At ASAP we are getting ready to complete the pilot activites and test the learning units.
As part of the ASAP project, developing the learning units and activities was a central focus during the 4th Co-Creation Workshop (CCW), held in Zagreb from September 9 to 13, 2024. This preparation in Croatia was crucial to ensuring that the upcoming local pilot programs could launch with high-quality, engaging materials.
The educational content of the learning units is designed to be an integral part of our final educational model, aimed at helping pre-adolescents (and members of the school community, included parents) develop critical thinking skills for using and navigating social media responsibly.
These units promote interactive learning and critical skill development, encouraging kids to work in groups and transversally. The learning units tested in local Croatian schools during the workshop will be refined based on feedback from both students and educators, continuing to evolve throughout the project’s final year.
Testing: Source Verification: True or False?
Learning unit activities are designed to engage students in the critical evaluation of anything they do or come across online.
For instance, one activity we tested in Zagreb, which focuses on Source, Authority, and Authenticity learning unit, challenged students to investigate the claims, such as “camels store water in their humps.” This guided them through researching and evaluating the credibility of online information. teaching them how to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources. Through a series of guided activities, students explore key concepts such as:
- source authority
- authenticity
- reliability
They collaborate in groups to investigate various statements, using digital tools to research and assess the credibility of the information they find. The unit also promotes discussion and reflection, encouraging students to analyze their findings and consider the importance of careful source evaluation. The session concludes with a summary of effective strategies for identifying trustworthy information, reinforcing the practical skills they’ve developed throughout the exercise.
Importance of critical Digital Literacy
The development of these learning units is grounded in current research that emphasises the importance of critical digital literacy for pre-adolescents. As highlighted in works like Livingstone and Sefton-Green’s The Class: Living and Learning in the Digital Age,
children today grow up immersed in digital environments, making it crucial to develop their ability to critically evaluate online content.
Similarly, Kirschner and De Bruyckere (2017) argue that the widespread availability of misinformation on social media poses unique challenges for youth, who often lack the cognitive skills to differentiate between trustworthy and unreliable sources.
Research in media literacy further shows that children’s capacity to assess information critically can impact their broader cognitive development. Buckingham (2007) emphasises the importance of empowering young learners to question the media they consume, thus fostering a more informed and engaged youth population.
Alignment with ASAP goals
The learning units tested during the co-creation workshop are being developed to ensure they are both engaging and effective. These activities align with the final goals of the ASAP project, which seeks to develop pre-adolescents’ social and cognitive skills through meta cognitive approach. Feedback from students and educators during the workshops informed some of the final adjustments to the curriculum before its implementation in local pilot programmes (the next pilot 2 and 3 will be implemented in each country in 2024-25).
By teaching and accompaning children how to critically engage with online content and media, the ASAP project supports also their development as informed digital citizens—an essential skillset in today’s interconnected world.
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