs running community Discos.
While benefiting the young people attending the disco, this has also saved the sponsoring
group (Holly House CDP) money. The DJs are paid a token amount, but a saving of about
spire to it in the future. The founder of another newly formed group, Southern Ability
for people with physical disabilities, is now training as a trainer and will soon has
G rda clearance. Their goal is to teach the Film making course to the group. As she notes,
film editing and even production can be done from a wheelchair. The CDMC can also directly
reinforce community activities. The relationship with the Newsletter, produced by the three
CDPs in the area, may be significant here and holds potential for the future. If the
Centre does bring to print-ready form the quarterly Newsletter, the Newsletter group
stands to save on current costs of desk-top editing, as well as developing skills within
the group itself. Further distribution of the Newsletter on the Web is also a benefit.
Other areas in which the CDMC has contributed is the making videos of various community
events, copies of which are made available for community showing, fundraising or other
uses. Holly House itself acknowledges benefits from hosting the Centre. The Holly House has
seen an increased level of activity as groups attracted into the Centre learn more about
what is available at Holly House, including younger people, older people and men. There
is referral from Holly House activities to the courses, and vice versa. Participants
have in turn spoken to family and friends, and the Centre, and the CDP associated with
it, has significantly improved its profile. Indeed, when this finishes, it will create
a gap in finances that will be difficult to fill. Summary In terms of outcomes, therefore,
a number of areas can be identified, if not precisely quantified: Subsequent use of the
specific skills and capacities obtained from training programmes, in a small number of
cases; The beginnings of integration within community dynamic, enriching other community
development efforts. Benefits to the Holly Hill CDP as the host, and it may be supposed
to a lesser but discernible extent to other centres in which the training is being hosted,
in terms of attracting new and important clients groups, and gaining a profile in the community.
A financial benefit to Holly Hill CDP, which translates into additional resources for community
activities outside the Centre Beyond these outputs and partial outcomes above, there
is as yet scant evidence as to the longer term potential impact of the Centre on the
community it serves. Analysis and Conclusions The Rationale and Objectives Summary The rationale
for the CDMC has both community development and pedagogical aspects. In terms of community
development, the CDMC was established on the perception that disadvantaged communities
and people living in them have far more limited access to ICTs than their counterparts in
better off neighbourhoods, giving the latter an advantage not just in school but in other
areas of personal development and progression. Existing digital initiatives, such as the
Digital Hub in Dublin City Centre, can assist just a small number of people and do not focus
exclusively on disadvantage, so it was felt that a project with potential for replication
(as had been the experience with the first F S schools project) could begin to address
this imbalance in opportunities. At the same time, a specific pedagogical approach was
adopted, based on Contructionist Learning, as it was perceived to be particularly suited
to motivating young people in disadvantaged areas and to achieving concrete learning results.
This approach would, it was felt, develop not just key skills in ICTs, such as producing
digital media content, but also engender wider life and vocational skills such as communication,
problem solving, critical thinking, investigation and analysis, and social and personal awareness
and interaction. Additional factors also came into play. IADT saw some potential for progression
from disadvantaged communities in the RAPID areas, in which they have had little success
so far. The RAPID programme itself could see the benefit of additional resources being
devoted to these communities. And the local communities were ready, with only understandable
reservations, to welcome opportunities to work with new technologies. The objectives
of the CDMC, broadly speaking, were to enhance the educational and life experience of young
people in the project area, thereby contributing both to potential for educational achievement
and vocational skills development. A range of other, related but perhaps secondary, benefits
were also alluded to, such as preventing early school leaving, enhancing everyday communication
within the community, tackling intergenerational disadvantage, and applying technology to empowering
citizens. But the core objective focused on the life chances of disadvantaged young people,
in the wider context of their communities and development activities. The medium of
film and digital content production, within the context of the approach taken by the CDMC,
were to be the means to achieve this. Analysis Overall, the rationale has been followed in
many key respects, and some important aspects of it can be verified as relevant. The Constructionist
Approach, although not known as such by anyone other than the F S Creative Manager the original
source of the idea has been pursued by the Coordinator under the guidance of the former.
The emphasis not simply on learning by doing but on learning by making has caught and maintained
the interest of young and older people alike and interest in and attendance on the course
has been high. The emphases on a product , central to Constructionism, offers opportunities
to further enhance self esteem and confidence beyond the learning process itself and among
peers and the wider community. The relevance to disadvantaged communities in particular,
where formal education is held in low regard by some, is especially strong. The relative
success of the implementation of the approach was greatly facilitated by the creativity,
enthusiasm and ability of the Coordinator, who was strongly praised by everyone involved.
