Thanks to the support of our research and funding partners we are able to support parents to understand digital technologies in schools in Ireland. 

Empower Parental Involvement

PEDL bridges the digital gap, equipping parents with the skills to engage in their children's digital learning and monitor academic progress.

Build Digital Confidence

By training parents in modern educational tools, PEDL ensures a digitally skilled school community prepared for today’s learning environment.

Support Educational Equity

PEDL helps disadvantaged families, ensuring all students, regardless of background, receive essential support for academic success.

ABOUT pATH:

The Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) is a dedicated fund, broken into five strands, that is committed to increasing participation by under-represented groups in higher education. The programme is funded by the Higher Education Authority under the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education.
The PATH 3 strand provides funding to support the development of regional and community partnership strategies for increasing access to higher education by specified groups. This funding has been allocated to regional clusters of higher education institutions and facilitates the attraction and retention of undergraduate students from target groups. It is intended that higher education institutions will form effective partnerships within their clusters and engage with local DEIS schools, further education providers, community and voluntary groups and other relevant stakeholders.
PATH 3 forms part of TU Dublin’s commitment to extending our community partnership and engagement activity and creating pathways for all. TU Dublin supports PEDL through the PATH 3 fund.

Research Publications

Qualter, D. (2024). From Digital Exclusion to Digital Inclusion: Shaping the Role of Parental Involvement in Home-Based
Digital Learning – A Narrative Literature Review. Computers in the Schools, 41(2), 120–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2024.2322167

Impact of the Pedl Programme

PEDL is guided by the latest research in the area of parental involvement in children's digital learning. The objectives of PEDL are:

1. Enhance Parental Involvement

Research shows that parental involvement is a key factor in student success. PEDL helps bridge the digital divide by equipping parents with the knowledge and confidence to support their children's learning in a digital environment. 

2. Build Digital Skills in the School Community

PEDL provides hands-on training to parents, helping them use the same platforms their children rely on for learning. This contributes to a digitally skilled school community, better prepared for modern educational challenges.

3. Address Educational Disadvantage

PEDL is specifically tailored to address the needs of families that may be at risk of educational disadvantage due to limited access to or skills with digital technologies. 

4. Strengthen Home-School Relationships

One of the unique benefits of PEDL is its focus on improving the relationship between parents and schools. By inviting parents to participate in the programme, schools open their doors to the community, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. 

5. Align with National Digital Strategies

Ireland's Digital Strategy for Schools 2027 recognises the importance of integrating digital technologies in education and the critical role parents play in supporting this process. PEDL aligns with these national goals.

  • 2024 Awards