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DIGITAL REVOLUTION HITS HARD Imagine a world led by inclusive technology Imagine a world where all learners and workers are digitally connected, but with equal access to quality and relevant training opportunities. This world may seem very far away, but could actually become a reality. The digital revolution is having a twofold impact on adult learning systems: it is changing the necessary skills for present and future workers, and it is also redesigning the way learning takes place. Digital inclusion is about using digital technology as a means to create social inclusion. Digital inclusion within adult learning is not about infrastructure or software but is about how learners utilize digital technologies in a way that is meaningful to them to improve their lives and communities. We affirm that digital technologies with their much-studied potential for innovation can also introduce new exclusion dynamics and exacerbate the problems of marginalized groups, especially in the present situation of social distancing and online learning brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. But not to worry. This wave of digitalization comes with a newfound perspective: • Digital inclusion is about leveraging “mindware,” not hardware or software; • Digital inclusion is one component of a larger development ecosystem; • Digital inclusion should be the overall goal of digital technological evolution.
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