FROM TOOLBOX TO YOUTOOL Nowadays SALTO Toolbox became one of the most used reference for finding, comparing, inspiring activities implemented by trainers, youth workers and social workers. It still maintains anyway a static approach. Changes and adaptations are not contributing directly to innovate an already uploaded tool. Only some variations appears in the database as a separated tool, most of the times losing its original uploader’s trace, instead of recognizing also the other possible contributors, as it happens for an open source software. The free share approach behind Tool Box can evolve with open content tools. Content that commits users with the right/duty to make more kinds of uses than those actually foreseen by Tool Box. The primary characteristics and commitments for usage of the tools are expressed in the "4Rs Framework": 1. Reuse – to reuse the content in its unaltered form 2. Revise – to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language) 3. Remix - to combine the original or revised content with other content to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mash up) 4. Redistribute - to share, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., upload a copy of the new content to the Tool Box).
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TOOL FOR LEARNING STRATEGY
In the first years after the launch of the Toolbox, SALTO officers were the most active uploaders of the tools developed or gathered during training courses and seminars. Later on trainers and youth workers start to contribute to the “learning society� active in non formal education and youth activities. Tool Fair, together with the European Strategy on Tools for Learning, became official and regular support measures focused on tools and they are influencing also the quality of the uploaded tools. The decreased number of uploads per year is corresponding to a more structured format for the ones inserted, nearer to the definition of tool elaborated by the working group on Tools for Learning. Due to the large use of the Tool Box as reference for trainers, youth workers and social workers (see the chart below) and to the high number of tools uploaded (1.221 nowadays), we can pinpoint innovation more in the transferability and adaptation of the existing tools (also to different contexts like formal education and vocational training) than in the uploading of new tools. The Tool Box has to follow and collect this contributions through a more flexible and interactive interface commit.
Analyzing the functioning of the actual version of Toolbox, it has been possible to spotlight different critical points that can be considered useful for a deeper reflection on its possible revising phase. The analysis has been developed adopting a user oriented approach, considering Tool Box as a resource that can be used for planning activities or comparing different practical approaches to the same topic. A sort of on line clipboard, where everybody can take inspiration from, but also everybody should feel the duty to contribute in the evaluation, transferability and adaptability of the originally uploaded tool. YOUTOOL has been chosen as title of this proposal, in order to focus the attention on the wider humanization of the Tool Box and the reinforcement of the tool ownership as a common resource developed by groups of researchers, officers, trainers, youth workers and social workers in a multi linguistic approach. Page 2 of 3
PROPOSALS
CONCEPT To transform an on line database in a learning community, establishing links between researchers, trainers and practitioners, stimulating their professional relationships based on mutuality and on the development of common content tools for the educational field in general.
STRATEGICAL IMPROVEMENTS specific website like www.toolbox.net (actually available) linked from SALTO webpage greater interactivity with the users through social networks typical methods and tools broaden perspective towards formal education and vocational training wider possibility for the international Tool Box to embody also national levels possible fund raising through commercial banners for specialized publishers
TECHINAL IMPROVEMENTS Reclassify all the tools on the base of the new categories Modify the search filter system based on only 3 items Add the possibility to export a tool as PDF or to share it via e-mail or social networks Add the possibility to upload multilanguage versions to an already published tool Add the possibility to interact with the uploader of a tool through social networks and to ask or give advice on it Modify filters to search tools by language Modify filters to search tools by uploader or author, having the possibility to visualize all tools uploaded by him/her Add possibility to create a favorite list of tools/authors /uploaders Add the possibility to have a reward for the publishers based on the number of tools uploaded, their evaluations made by the users, the comments received, the comments given to someone else contributing to improve the tool
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