His pursuit of the approach is less through an academic understanding of its principles
than a practical grasp of what attracts and maintains interest and learning for people.
His ability to communicate with all people, young and old, and his support for and encouragement
of their efforts is noted many times. He is very well qualified, both in terms of education
and orientation, to the work, and he has responded in a flexible manner to the different challenges
arising. Issues arising The objectives, as understood by different stakeholders on the
management committee and by local community members, vary somewhat, and are also not entirely
clear. Some felt it was to provide skills in ICTs; others felt that it was about wider
life-skills and getting young people interested in new areas and ideas. Improving their school
performance was also cited. Progression to IADT or elsewhere was mentioned, as were employment
opportunities, but with no clear focus on to how this might happen. Most felt it targeted
young people, but others also emphasised other marginalised or vulnerable groups. Since the
Centre is already bringing tangible benefits to the community, local stakeholders have
limited incentive to look at the bigger picture, for instance at the importance of formal progression
or of the replicability of the Centre. The community recognise it as a good thing, and
that is enough for them. However, issues such as the precise target groups to be addressed
(is it pre-teen; teenage or older people; is it early school leavers, or everyone? etc),
and the precise change it hopes to bring about (e.g. to encourage a return to school to early
school leavers; to improve performance at school; to lead to progression in education
or employment), are not clear among any of the stakeholders involved. Problems can arise
from such unfocused targets and objectives and a lack of explicit consensus on them.
First, it makes it difficult to assess success, or even to know precisely what success might
constitute. Second, it makes it difficult to refine and adapt the activities of the
Centre as it proceeds, by learning from progress and reapplying those lessons. Third, potential
funders will certainly be keen to understand the precise target groups, the objectives
of the CDMC and the underlying rationale, with a view to considering how it might potentially
affect their own objectives. Strategy Summary The strategy to achieve the objectives had
a number of components, outlined earlier. Most of these have been implemented, though
not necessarily within the timescale and sequence and to scale envisaged. (The following correspond
to the summary strategy component beginning on page PAGEREF _Ref253131872 \h above.) The
Centre was established as planned, and remains operational in a highly effective manner with
regard to equipment, ease of use, availability, security and other factors. Youth workers,
including some CDP staff as well as volunteers, have been or are being trained as trainers,
though not in the numbers anticipated. Originally the target had been to train two each from
eight different groups. The reality has been perhaps six being trained as trainers (five
volunteers and one CDP staff), many of whom would be flexible enough to work with different
groups. The Website provides very limited support, in the sense of additional materials
for learners, trainers or others. Resources for learners have been prepared, both in hard
and soft form, and are used in the training sessions. Various elements of a resource pack
for trainers also exist. But neither is in a coherent form that could be used by other
trainers to deliver the courses, or by in training of trainer courses not run by the
current Coordinator. Youth Workers will begin soon to provide training to other groups,
autonomously. This is happening considerably later than had been envisaged, partly because
it took more time than expected to identify potential volunteers but also because of such
issues as the need to obtain Garda clearance which can take several months. The number
of local groups involved is growing, and is the volume of media products created. Support
is provided by the Coordinator for ongoing project development, and new project and ideas
are emerging on a regular basis. The Ideas Workshops envisaged have not been run, though
there appears to be plenty of innovation and ideas emerging in their absence. In 2009 the
CDMC delivered a total of 31 courses (a few running into 2010) in 14 distinct topics,
almost doubling the initial target of 16 individual courses. There is little evidence that more
advanced modules are being created. Modules to date are all suitable for beginnings, and
there is no evidence of a cumulative learning process. A small number of participants have
taken more than one course, and this no doubt broadens their knowledge. But this does not
appear to be a trend. There have been no moves as yet to differentiate projects for the four
age classifications indicated in Year 2 of the strategy. The archives of the CDMC on
the Website are impressive in terms of the sheer volume of products, and the quality
of some of them. This appears to be the main purpose of the Website at present. The project
itself celebrates the achievements of participants in ways that reinforce their positive impact.
The current evaluation is an attempt to capture lessons and consider issues for mainstreaming
Analysis Certain aspects of the strategy have worked well. In particular the design and
implementation of training programmes and projects has far exceeded expectations in
terms of the volume of project/courses completed, and thus presumably on the number of participants.
