Abstract:

Resilience of the education and training systems in pandemic times has relied on their capacity to continue education after the closure of on-site learning. Distance learning has become a solution for many learners, with the support of various virtual education tools. Researchers and professionals in education are called to support the transition of learning in online, especially for vulnerable categories.
The objective of this paper is to argue in favour of digital technologies and resources for learning, focusing on the conceptual and methodological approaches that support them. This work presents three distance learning tools: (1) FlexWork Platform & Mobile App., (2) F2F Trust Platform & Mobile App and (3) I-Read Mobile App., designed to support women to access entrepreneurship, flexible working arrangements or to gain basic literacy skills. The proposed distance learning solutions have been developed through the cooperation of experienced international organizations in the field of education and training, research, ICT, coaching and social intervention.
The methodological approach underlying all three distance learning solutions is represented by the mentoring techniques which are among the most efficient methods in adult education and training, especially in the case of low skilled adults.
Based on a desk research on the demand for and profile of virtual jobs in some EU countries: Romania, Slovakia, Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey as non EU country also; first two distance learning tools aim to develop skills and competences of future women-mentors of inactive women that want to become virtual workers and/or entrepreneurs of virtual business. The main obtained results are the curricula of the developed learning tools including specific modules for some selected jobs like: virtual assistant secretary, web designer, social media manager, web marketer, virtual event planner but also specific modules for mentors that learn how to assist their mentee to perform flexible working roles in the digital age.
The third distance learning tool, I-Read Mobile Application, is for illiterate women and their mentors, using the same basic methodology for developing learning programs. The aim of the tool is to help both target groups to collaborate and overcome the traditional barriers of adult women in the process of learning to read and write. The originality of the methodology lies in the fact that it is not based exclusively on the objective of learning how to read and write, which is often denied by illiterate women, but it also addresses their need to learn how to use a Cell Phone.
The innovative component of the methodology consists in the large accessibility of the proposed tools and friendly teaching method based on a speaking avatar that transmits empathy through face mimicry and vocal tone capturing learners' attention and giving them confidence. FlexWork Portal, F2F Trust Portal and I-Read Mobile Application offer free accessibility from laptops, tablets with Android operating system and mobile phones.

Keywords:

Learning, low skilled adults, virtual education.