LearningDigital recently completed the pilot phase of the online training course, aimed at testing the developed online training materials and the platform, and receiving key insights into the needs and experiences of local participants. 

How the pilot was organised 

The planning for the pilot in Italy began in August. Recognising the challenge of recruitment, an initial strategy focused on leveraging personal connections, partners, and known entrepreneurs interested in AI. These individuals were asked to share the training within their networks. 

The main recruitment activities included: 

• Direct outreach to past collaborators and personal contacts. 

• Contacting the female entrepreneurs previously interviewed for the project. 

• Launching a social media campaign (LinkedIn and Basecamp) on September 23rd, after an initially low response rate. 

• Sharing the launch with other project partners. 

In the end, a total of 16 participants completed the training in Italy. Most participants were in the 25-35 and 35-45 age groups. The entrepreneurs group was the most represented (11/16). 

Key impressions and evaluation 

The overall experience was rated positively, with an average rating of 3.50. The feedback for the training content was highly favourable, as around 80% of respondents were happy or very happy with the content, and 70% participants reported that the course helped them improve their knowledge of AI and that they learned something new. Additionally, all participants found the content to be up to date, and almost all considered it relevant (15 out of 16). 

Platform and activities 

Participants generally found the e-platform to be technically sound, as 68.8% of participants reported no technical issues and, for the most part, found the platform easy to use.  

Nevertheless, it was also clear that participants were mainly interested in only reading the training materials; other activities were, for the most part, not completed. There was an evident lack of interest in the badges. Only 25% obtained both badges, with a majority (10 out of 16) obtaining neither, citing that they did not see a real value in them. 

Conclusion and highlights 

The Italian pilot successfully engaged a mixed group of entrepreneurs and educators, confirming that the course content on AI was primarily perceived as relevant and helpful, focusing on something we might use daily, but not at its full potential. The main takeaways for future iterations point towards enhancing the platform’s interactivity and visual appeal and reconsidering the value and necessity of non-text-based activities and badges.