The creation of digital products by participants has been impressive, and their archiving on
the Website creates an ongoing cumulative record. They have been showcased and celebrated
in a few cases well beyond the communities themselves. The training of volunteers has
not happened with the speed or in the volumes that had been hoped. Nevertheless it is underway
and the expectation is that volunteers and CDP scheme workers will deliver courses on
their own in the coming months. The Centre has also moved into areas not included in
the original plan that might inform future strategic directions. Through the use of F
S additional equipment, the CDMC has been able to undertake courses outside the Centre,
into adjacent disadvantaged communities and other groups in the wider area. It has worked
with homeless people, recovering addicts as well as with various groups of adults more
generally. It has also linked with other community development activities. Through lending out
equipment, volunteers and the work of the Coordinator, it has documented and recorded
community events, potentially contributing to their goals through amplifying the message
of such groups and providing material for lobbying and funding raising use. Its work
to support the local Newsletter could also position it well to link with further community
activities. Although not explicit in the strategy, acceptance by the community of the CDMC as
a valuable participant in local community development structures, and establishing a
relationship of trust, was always implicitly an important goal relating especially in relation
to sustainability and impact. In many important respects this has been achieved. The project
has embedded itself very well within the community development structures, is highly regarded
and trusted. Issues Arising Year 1 has seen the largest proportion of resources focused
on working with the younger two age cohorts , the under ten year olds and 10 to 13 age
groups. This was not dictated by the strategy, but rather arose from courses being organised
organically to take account of the abilities and interests of the group in hand and the
demands made on the Centre. Progression from one course to another was not a feature of
project planning in Year 1, although a few young people moved from one course to another
following their interest in new learning and their enjoyment of the completed work.. Likewise,
differentiating between the four age cohorts was not a factor in project planning. Such
an organic development in Year 1 was well suited to and served by the Constructionist
approach to promoting informal learning and completing sets of tasks. The response from
interviewed participants indicates that the unplanned aspects of age cohort differentiation
and progression did not reduce their overall satisfaction levels and positive learning
outcomes. However, the strategic aim of the project in Year 2: to differentiate projects
and courses for four distinct age classifications (under 10 years; 10 13 years; 13 to 15 years;
15 years +) ; has yet to be addressed. This poses a number of fundamental challenges for
Year 2 of the project. A Challenge to the informal Constructionist approach The current
approach has facilitated ongoing demand for new courses and satisfaction among course
participants with their completed products and learning outcomes. However, due to their
young age (primary level education for the most part) and the general absence of differentiated
and structured progression routes into more advanced levels of courses for that age group,
an exclusive continued focus on this group will limit opportunities for anything other
than short term outcomes regarding the development of informal competences and skills that may
or may not contribute directly to more formal educational learning. The Constructionist
approach faces challenges in the context of introducing age-differentiated courses with
clearly defined progression routes. Older groups may have a greater need for very specific
and supported planning of activities and associated pedagogic approaches e.g. engaging and maintaining
a group of 13+ years cohort who may be at risk of early school leaving requires a different
set of outreach and facilitation skills compared to working with the under 10s or 10-13 year
olds. Repeating the success of Year 1 in the context of a series of age-differentiated
projects focusing on progression would require significantly increased demands on project
resources, especially in terms of co-ordinator s time. Specifically a greater degree of formal
planning and co-ordination would be demanded, as well as an ongoing focus on review and
follow up with course participants. Furthermore, high levels of support would be necessary
for the older age cohorts with regard to ensuring their ongoing engagement and active participation
as well as working with them on associated progression issues (visits to third level
institutes, work on CVs, etc.). It is not that there is an inherent antipathy between
the Constructionist approach and the desire to meet the strategic aims of progression
and differentiated courses with the older age group. In fact it would be entirely desirable
that the successes of Year 1 with the younger cohorts could be replicated with the older
age cohorts. The key challenge relates to the ability to focus project resources into
meeting such a strategic aim, and the availability of this level of resources. Catering for older
participants (i.e. over 13 years) The transition from primary to second level education is
a critical juncture in educational formation. Many young people describe feelings of being
unsettled and alienated as they enter often larger educational settings. In cases where
this transition process has a prolonged effect on the student s ability to integrate into
the new school life and the associated class work and learning, there can be a higher risk
of early school leaving. The CDMC, working closely with Holly House, has created a safe
and welcoming space where young people can engage and learn in an attractive community-based
environment. This might have the potential to become a platform to counter the drift
toward early school leaving. Creating a series of linked progression opportunities for those
involved in second level education up to and beyond their involvement in the Junior Certificate
could thus become a future CDMC objective. Success in this would depend to a large degree
on the manner in which progression issues are clearly articulated in the course design,
its objectives, its delivery and crucially its ongoing review. Course participants noted
that they first begin to think seriously about notions of higher education or employment
prospects during transition year or the post Junior Certificate year (i.e. age 15/16).
