Digital@Learning

Digitalisation changed the way how learning and education are organised and facilitated. New tools, apps and platforms were integrated in learning processes and in collaboration in work places, between people, in universities or schools. Digital and analogue are less perceived as counterparts. More and more trainers and teachers try to integrate both. Many expect also that learning processes may involve in future digital analysis (and AI). The EU's Digital Education Action Plan is encouraging this development. But what is the perspective of Education for Democratic Citizenship?

There is a lively debate among practitioners using digital tools in education over the innovative contribution of digital education to pedagogy. Learning processes might be qualitatively poor despite integrating technology – just think of all the boring PowerPoint presentations you’ve sat through in your life. On the other hand, educational processes designed without using new technology might also be experienced as insightful, innovative and helpful.

Digital and analogue

Digital and analogue are not counter to one another, but work together as integral parts of our cultural practice in a post-digital society. In consequence, the discussion in education and learning needs to focus on the synergies between them. Digital and analogue together open a wide range of pedagogic possibilities, such as

simplifying organisation and management,
being able to respond to special needs,
bringing the world into the learning space,
stimulating communication and cooperation,
designing learning processes across individual educational offerings that are closed in format.
Concepts like immersion or experiments with augmented reality illustrate the huge potential of technology for a new way of cultural expression and perception.

However, since media and technology are methods and tools just like the ones we are used to applying in in-person learning settings, educators must similarly apply pedagogic assessment criteria, the same as for analogue methods. Additionally, they need to understand the new implications of digital measures, digital platforms and datafied learning processes: Learning about digitalisation and make informed rights-sensitive choices.

Digitalisation in Education and Training

As our society becomes more digital, digital processes and tools have found their way into the planning, organization and implementation of learning processes, in international cooperation in particular long before COVID-19. But today, we need to think about digitalisation in a new way. Learning analytics, artificial intelligence, new ways of recognizing learning outcomes and developments are all up for debate.

New aspects and challenges

Professional competence of educators: in which fields do educators need to learn and to develop?
Tracking, measurement, assessment in learning processes: how can educators and educational organisations use, manage and control this technology?
Other applications of AI in learning processes: how can educators and learning organisations create new learning opportunities by using AI?
Control and governance of algorithms, including the ability to interprete data correctly
Digitally supported recognition and micro-credentialing: how can these support individual competence recognition and description
Individual learning accounts
Platforms, clouds, infrastructure: how can organisations shift from a user perspective toward conscious creation of digitally supported, rights-sensitive and robust learning environments?
Exploring and integrating the opportunities of making and computer-aided design (3D print, plotting, and others...)

Here, too, a rights- and values-centered approach offers a different perspective than that shared, for example, by large market players: emphasis on user rights and control, supporting free and open software, forms of sharing and open licenses - and therefore supporting a diverse and competitive Internet ecosystem.

Democracy-related education means taking its subject seriously, even in its means, while at the same time being open to the new and to its own modernization. Instead complaining that such open ad sensitive tools are not working, the sector must strengthen efforts to make them work and implement them.

Holistic Learning 'the Digital'

When media and technology are tools like didactic approaches are, then also the question regarding the intended socio-political goals is important. Education needs to explore here the digital transformation from a meta-perspective. The learning "about" digitalisation becomes relevant. From an active citizenship and participation perspective we need to draw attention also to "for" what kind of digital transformation I am pleading:

For, about and through digitalisation

Learning for digitalisation: co-determining the digital transformation in society.
Learning about digitalisation: social, cultural, economic impact of digitalisation in society.
Learning through digitalisation: digital learning, digital tools and services.

Digitalisation of the Learning Process and Environment

How does digital technology change methodology and facilitation? This section provides articles about digital technology in education and learning.

Social, Political, Cultural Background about Digitalisation

Learning about the development of Internet, Platforms and AI. Understanding the social, cultural and economic impact of the digital transformation.

Learning, Participation & Active citizenship

Activism and Participation in Digital Transformation
Learning for Active Citizenship and Digital Transformation
Citizen science
Creative Commons - Why and How
Digital Divide
Knowledge Society
Online Participation
Public Services under Transformation
Storytelling and Stereotypes
Trust and Governance of Digitalisation
Visualize data for a social purpose: mapping
Visual Literacy: How to Think and Act with Images

AI, Algorithms, Platformisation

AI and bias
Artficial Intelligence: Think, Machine!
Fake through AI
How AI works (with humans)
Into the Internet of Everything
Networks under certain circumstances
Openness - the Foundation of the Internet
Platformisation
What is Big Data...

