(#EDUsummIT2019) Cyber well-being: empowering to emancipate

Feedback on the findings and courses of action of the group that worked on the issue of online well-being among young people during the EDUsummIT 2019.

Text by Alexandre Brzozowski (Hainaut Teaching) and Audrey Miller (L'École branchée), with the participation of Quinn Johnson (Laval University)

On the occasion of EDUsummIT 2019, which took place from September 30 to October 2, 2019 at Laval University, researchers and practitioners from many countries gathered around 13 questions relating to the digital world in education.

For our part, we have contributed to the reflections of the TWG (Thematic Working Group) 5, around the question of safe and responsible use of the Internet in a connected world, with a view to promoting the feeling of well-being online among young people. (As the summit activities were conducted in English, the exact wording was as follows: Safe and Responsible Internet Use in a Connected World: Teaching Critical Thinking and Accountability to Promote Cyber-wellness.)

Digital well-being? Global well-being!  

This theme is the source of a panoply of concerns relevant in the modern world. Just think of the proliferation of fake news, cyberbullying, manipulation techniques, lack of transparency in the use of our personal data, etc.

Indeed, the development of more and more digital applications is guided by mercantile objectives which enchain more and more young people, and adults as well, based for example on the latest knowledge in neuroscience and neuromarketing.

Our work therefore led us to consider the need to consider the digital well-being as an integral part of overall well-being.

Develop self-regulation rather than installing barriers

We noted that it was necessary to develop structures for reflection and awareness which, far from being in a limiting protectionism, will rather encourage future citizens to become aware of all the dynamics of the system, thus leading them to self-regulate. their use of technologies (“protect by empowering”).

We come to the conclusion that, in order to perpetuate this global awareness about digital technologies, the reflective approach of all stakeholders, children, parents, directors, teachers, designers and politicians, must be part of the curricula. and be the subject of a permanent iterative process, considering the speed of evolution of digital worlds.

Among the courses of action proposed by our working group in connection with the development of autonomy in the face of current and future challenges, let us note:

1. Increase the participation of young people in the design and conduct of scientific research, as well as in the development of policies and sound practices;
2. Develop communities of students empowered to support their peers and adults within educational institutions.

The objective is, on the one hand, to increase the level of global consciousness in neuroscience and how digital influences the brain, but also to increase the capacity of teachers, young people and their parents to become “ consum'actors »Having the power to transform the tools they use and consume, for theemancipation of the greatest number. In our opinion, this emancipation will go through the establishment of a healthy skepticism (“Healthy skepticism”) among the general population.

The co-leaders of TWG5 were Dale Niederhauser (University of West Virginia, USA) and Cathy Lewin (Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom). The members who supported them are: Remco Pijpers (Kennisnet, Netherlands), Roger Sherman (Cambodia Foundation for Higher Education, United States), Toshinori Saito (Seisa University, Japan), Francois Guité (independent consultant, Canada), Audrey Miller (L'École branchée, Canada), Alexandre Brzozowski (Hainaut Education and University of Mons, Belgium), Patrick Hould (Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Quebec, Canada), Quinn Johnson (Laval University, Canada ) and Akira Sakamoto (Ochanomizu University, Japan).

The 13 themes of EDUsummIT 2019

It will be interesting to watch the official scientific publications that will emanate from the EDUsummit 2019. Until then, here are the 13 themes that have been worked on. It is possible to consult the relevant documents as they are deposited in the workspaces:

• TWG 1: Technology developments: how human computer interactions change with technological innovation
• TWG 2: Learners as learning leaders: how does leadership for learning emerge beyond the traditional teaching models? 
• TWG 3: Creativity for teachers and teaching 
• TWG 4: Thinking about machine learning - implications for education 
• TWG 5: Safe and Responsible Internet Use in a Connected World: Teaching Critical Thinking and Accountability to Promote Cyber-wellness 
• TWG 6: Putting learning back into learning analytics: optimizing learning through analyzing the data 
• TWG 7: Connected learning: online human interaction and interaction with digital resources 
• TWG 8:  Pedagogical reasoning and reflective practice: a framework for teaching in a digital age 
• TWG 9: Advancing models and theories of technology integration: implications for researchers, practitioners and policymakers 
• TWG 10: New paradigms for researching digital technologies: achieving scaleability and sustainability 
• TWG 11: Cross-cultural alignments, fertilization, differentiation: bridging the gaps through technology 
• TWG 12: National policies in curriculum reforms: what makes a quality curriculum in a technological era? 
• TWG 13: Knowledge building / knowledge creation in the school classroom and beyond 

In closing, thank you to the 2019 steering committee, made up of Joke voogt (Netherlands), Gerald Knezek (United States), Petra Fisser (Netherlands), Margaret cox (Great Britain) and Therese Laferrière (Canada), as well as to all those who participated in the organization and success of this event. See you in 2021 in Kyoto, Japan, for the next edition!