Such an objective, of planting seeds of progression toward third level education among course
participants, would need to be made explicit in the manner in which courses are designed
and delivered. There are considerable opportunities to use digital media as a tool to engage the
older age groups in the process of informal learning. However, the challenge relates to
being able to secure resources to plan, design, deliver and support activities and courses
with the aim of promoting progression routes. Related to this, the project faces a dilemma
with regard to the extent to which it seeks to address its objective of creating structured
links with IADT and its access office. While the visits to IADT have been well regarded
by the young people and may have introduced new horizons to some, without meaningful and
structured follow up through targeted courses, the initial visit may have been of little
import in the longer term. Implications for training of trainer modules Delays in the
development of trained volunteers does create an immediate problem of sustainability, in
the sense that the CDMC model maintains that local volunteers should be able to provide
the majority if not all training within a reasonable periods of time. As volunteers
are not yet providing the training on their own, it is not possible at this point to assess
whether this central component of the strategy will work. Given the current timescale of
the CDMC, it may not be entirely clear by the currently scheduled end. A further aspect
of this training relates to the fact it depends on being able to work in a hands on manner
with course participants. The lack of participants from an older age cohort has meant that the
training of trainer modules have resulted in limited exposure to working with a different
set of pedagogical challenges, associated with engaging an older set of participants.
The training of trainer modules have also been framed within the informal constructionist
approach to learning. Should a focus in Year 2 examine a more structured and planned approach
to promoting progression within the learning environment, new modules would need to be
designed and implemented. Development of Supporting Course Materials Other issues arising in relation
to courses material and content also cause some concern. It is recognised that much of
the supporting material and resources for a course on digital media will reside in the
hardware and software itself (there is no substitute for actual practice and context
specific help ). However there are other areas, such as the specific areas of skills being
covered (cartoon development, story boards, camera use etc.) in which course material
and resource packs for participants, as well as training guidelines for volunteers who
would deliver the training, would be valuable. While current training activities are adequate
for the current courses, such resources would be especially useful from the replicability
point of view beyond this initial trial CDMC. Finally the absence of any progression available
to participants between difference courses is also a weakness in relation to the original
strategy. The more a participant can gain, perhaps from successive courses, the better
equipped that person becomes in terms of linking into further dynamics of progression, whether
within their own schools, in employment or in further study. Thus issues do arise in
terms of each of the three strategic strands: cumulative skills development; sustainability,
and replicability. Outcomes and Impact The immediate benefits to participants are real.
Not only do participants enjoy engaging with the training, they are aware of developing
skills and abilities that they did not know they had or that they could acquire. Broadly,
the participants themselves acknowledge developments in the areas of: Use of specific ICT hardware
and software, to a basic level but one that can act as a platform for self-motivated learning
Interpersonal skills and team working, Confidence in completing tasks, Communication skills.
A sense of achievement and self worth, Adults and older people also gain from the programme.
They report that they have improved their practical ICT skills, and have enjoyed the
social aspects of the activities. Yet it is not clear that the CDMC is contributing to
tackling some of the problems that older people traditionally face, such as isolation. There
is no specific targeting of older people with such issues, and it seems likely that the
groups involved are self-selecting and already socially engaged if only because they heard
about the programmes though social contact. It is too early to say with certainty, but
the work with disadvantaged groups which so far include homeless people and former drug
users outside the RAPID area seems likely to benefit participants. Though Southern Ability
has not yet begun its own course, and is a group of people with disabilities within the
RAPID areas, the enthusiasm of the main people involved indicates high expectations in terms
of benefits of a practical and social nature. The community as a whole is also beginning
to see benefits. The first signs of linking into wider community capacity building and
empowerment are present, for instance through establishing links with the local Newsletter
which acts as a focus for many local development groups; through videoing local events; and
support groups in documenting their activities. Analysis The popularity of the courses among
the participants is perhaps a prerequisite of success in the longer term, but is of limited
use in judging their value and ultimate impact. For the young people participating in the
CDMC, the issue is whether the perceived benefits are temporary and will dissipate over time;
or whether the CDMC can continue reinforce these within activities in the Centre itself
or in other aspects of the young people s experiences such as social, employment and
educational (school) areas. Ultimately, the question is will the CDMC intervention achieve
some progression, in the broadest sense, that would not otherwise have been possible. Does
the CDMC open new doors for young people? Does it improve their life chances, and the
likelihood of escaping the cycles of deprivation that have entrapped their communities? There
is little direct evidence that this will happen, for one immediate reason. Since the CDMC has
been in place for just one year, it is far too early to expect direct evidence of significant
outcomes. But there is a deeper issue. Central to the CDMC is the issue of progression. Progression
can take many forms, from early school leavers returning to schools, to children channelling
aggression in new directions, to progress in social relations, to improved orientation
and results in schoolwork, to post further education, to employment in suitable and challenging
positions, and so forth. Yet the issue at this point is not which form of progression
is achieved, but that progression is a clear target; that certain potential avenues for
progression are identified, along with potential partners to help to achieve them; that actions
are taken to achieve such progression, and that progress is monitored and evaluated.