Media, public space, discourse

Conspiracy: In Doubt Against Democracy
Creative Commons - Why and How
Facial recognition technology
Fake News, Disinformation, Malinformation
Fake through AI
Feelings and Fear - as a Topic and Resource
Media Literacy
Social media: a human need
Social Media Monitoring
Our Digital Voices: New Ways to Communicate

The Digital Self

Tracking us: Quantified self
The Creepy Lines of Digitalisation
The Digital Self
Into the Internet of Everything

Culture

Beyond Zero and One: Culture of the Internet, Network Culture
Culture of datafication
Images of Digitalisation
Into the Internet of Everything
Maker Culture
Networks under certain circumstances
Openness - the Foundation of the Internet
Sharing – a cultural shift
Visual Literacy: How to Think and Act with Images

Global Interdependencies & Sustainability

Digital global interdependencies
Digitalisation and the Environment
Digital Divide

Methods & Checklists

Algorithms for beginners
A social perspective on digitalisation
Email Encryption
Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace
Does your life rely on social media
Different models of networks
Economic perspective on digitalisation
Experimenting with IBM Watson natural language understanding
An environmental perspective on digitalisation
Fitness and Health Tracking
Freedom of expression
Guess who - AI version
Give Europe your voice
How normal am I...
Interoperability in communication
Make Memes
Online Tic Tac Toe – How do machines learn
Our world in data
Privacy Protection
Scenario Method: World of Work in 20 Years
Smart Sims
Speaking to machines
Stagram-Toi
Stop reading the news
Surveying surveillance
Task: Digital Divide
Task: Online participation
The Next Rembrandt - Is AI Intelligent or Not
To encrypt or not to encrypt
Visualize data for a social purpose: mapping
A week with Wanda
What five platforms know most about you?
What is democracy
Who’s making my online identity
You and the algorithm

Checklist: Different aspects of information disorder
Checklist: Irritate biometric systems
Checklist: How to build hashtag campaigns for social change
Checklist: How to plan a citizen science project
Checklist: How to clear your interface
Checklist: Real vs. generated photos

Media & Data: Games and Interactive Tools

Play and learn.

Are you you?
Interactive documentary and challenge: Beat face recognition systems by Tijmen Schep and Sherpa project
Online
Bad News
Online game - From fake news to chaos!
play online
Disinformation Diaries
Learn how disinformation interferes with elections
play online
Fake it to make it
A game about fake news
play online
Online test: filter bubble
interactive introduction by Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB) Luxemburg
Online
Harmony Square
Game about fake news
play online
How normal am I?
How normal am I? By Tijmen Schep. play online
Test: Human vs. AI
Can We Tell the Difference Anymore? play online
Your Data Mirror
Learn about the mechanisms of data collection and the impact this practice on society. By Interactive Media Foundation.
online
Week with Wanda
A game about the impact of Artificial Intelligence
play online

Digitalisation: Digital & Media Competence

Explore more materials and handbooks:

Digital Citizenship Education Handbook
by Council of Europe. Being online. Well-being online. Rights online
Download
Learning the Digital
Competendo handbook
more
Bookmarks
CoE's manual for combating hate speech through human rights education
Download
DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens
2022 edition of the EU framework
Download
Think Critically, Click Wisely! (UNESCO)
Media and Information Literate Citizens. UNESCO's Media & Information Literacy (MIL) curiculum for educators and learners
Download
Media Literacy for Global Education
Toolkit for Youth Multipliers by North-South Centre of CoE
Download
Digital Competence of Educators
What has digital competency to do with you as a teacher or educator?
Download
'DigCompSat
DigComp 2.1 Self Assessment Tool
Download
Digital Citizenship Education - Trainers' Pack
The concept of DCE applied in education and learning, published by Council of Europe
Download
DigComp into Action
A guide on how to make use of the DigComp framework
Download
FI.DO Training Material
FIghting fake news and DisinfOrmation in a lifelong learning context.
Download
DIGIT Manifesto and guidelines for adult educators
Boost Competences for responsible online identity
Download
Digital competence toolbox for youth work
Verke's toolbox includes criteria for digital competences, a self-assessment tool and also an online test.
online
Human vs AI Test
Can We Tell the Difference Anymore? By K. Rajnerowicz
Online
Maker activities in youth work
A reader about maker culture and youth work by Verke
Download
Handbook Educational Robotics
From the eMedia Project: Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship for All.
Download
DOIT Toolbox
from the project DOIT - Entrepreneurial skills for young social innovators in an open digital world
Online
Makerspaces for Education and Training
Exploring future implications for Europe, by JRC
Download
Tech for Good
Possibilities and limits of using digital instruments in international development projects of NGOs
Download
Your Data Mirror

