The 2016 Council Conclusions urged MS to promote Media Literacy, Critical Thinking and Digital Competences, including safety, security and privacy, as skills which are preconditions for active participation in democratic life and for enhancing employability and, as such, should be acquired by learners of all ages. In support to the above, the 2018 Digital Education Action Plan puts great emphasis on effectively tackling the challenges digital transformation creates for online safety and cyber hygiene. ‘We need to strengthen children’s and students’ critical thinking and media literacy, so they can judge and overcome the ever-present threats of fake news, cyber bullying, radicalisation, cybersecurity threats and fraud’. (COM2018) Today, most of the information is provided through an interwoven system of media technologies. The ability to read many types of media has become an essential skill in the 21st Century. It raises awareness about media issues and media creativity of students. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate citizens are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, video games, music, and all other forms of media. It empowers citizens with knowledge, skills and attitude to critically access information and media, to critically analyze information and media content and to engage with media and other information providers for social, civic and creative purposes But what exactly does that mean? Supporting young people to participate safely, effectively, critically and responsibly in a world filled with social media and digital technologies is a priority. Digital citizenship refers to the ability to engage positively, critically and competently in the digital environment, drawing on the skills of effective communication and creation, to practice forms of social participation that are respectful of human rights and dignity through the responsible use of technology. In support of the above the EC urged MS to ‘ focus on … online safety and cyber hygiene … young people’s critical thinking and media literacy …to judge and overcome the ever-present threats of fake news, cyber bullying, radicalisation, cybersecurity threats and fraud’ (COM2018/22). Six highly active organisations representing a wide range of backgrounds and expertise will work together for 30 months to develop 6 main Intellectual Outputs ranging from educational material, up-skilling courses for teachers and parents, as well as a wide campaign to raise awareness. Four main multiplier events will be organised, whereas a Short Term Staff Training will be scheduled for pilot-testing of all products and a Blended Mobility of Learners in the heart of the European Union. The direct target group is school students and the indirect target group is teachers and parents, as the proposal addresses the idea through a holistic manner. In the above context the project pioneers to develop pilot-test and evaluate a tool kit which will support schools to establish their own DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY ACTION PLAN in order: - To promote whole school approaches towards dealing with cross-sectoral issues - To empower young students to become responsible, critical, global citizens for the digitalised and connected world we live in, while creating blended learning opportunities to acquire digital and media literacy skills to safeguard democracy and common values. - To strengthen the profiles of teachers and in doing so to upgrade the quality of teaching/ earning services provided in formal schooling.
The 2016 Council Conclusions urged Member States to promote media literacy, critical thinking and digital skills, including security and privacy, as these skills are a prerequisite for active participation in democratic life and enhancing employability and should therefore be acquired by learners of all ages. In support of the above, the Digital Education Action Plan 2018 places great emphasis on effectively addressing the challenges that digital transformation poses to online safety and cyber hygiene. "We need to strengthen the critical thinking and media literacy skills of children and students so they can assess and manage the pervasive threats of fake news, cyberbullying, radicalization, cybersecurity threats, and fraud." (COM2018) Today, most information is delivered through an interwoven system of media technologies. The ability to read many types of media has become an essential skill in the 21st century. It raises students' awareness of media issues and their media creativity. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate citizens are better able to understand the complex messages we receive through television, radio, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, video games, music, and all other forms of media. It empowers citizens with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to critically access information and media, critically analyze information and media content, and engage with media and other information providers for social, civic, and creative purposes. But what exactly does that mean? Helping young people navigate a world of social media and digital technologies safely, effectively, critically, and responsibly was a priority of the project. Digital citizenship refers to the ability to engage positively, critically, and competently in the digital environment, drawing on the skills of effective communication and creativity to practice forms of social participation that respect human rights and dignity through the responsible use of technology. With this in mind, the Dimeli4AC project developed a strategy to promote digital media literacy and democratic citizenship in schools. This stemmed from the consortium's belief that democratic education in the digital age should go hand in hand with the promotion of technical skills. In addition to the direct support of participating students, the support of teachers and the addressing of parents were identified as essential goals of the project. The design of a holistic teaching-learning strategy on the topic of digital media literacy and democratic citizenship always aimed at a whole-school and cross-curricular approach. The project's deliverables include: - A comparative report outlining national contexts in relation to existing educational strategies in the field. - Competency frameworks related to the topics of the project (online safety, media industry, information literacy, digital manipulation, online identity and cyberbullying) - Teaching/learning material on each of these topics - An interactive online platform to teach the material online, as well as an educational game - A comprehensive toolkit for implementing the strategies in schools - An action plan for future use of the strategies, including policy recommendations