The CDMC at present lacks clear avenues for progression, due to a number of factors outlined
above. While it is, as noted, too early to assess whether progression has been achieved,
it would anyhow be very difficult to assess in the absence of an identified target group,
definite avenues for progression, and a coherent strategy to achieve them. Recommendations
Recommendations 1: A renewed Management focus on Impact and Sustainability The CDMC, the
management and staff, have been understandably preoccupied with establishing the Centre during
the first year, gaining the trust and respect of the community, and developing the courses
and materials. These have more than fully occupied the resources available to the project.
But at this point the CDMC will need to very significantly change its orientation, now
looking toward the future. The overarching recommendation is that the CDMC Management
must without delay reorient its activities from those associated with establishing the
foundations of the project, towards both its potential future impact and its sustainability.
This was the express purpose of this evaluation, and is indicative of a strong recognition
of this by that Management Committee. To achieve what is needed it seems likely that the Management
Committee and the Manager will have to devote more time to the CDMC, especially in the immediate
future. This process could begin with a well prepared CDMC Management Workshop that would
consider issues raised below and result in the development of a Strategic Plan for the
CDMC. The Coordinators time, too, will also have to be reorganised. During 2009 he has
done an excellent job in responding to multiple requests and demands that have emerged during
the course of the first year. He has expended enormous energy and creativity when approached
with ideas by the community and others. For 2010, his time and energies must be prioritised
and supervised more carefully to ensure they achieve what is needed for the CDMC in the
current phase of development. The recommendations below are to be seen within this context.
Recommendation 2: Revisit and Reaffirm the Objectives and target groups Most important
is the need to revisit the clarity the objectives of the CDMC. On the one side, the original
project proposal contained a broad set of objectives, some of which confused means with
ends ; on the other, those working with the project on the ground or on the Committee
have only partial, and not always overlapping, understandings of what it aims to achieve.
The first issue for objectives is around the kind of impact, or combination of impacts,
that is being sought. At present, there are clear outputs and some at least short-term
impact on the younger age group participants and on the community. However, with regard
to longer-term objectives and impacts, a key issue relates to the specific group that is
being targeted, as well as the nature of change that is being sought. Young people will undoubtedly
remain at the core of the objectives and strategy. But the specific set of young people will
highly influence the approach. If the target groups remain primarily among the younger
age cohort, in primary school or very early secondary, then links to conventional notions
of progression will be relatively weak. The challenge in this case will be to convince
funders that the kinds of outcomes that are identified in this report (for instance incremental
improvements across a range of personal and interactive skills, ICTs skills, creative
abilities etc.) will, in the long term, yield impacts in terms of improving the life chances
of the participating individuals and of the community as a whole. This, it should be noted,
is a very difficult case to build credibly, in terms of monitoring and evaluating and
logically in terms of the supposed dynamic of change. If however, as stated in the strategic
plan, the goal is to differentiate the target groups into four age cohorts, then a number
of possibilities emerge. This is because it would be possible to design an internal CDMC
avenue of progression, going successively from one course to more advanced ones, and
cumulatively gaining skills at each step. This could have a number of objectives. It
could remain focused on informal outputs, based on the idea that the skills and competences
achieved would stand to the benefit of participants in a general sense (as is the case at the
moment). As this is over a sustained period of time, it would be possible to monitor such
progress and evaluate success. It could focus on specific groups, such as those at risk
of early school leaving, and develop courses that would specifically target avenues back
to school or into other vocational possibilities. It could focus on enhancing opportunities
for progression for all students within the disadvantaged areas, developing and exploring
specific avenues for progression into third level such as IATP, FETAC qualifications or
other specific vocational opportunities Each of these courses of action presents new challenges.
