Keywords
digital inclusion
Adult Basic Education
Digital Engagement
Technology in Learning
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sandra Langer
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Digital inclusion in adult basic education extends beyond access to devices or connectivity; it involves learners’ confidence, everyday digital practices, and opportunities for meaningful engagement. While existing research has predominantly focused on structural access conditions or the acquisition of discrete digital skills, less attention has been paid to how digital inclusion unfolds as a process across different stages in concrete adult basic education contexts.
Drawing on data from the GediG project, this paper presents a qualitative secondary analysis of learner surveys, focus groups, expert interviews, round-table discussions, and course observations. The Digital Inclusion Pathway (Reder 2015) is used as an analytical lens to examine how learners’ experiences, pedagogical practices, and structural conditions interact across stages of digital engagement.
The findings show that digital engagement develops unevenly and is shaped by the interplay of prior experiences, self-efficacy, and the perceived relevance of digital tasks. Structural constraints, including limited access to devices and connectivity, restrict opportunities for sustained engagement and practice, while pedagogical approaches influence learners’ willingness to engage with digital tools. The analysis further reveals that learners cannot be treated as a homogeneous group, as differences in digital biographies, literacy levels, and learning needs shape their individual trajectories across the Pathway.
The paper contributes to a process-oriented understanding of digital inclusion by empirically demonstrating how engagement evolves across stages rather than emerging as a linear accumulation of skills. It shows how the Digital Inclusion Pathway can be operationalised in concrete adult basic education contexts and highlights the need for pedagogical approaches that combine meaningful tasks, sustained scaffolding, and stable structural conditions to support long-term digital participation.
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