Learn about the mechanisms of data collection and the impact this practice on society. By Interactive Media Foundation.
online
Handbook Media Literacy
From the eMedia Project: Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship for All.
Download
Online test: filter bubble
interactive introduction by Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB) Luxemburg
Online
EU vs. Disinfo
The EU portal on disinformation
online
Open your eyes
Handbook: How to identify and tackle online disinformation?
Download
Open your eyes
Database: Fake news
Online
STEPS -Survival Toolkit for EDC in Post-factual Societies
Texts, studies and methods from the project STEPS Download
Visual Literacy
How to think and act with images?
Download
Cinema Stories
Working with movies
Read more
Freedom of Press Report
by RSF - Reporters without Borders
Online
Digtal News Report
by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Online

Digitalisation: About

Explore more materials and handbooks:

Defining concepts of the digital society
Alexander v. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
Online
Big Data Literacy
Resource collection of the Critical Big Data and Algorithmic Literacy Network
Online
UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom
Publications on enabling a free, open and accessible Internet space as part of promoting comprehensive freedom of expression online and offline.
Online
AI Compass
Card game for learning about AI application(s) in different contexts in society. By Alexander v. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
Download
Elements of AI
Free online course in the European languages, developed by the Finnish EU presidency
Online
We are AI
Free online course by the Center for Responsible AI at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, Peer 2 Peer University (P2PU) and Queens Public Library
Online
Visual Introduction in Machine Learning
By Stephanie Yee and Tony Chu in 13 languages.
Online
We are AI Comics
Five Comics about AI by Julia Stoyanovich and Falaah Arif Kha
Download
GlobalPolicy.AI
Online platform for navigating the international AI governance landscape
Online
Travel Guide to the Digital World
For Human Rights defenders by Global Partners Digital. Download
Free My Internet
A graphic journey from infrastructure to shutdowns
Online
Making sense of the future
by Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG)
Online & Download
Internet Universality Indicators
UNESCO's Roam-X-Indicators<
Download
Digital Transformation in Adult Learning
Project DIGIT-AL (DARE network)
Online
Freedom of Press Report
by RSF - Reporters without Borders
Online
Digtal News Report
by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Online
Freedom on the Net Report
by Freedom House
Online & Download
Internet Health Report
by Mozilla Foundation
Download
Internet Affordability Report
Alliance for Affodable Internet
Download
Global citizenship education in a digital age: teacher guidelines
UNESCO, 2024
PDF
We need to talk AI
Comic about Artificial Intelligence by Doc J Snyder & Lena Ziyal
Download

Digitalisation: Privacy Protection

Explore more materials and handbooks:

Your Data Mirror
Learn about the mechanisms of data collection and the impact this practice on society. By Interactive Media Foundation.
online
Learn, what your browser is saying about you
Dennis Anons Analyzer is demonstrating it.
online
Surveillance Self-Defense
Tips, tools and how-tos for safer online ommunications by the Electronic Frontier Foundation
online
ICTs, data and vulnerable people: a guide for citizens
published by the Panelfit project
Download
Cover your tracks
Explore, how trackers view your browser (by the Electronic Frontier Foundation)
online
Terms of Service Didn't read
Check the quality of popular platforms' ToS (Terms of Service)
online
Online Privacy Checker
A guide provided by Kaspersky
Online
Facial recognition technologies: a primer
by Algorithmic Justice League, MacArthur Foundation
Download
DIGIT Manifesto and guidelines for adult educators
Boost Competences for responsible online identity
Download
Security in a Box
Front Line Defenders and Tactical Tech Collective gives an overview over general aspects and tools for privacy protection.
Online
Data Detox Kit
Tactical Tech Collective's instructions with focus on datafication and data-abuse.
online
Motherboard Guide to Not Getting Hacked
A comprehensive guide to digital security
Online
Travel Guide to the Digital World
For Human Rights defenders by Global Partners Digital. Download
Me and my shadow
Tactical Tech Collective's introduction into tracking technologies
Online
Holistic Security
A Strategy Manual for Human Rights Defenders including an additional trainers' manual.
Download
Stealingurfeelin.gs
Augmented movie, introduction into tracking by Noah Levenson
Online
How normal am I?
Interactive introduction into datafication by Tijmen Schep and Sherpa project
Online
Are you you?
Interactive documentary and challenge: Beat face recognition systems by Tijmen Schep and Sherpa project
Online
The Digital Self
from the DIGIT-AL project Digital Transformation in Adult Learning for Active Citizenship
Download
Human Rights Guide
Learn about data & provacy as human rights in the guides created by Baltic Human Rights Society in EN, LV, RU
Online