The first is the least problematic but as argued earlier it would still require a significantly
higher level of resources as well as a major reformulation of training, including materials
and skills needed for training of trainers. The second two options, however, present a
challenge to the informality of the Constructionist approach to learning. Each of them would be
attempting to enable the insertion or reinsertion into more formal training and educational
structures, and such an attempt would inevitably mean that the CDMC training itself would become
more formalised, that accreditation may necessary. There is risk here. The central aspect of
Constructionist learning is that it is informal, unforced and generally does not involve much
explicit formal learning i.e. it is fun. This is a major part of its attraction. The risk
is that increased formality in content and a greater focus on demonstrable progress (beyond
the products) will undermine the informal pedagogic approach that has been implemented
with such success as outlined in this report, leading to less interest among participants
particularly among those most unsuited to traditional forms of learning and hence likely
not to do well in school. Thus, in the case of early school leavers, it may alienate the
very group it is seeking to attract. Thus these options would require some combination
that retains the means to engage young people, while at the same time conforming to requirements
of progression. Having presented the latter two options, however, it would most likely
be a case of strategic over-reach to aim to engage the older cohorts in explicit progression
within the second year of the CDMC project. The question is whether such possibilities
should be dropped, or retained for the longer term strategy. If they are retained, then
exploring the possibilities and requirements should begin without delay (see below). But
option a) above, i.e. an explicit goal of developing age-differentiated courses with
a progressive component, is already within the existing strategy, and should be either
reaffirmed or discounted. One way or the other, the CDMC might benefit from a reiteration
and further elaboration of the pedagogical principles that underlie its learning activities.
While the approach is successful in attracting and maintaining interest among participants
of all ages, and appears to be generating a positive learning experience that can facilitate
the development of a range of skills, an explicit statement of it especially within the context
of reformulated objectives and target groups - would be useful. Specifically it would
assist both those working in and relating to the project, the management Committee and,
perhaps most important, potential funders and supporters. It might also assist in developing
the approach to face the future challenges. There are also other elements to the objectives
and target groups that should be considered. Working with disadvantaged or development-focused
groups within the areas, such as Southern Ability, Women s Groups and the Newsletter
Group, might also comprise a part of the strategic target group. More even than working with
young people, such groups enable the CDMC to integrate within the wider community and
contribute to overall development and empowerment activities. Such integration in turn may assist
the sustainability of the concept of the CDMC, and hence should be included in the strategy.
For instance if advocacy groups within the community can use ICT tools to disseminate
their message more effectively within and outside the community, more community volunteers
may emerge. Certainly in the current climate, these communities are being hit both by cutbacks
in government support and services in terms of specific measures for communities with
the closure of many CDPs, and wider cutbacks in education and health and other areas and
by increased economic and social pressures arising from unemployment. In this context,
the need for advocacy, lobbying and direct community empowerment groups will inevitably
rise and the CDMC could play a proactive role there. Recommendation 3: Focus Resources on
Target Groups and Strategic Needs For the coming year, it is vital that the CDMC Team
focus on the key target groups, strategic goals, and on the additional activities that
will have to be undertaken if sustainability is to be achieved. More of the Coordinator
s time must be freed up to undertake activities such as effective and timely documentation
of actions and outputs; the production of training and support materials including researching
what might be available elsewhere; and identifying new partners (see below) and liaising with
them. This will undoubtedly be at the expense of some of the activities that occupied a
significant amount of time during 2009. Adult training courses should address very specific
groups that fall within the strategic needs of the CDMC, such as the need to support other
capacity building and development activities within the communities. Support for other
groups within the community should also be done in a manner that is part of a proactive
strategy to integrate within the development actions of the community, rather than simply
the understandable desire to satisfy every request put to the Centre. Training undertaken
externally should have an explicit purpose, whether that is contributing to sustainability
through generating income, or exploring whether the CDMC approach has the potential to have
an impact among other disadvantaged groups. Recommendation 4: Identify Partners for Progression
and Sustainability As discussed above, progression for the target group, even by informal routes,
could become more central to the CDMC especially in the longer term. With target groups identified,
the specific routes that might open for them need to be clearly articulated, routes that
include further development within the Centre as well as outside, in the home, community,
school, employment and so forth. Such progression will require partners, whether the IADT, vocational
colleges, secondary schools or others. The goal of the partners is to smooth the way
along such avenues taking into consideration the specific backgrounds and needs of the
target group, to provide feedback to the CDMC and assist in monitoring progress and evaluating
outcomes. Partners would also become involved directly in the CDMC to ensure that its activities
dovetail appropriately with the progression possibility. As noted, this may also involve
the development of a number of new courses, including possibly series of courses that
can bring the learner along a prescribed series of stages. Recommendation 5: Identify and
Work with Partners for Sustainability A second area of partners may also become critical.
