Alicja Pawluczuk

Dr Alicja Pawluczuk

Digital Youth + Data Literacy Researcher 

Digital Inclusion Practitioner & Community Educator 

| | @alicjapawluczuk

Profile 

Dr Alicja Pawluczuk is a Young ICTD Fellow at the United Nations University Institute in Macau. Before joining the Institute, she was a Research Associate at the University of Liverpool’s project “Me and My Big Data” and Associate Lecturer at the School of Computing Edinburgh Napier University.

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Alicja’s research and community education practice focuses on digital inclusion, digital, and data literacy. She is the founder of the digital inclusion and digital storytelling collective Digital Beez. Through the use of participatory, critical and multidisciplinary approaches, she aims to examine the power dynamics associated with the digital and data divides. In her doctoral research project, she analysed the social impact evaluation of digital youth participation in Scotland. As a Young ICTD Fellow at the United Nations University in Macau, she aims to extend this area of carrying out a wider comparative analysis of digital inclusion impact evaluation approaches and to co-design a knowledge exchange platform for digital inclusion practitioners globally.

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Alicja’s digital inclusion practice is rooted in the areas of democratic education and community development. She has extensive experience in digital inclusion community projects design, facilitation, and evaluation. Both her community engagement practice and her research are characterised by the use of experimental and interactive methodologies. Over the last 10 years, her work has been responding and changing in accordance with the contexts of digitalization of society. Alicja has a track record of peer-reviewed publications, and cross-disciplinary public engagement activities. Both her research and practice are characterised with the use of experimental and creative methods. She has managed and contributed to digital literacy and digital inclusion and learning projects with the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and Erasmus.

Experience 

01/2020 – present            

Young ICTD Fellow at the UN University Institiute in Macau

As a Young ICTD Fellow at the United Nations University in Macau, Alicja aims to carry out a comparative analysis of digital inclusion impact evaluation approaches and to co-design a knowledge exchange platform for digital inclusion practitioners globally.

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03/2019 – 04/2019                

Postdoctoral Researcher in Data Literacy at the University of Liverpool 

Researched data literacy, big data divide and digital inclusion as part of Me and My Big Data Project at the University Liverpool. My role includes carrying out a systematic literature review, online database design, and public engagement activities. 

05/2016 – 04/2019              

Associate Lecturer and Ph.D. Student at Edinburgh Napier University 

Worked on a doctoral research project examining the perceptions of social impact and social impact evaluation of digital youth culture in Scotland, United Kingdom. As an Associate Lecturer, I delivered and examined modules at the School of Computing and postgraduate student’s supervisions at the School of Arts and Design.

Key responsibilities

• Managed modules delivery and teaching materials design (1st year and 3rd year computing and digital media students)

• Supervised master’s students at the School of Design and Creative Arts

• Lecture planning, preparation and research (modules included Design Thinking & Doing, Being Digital)

2015 – present                

Founding Director, Researcher and Digital Literacy Educator 

As a founder of Digital Beez (a non-for-profit collective), I engage with the local community and facilitate digital literacy and digital inclusion workshops to test and transfer academic research and the latest scientific evidence into informal learning setting. I ensure that Digital Beez’s workshops are accessible, engaging and responsive to participants’ digital needs. The workshops I have designed examined areas of digital awareness, data management, online safety and digital human rights.

Key responsibilities

• Responsible for building and enhancing relationships with the community and its partners

• Managing and promotion of digital inclusion workshops

• Designing and managing collaborative projects across Scotland and Europe (involving educational practitioners, universities, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, and community groups) 

• Works with diverse communities, in non-traditional venues (such as community centres, libraries, and cafes), in the areas of social deprivation or high unemployment

• Ensures that all teaching materials are evidence-based

• Designs teaching materials and experiential teaching methods

2015 – 2016                      

Digital Inclusion Co-ordinator at Fife Migrants Trust 

• Digital inclusion program design for migrant’s community in Fife, Scotland

• Digital literacy workshops delivery and evaluation

• One-to-one teaching and support

2014 – 2015                 

Youth Digital Hub Co-ordinator at Fife Cultural Trust      

• Responsible for planning, co-design, and delivery of a Digital Hub for young people in Fife (Scotland)

• Designed and facilitated participatory digital learning sessions for young people aged 9 to 25 yrs. old (including children's coding clubs, digital awareness workshops, digital storytelling, and citizen journalism sessions)

• Designed digital literacy learning materials for young people (both online and offline) 

• Collaborated with a range of organisations and youth clubs across Fife as well as national partnering organisations (such as Creative Scotland)

• Carried out a region-wide analysis of young people's digital literacy needs and aspirations

2013 – 2014                      

Digital Community Manager at Maverick Television 

• Managed the development the 'Living it Up' digital inclusion project in the Western Isles of Scotland, United Kingdom

• Liaised with local third-sector organisations and community groups 

• Designed and facilitated digital inclusion sessions for adults aged 65+

• Managed online community and user's participation in the project

2013                                  

Digital Media and Digital Learning Consultant

Food and Agriculture Organisations of the United Nations (FAO-UN) Cambodia

• Responsible for the production of digital learning materials for FAO (UN) professionals 

• Created an online learning resource for UN trainers of Participatory Rural Appraisal Methodology

• Co-operated with other NGO and UN representatives, and farming communities in Cambodia 

2010 - 2012                                     

Project Co-Ordinator, Digital Skills and Storytelling Tutor at The Institute of Local Television, United Kingdom 

• Responsible for the design and production of digital educational materials and training delivery

• Project co-ordination and volunteers training

2010 - 2012                                     

Digital Skills and Storytelling Tutor  - various The Third Sector organisations in Scotland.

2005 - 2010

A range of jobs which do not sound as fancy as the above, but were super important for my personal and professional development: cleaner, housekeeper, kitchen porter & catering assistant.

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