Before designing a course, choosing digital tools or planning an international learning activity, it is necessary to understand the people who will take part. For AIDA, research is not a preliminary formality: it is the foundation of the entire learning pathway.
Young people already live, learn and communicate in environments increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Recommendation algorithms influence what they watch, automated tools support the creation of texts and images, and digital platforms affect how information is shared and discussed.
Frequent use of technology, however, does not automatically lead to a critical understanding of it. Young people may be confident users of digital platforms while still needing support to recognise AI-generated content, question unreliable information, understand algorithmic bias, protect their privacy and make informed decisions online.
Youth workers and educators face a related challenge. They are expected to guide young people through a rapidly changing digital environment, while also ensuring that learning activities remain inclusive, participatory and relevant. To do this effectively, they need appropriate knowledge, practical methods and accessible educational resources.
Research before training
AIDA’s learning pathway therefore begins with listening.
Led by the Montenegrin Science Promotion Foundation PRONA, with the contribution of all project partners, the research phase combines literature review, desk research, questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and consultation with relevant experts.
The purpose is to identify:
- the knowledge, skills and digital tools that young people and youth workers currently lack;
- the situations in which participants feel less confident or prepared;
- previous experiences with digital learning and virtual exchanges;
- barriers that may prevent or limit participation;
- preferred course contents and learning formats;
- the factors that can motivate sustained participation.
The research will not simply produce a general description of digital education needs. Its findings will directly guide the structure, content and delivery methods of AIDA’s future activities.
This approach helps the consortium avoid designing an educational pathway based only on institutional assumptions. Instead, the project can respond to the experiences, expectations and obstacles reported by the people it intends to support.
Connecting the perspectives of young people and youth workers
Young people and youth workers experience digital transformation from different but complementary positions.
Young participants can describe how they use AI tools, where they encounter confusion, which online risks concern them and what kinds of activities make digital learning meaningful. Their contributions can reveal gaps between everyday technology use and deeper competencies such as critical thinking, data awareness, ethical reasoning and responsible online participation.
Youth workers and educators can identify recurring difficulties across groups and communities. They can also highlight the practical conditions required to organise inclusive online learning: appropriate facilitation methods, accessible resources, participant support, safe digital spaces and strategies for maintaining engagement.
Bringing these perspectives together is essential. A learning resource may be technically accurate but still fail if it is difficult to access, disconnected from participants’ realities or unsuitable for non-formal education. Research allows AIDA to consider both what people need to learn and how they can learn it effectively.
From evidence to the “Grow & Go” online course
The main bridge between research and future project activities will be the “Grow & Go” online course.
The course will be developed on the basis of the needs and preferences emerging from the research. It is expected to combine interactive lessons, practical exercises, case studies, multimedia materials and digital tools that support experiential learning.
Its contents will prepare participants for the themes addressed throughout AIDA, including digital skills, intercultural understanding, democratic participation, sustainable practices and innovative educational methodologies.
Flexibility will be an important feature. Asynchronous participation will allow learners to engage with materials at different times, while quizzes, interactive resources and practical activities will support different learning styles. Accessibility and multilingual participation will also be considered so that language, location or personal circumstances do not become unnecessary barriers to learning.
The objective is not to create a course that only transfers information. “Grow & Go” should help participants apply knowledge, examine real digital situations and develop the confidence required to participate in AIDA’s later training and virtual exchange activities.
Inclusion as a design principle
Inclusion cannot be added after educational content has already been developed. It must influence the design process from the beginning.
Young people may face different barriers to digital participation, including limited access to devices or connectivity, language difficulties, limited confidence, geographical isolation or economic and social disadvantages. Youth workers may encounter additional challenges when adapting activities to participants with different levels of experience and support needs.
By documenting these barriers, AIDA can make informed decisions about course formats, communication methods, learning materials and facilitation practices.
This means asking not only whether content is available, but whether it is understandable, usable and relevant to people with different backgrounds. It also means creating opportunities for participants who are often underrepresented in international and digital education activities.
Within AIDA, inclusion is closely connected to intercultural learning. Participants from Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Italy will bring different experiences of education, technology and civic participation. These differences are not obstacles to be removed, but perspectives that can enrich the learning process.
AI literacy and digital citizenship
The research phase also supports a broader understanding of AI literacy.
AI literacy is not limited to knowing how to operate an AI tool. It includes understanding its opportunities and limitations, evaluating its outputs, recognising possible bias, questioning the reliability of information and considering the consequences of technology for individuals and communities.
These abilities are part of digital citizenship.
A responsible digital citizen does not participate online only as a consumer of content. They make informed choices, communicate responsibly, respect other people, protect personal data and contribute constructively to public and democratic life.
For this reason, AIDA connects technical and practical digital skills with ethics, critical thinking, intercultural dialogue and civic participation. Participants will be encouraged to consider how AI affects information, creativity, relationships, education and democracy—and how technology can be used as a tool for cooperation rather than exclusion.
Listening as the first learning activity
AIDA’s research will lead to a research report and provide the evidence base for the “Grow & Go” course. Its value, however, extends beyond these formal outputs.
Listening to young people and youth workers establishes a way of working that will remain important throughout the project: educational activities should be reviewed, adapted and improved through participant feedback and real experience.
The pathway is therefore clear: listen, analyse, design, learn and exchange.
By starting from the needs of participants, AIDA aims to build a learning experience that is practical, inclusive and capable of supporting young people as critical, responsible and active citizens in an AI-shaped society.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.