The use of online social networks, for the acquisition and development of digital competences

Abstract

This ongoing study aims to characterize how the resettled refugees in Portugal use Online Social Networks (OSN). This understanding aims to create a practical guide to promote the development of digital competences, in order to support the inclusion in the host country. The participants will be resettled refugees that came to Portugal between 2006 and 2014. The study will also include the opinions of the leaders, as well as other key actors of relevance to the study (e.g. the High Commissioner for Migration in Portugal, the director of the observatory migration, and the UN agency's High Commissioner for refugees). For this purpose, along with the selection and analysis of documents for the literature review, which will outline the theoretical and methodological assumptions underlying the study, a mixed design methodology will be held, based on the Design-based Research; it will be structured in four phases. Initially, we intend to characterize the participants and the host institution, as well as to identify the digital competences of the group of participants. Then, we shall proceed with the creation and application of the guide for the use of OSN, for the promotion and development of digital competences. In this second phase, a pilot of the application’ Guide will be held. Subsequently, in the third phase of the project, we will apply the guide to the participants, and finally, in the fourth phase, we will improve and validate the implemented solutions. During the different stages of the research, diverse data collection techniques will be applied to address the problem understudy. We will present a practical contribution about the use of OSN for development of digital competences, for the inclusion of resettled refugees in Portugal.