A number of different organisations have overlapping goals with those of the CDMC, and indeed the
CDMC is already working with some of them. It may therefore be possible to deepen these
relationships, in a manner that would enable THEM to share or provide resources to the
CDMC at the local level The current strategy of training volunteers to run courses into
the future may prove inadequate in terms of continuity and skill sets. But it may be possible
to supplement this with staff from among other agencies and bodies. Professional youth workers,
for instance, may be able to deliver courses, especially if more comprehensive course material
were available (see below). In the case of the pilot CDMC these might include the F S
Loughlinstown Training Centre; Dun Laoghaire VEC - Youth Service Section (for instance
the Alternative Learning Pathways project) and others. Schools could also play a role
here. The attempt to train school teachers as trainers could be reconsidered, especially
if better material and supports were available. Recommendations 6: Develop Training and Support
Materials The development of more comprehensive training and support materials, whether in
soft or hard copy, could significantly contribute to sustainability. These could address a number
of areas and situations: More training materials for participants might enable them to engage
in more self-learning, perhaps continuing work away from the Centre at their home or
elsewhere; Such materials and resources could also make it easier for volunteers, or professional
youth workers with little specific training in ICTs, to support the training process;
Materials and resources for training of trainers are especially relevant in the context of
replicability of the CDMC. Greater availability of materials on the Website might also enable
some enable distance learning among the categories above. Recommendation 7: Seek resources for
an Extension of 12 to 18 month It was with some reluctance that the Management Committee
accepted the reduction of the originally envisaged timescale of three years to just two. In the
circumstances, they had little choice, but they were also right. This report has shown
that the CDMC as a concept has significant potential, that it has already brought benefits
to the individuals involved and to the community. But it has also demonstrated that two years
is insufficient to undertake a pilot that would enable a full assessment of the potential
of the CDMC in terms of its possible impact, its sustainability and its potential for mainstreaming.
A further 12 to 18 months would be a minimum to implement the above recommendations and
to begin to have a reasonable overview of its potential in the longer term. In terms
of value for money, it makes good sense to invest in an initiative that is well underway,
has overcome many of the critical early obstacles, and is prepared to develop a strategic plan
for the future. Furthermore, much of the initial expense was once-off and will not be repeated.
Resource should initially be sought from within the currently participating organisations.
Demonstrating a commitment there will certainly be advantageous from the point of view of
approaching other funders. -------------------------- The above elements can be combined into a
strategy to plot the future direction of the CDMC. With successful implementation the issue
of mainstreaming can then be returned to in a realistic manner. From implementation of
the next phase, it should be come clear: What the potential impacts are for clearly identified
target groups; Who the potential partners are, at community level (though including
national and local support organisations) in the pilot area, but also in principal elsewhere;
The cost of implementation and the resources that can be drawn on; The potential donors,
based on those with an overlap in the clearly defined objectives and impacts of the CDMC;
The potential for mainstreaming and replication elsewhere. http://www.fis.ie http://www.iadt.ie/en/
The NCTE is involved in the development and distribution of a number of digital content
initiatives for schools. See HYPERLINK "http://www.ncte.ie/NCTEInitiatives/DigitalContent/" http://www.ncte.ie/NCTEInitiatives/DigitalContent/
For a retrospective introduction to Constructionism see: HYPERLINK "http://www.papert.org/articles/SituatingConstructionism.html"
http://www.papert.org/articles/SituatingConstructionism.html Papert s own Website is at: HYPERLINK "http://www.papert.org/"
http://www.papert.org/ Papert popularised his ideas mainly through a 1980 publication
of Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas (Basic Books). The early use of computers
PCs were in their infancy is a hallmark of his approach and software called Logo used
to teach mathematics was one of his first widely used applications. CDMC Project Plan,
December 2007. This comment is contained in the Benefits Section of the project plan,
but is of strategic import. Some of the equipment is made available from F S directly, and was
not funded under the CDMC budget. These are named as: Shanganagh Community Development
Project, Loughlinstown Community Development Project, Ballybrack Community Development
Project, Youth Estate Management Fora, Loughlinstown Community Rooms, Shanganagh Park house, Springboard,
DunLaoghaire Youth Service Groups Contained in a letter from Pobal (under which the Fund
is administered) to South Partnership, dated 9th November 2007. The four different age
cohorts that make up the key demographics for the CDMC project s activities: Under 10s;
10-13 year olds; 13-15 year olds; 15+ roughly correspond to junior and senior cycle students
at primary and second level schools. CDMC Evaluation Draft Report 12/02/2010 page PAGE
Can we get some information on the focus group? There is no further reference to them in the
document. This whole paragragh is factually incorrect Will need to supply proper details
on this This is factually in correct I can supply proper details upon request typo Proposal
was resubmitted This is not correct It was never decided to put the centre in Laurnences
It was part of the proposal but following meeting with the principal in Southside Partnership
offices it was deemed as not the ideal location It took a further 4 moths before we found
hooly house. It wasn t fortuitous The team had spent 4 months waitiing for the perfect
location Needs clarification As this statement is very important it needs to be answered
here Needs expansion What does the Man Com think of it now? Are they happy? There is
a very small paragraph referecned later on perhaps this should be moved to here!!! Where
it says that the Man com is very very pleased with the work of the CDMC See page 23 paragrpgh
3 above Issus Arrising There were lots of other people other than me ( Perhaps reword
to one of the orginators This is factually incorrect This is the only toilets that can
be used for people with dissabilities The only toilets in holly house are upstairs where
no lift is available This is a massive benefit and should be expanded This feature would
be a major part of replicating the cetnre where a coputer room can have shared funtions
There are no other computer rooms that can be used as a creche and live in co existance.
