Empowering Kids for Digital Citizenship and Critical Thinking

Q: What do you think sets this project apart?

A: First of all, it’s a very special age group. The [25] students were between the ages of 10 and 13. From the point of digital citizenship education, this is the time when most kids get their first smart devices and begin their digital journey. And from the perspective of moral education, they go through a transition in their moral reasoning. Kids start to see life not [in] a black or white kind of light.  [They start] seeing more nuances. And their moral reasoning becomes more complex. 

Q: Were there any "aha" moments?

A: We had many “aha” moments. We realized that kids had a deeper understanding of digital literacy than we had thought. [On the other hand], we had been counting on them having very good computing skills and that was not true. While they were used to touchpads or touchscreens, they were not used to actual typing or annotating pictures. But they picked up many things very quickly, and it was just amazing to see how critically they can think. Empower MEdia gave children the tools and empowered them with knowledge. 

Q: Are there any specific project learnings that you could share? 

A: A: For instance, during the module on Ethics and Empathy we presented four possible scenarios from real life to students: on cyberbullying, trolling, ghosting, and phubbing. I would say that [it] brought a lot of changes [in] students’ thinking.  When I did end-of-term interviews and asked students how they would feel if they saw something rude or some kind of injustice online, they immediately could differentiate between cyber bullying and trolling. And they could totally articulate their emotions about harmful cyber social scenarios. Most students [also] said that what they would do is report [incidents] either to a trusted adult or a teacher or the principal of the school, which tells us that adults must be prepared to become a personal safety net for the students to lay back on, [especially] for those who are just starting their digital journey. 

Q: What supports are needed for students, parents/guardians, and educators? 

A: Well, students do need to get an opportunity to talk about the digital world, and [preferably] in person. Students truly enjoyed discussing it in person with others -- reading others' facial expressions and body language. I would also say the “mentor-mentee” effect of the program proved to be important because [younger] students really like to learn from older students and talk about these things with them. But at the same time, teachers and parents have to be there for the kids and emphasize that they are an approachable resource. And it’s vital for this [education] to be empowering instead of fear-based education. And digital citizenship education is not just about ethics and empathy and social emotional learning, it is also about understanding how the digital world works, learning about algorithms, and having the right computing skills. 

Q: Have there been any other takeaways for you as a researcher, as a citizen? 

A: The biggest takeaway is that [kids] are a lot stronger and more resilient than we think. They are the generation who will actually treat digital media as a tool, and they are very capable of setting boundaries. This is what's going to change the ways of the digital world. When it comes to digital media, it’s what you pay attention to [and what questions you ask]. Do I want to take part in this or not, should I believe this, should I be angry, [whose voices are missing]? I think that's what's going to make a change in the long term. 

Q: What could be the next steps? 

A: [In the digital world], there are constant technological developments. When we designed the curriculum, there was no [publicly available] AI. Now we have ChatGPT, and it has to be included in the future [curriculum] in some ways. As well, it would be really great to knit [aspects of digital citizenship] into the subject curricula. For example, how we could use digital media and critical thinking about digital media when we talk about History or English, or Arts or even Mathematics. 

Q: Do you have any final comments? 

A: The SFU Surrey - TD Community Engagement Centre facilitated the partnership with the Surrey School District and provided reliable supervision and constant support for the project, and working with them was an amazing experience. Designing Digital Citizenship curriculum for this age group was my privilege, since this is a transformative time in students’ lives and less material exists for this age group. But it would not have been possible without my supervisor, Dr. Robyn Ilten-Gee.

Technology and the digital world will not disappear from human social lives; it is a must to learn how to live with technology as global citizens. Digital citizenship education differs from other subjects as it is inter- and multidisciplinary. In some respects, students might be more experienced with technology than teachers, and in other respects, teachers are more experienced; teachers working collaboratively with students as facilitators of discussions and activities is a preferred way of teaching and learning about digital citizenship.