There were 3 projects The UNITE project, Springboard and Futurama. FIS/IADT Is this needed While
Martin never actually sat on the baord he never resigned either Can it be taken out?
Should be repharsed the CDMC coordinator reports into the Creative Manager no neeed to reference
part time The most imprtant aspect has been overlooked! The concpet that the computer
room is a Multifuntional room and can co exist with ther projectes in the same room. Allowing
for the potential of collaboratitve community projects. I think this is incorrect Paul can
you supply % break downs I think this is incorrect There has been a huge amont of visusal lesson
plans developed by Paul for all age categories Paul can you supply a list? This is not needed
- This is incorrect teachers and youtworkers have been referred to HYPERLINK "http://www.fis.ie"
www.fis.ie - where we host a copmlete online slef directed course for teachers and youtworkers
on intigrating media into their practice. www.fis./interactive Rephrase video tutorials
included in the software or the web links to the video tutorials allow for self directed
learning. Please clarify Materials are available I am not too sure this is correct Paul can
you supply a breakdown of people figures and percentages Very negative phrasing can it
be reworded? Very negative phrasing can it be reworded? Typo - IADT This is a very significant
point Ownership been taken on the ground Should be exapnded upon - Sustainability This is
a huge eleement of the CDMC A collaborativre approach within the Community A big part of
sustainability Surely more should written on this? Very negative could be reworded Due
to the overcrowding in the Primary curriculum it proved difficuilt for teachers to implement
new digital media ideas in this academic year. Perhaps with further planning and classroom
management discussions the teachers will try and implent their new skills in the following
year This has been taken out of context Paul can you clarify? In essesnce this approach
makes it more flexible and easier to manage from the Trainers perspective. As it allows
the group to be nondependant an any particular individual and when that individual is unavailable
to attend - the program can still achieve its objective VODCAST is a word that is no
longer used its Podcast Generic term for all kinds of podcast Enhanced Podcasts, Audio
or Video Podcasts No nedd for this statement IADT and southside Partnership have huge account
management systems behind the project that manage the transfer of millions of euro a
year between them Typo This is a really important point Surely this should be expanded. What
about the cooperative learning approaches, coolaborative learning , team work, communications
skills the soft skills? Its not just monetary its community collaboration This is really
important Should need further clarification There are allot more benefits than this Can
they be expanded Horrible word Not specific a loose philospy Take out This is not needed
Needs to reworded Same as above I believe this is incorrect Paul can supply figures
I know there is at least 5-6 other voulnters working with the CDMC excluding the turn over
staff from Hollyhouse I am not sure what this is in reference too The phrasing of theses
bullet points are negative in connoctation I spent along time studying the contructivist
approach From my understanding Informal lerning can happen in a formal learning environment.
This is prefectly normal though shouldn t it also be mentioned that with the addition
of all the new volunteers year 2 will be substanitally easier than yeat 1 This is incorrect Should
be taken out No reference has been made to all the resources available by fis,ie The
fis resource pack the onlin etraining course the lesson plans Incorrect This was never
an objective Though it is an excellent biproduct us working with the elderly Taking prgression
too far way to difficult for this to happen with 8-14 year olds in a 2 year period progression
is not even required yet expalin This is a very important part perhaps a recommendation
should be made here as to how do we ascertain this Progressino is not always required Projects
can and have importance in standing on their own as single once off workshops etc. From
my understanding this is incorrect Informal learning can happen in a formal environment
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