media
eLearning Papers 28 on Cyber Security and Education published!
Addressing Cyber Security in schools should foster critical digital literacy, such that children can become empowered to make informed decisions about how they choose to use and share information online. eLearning Papers Nº 28 gives answers to questions such as: What constitutes risk when working with digital media? Or where does the potential reside to engage young people in safe Internet use?
The rapidity with which children and young people are gaining access to online, convergent, mobile and networked media is unprecedented in the history of technological innovation. There are two main foci for e–security research that associated with protecting information both strategic and economic and that protecting people particularly the young. While these are overlapping concerns it is the latter that this special issue addresses.
eLearning Papers 28 presents 8 articles arranged in the two sections, In-depth and From the field. The four In-depth articles give a view of the present discussions surrounding how students can be encouraged to engage in safe Internet use. The fourth From the field articles present examples of best practice scenarios.
Click here to read the whole editorial and the 8 articles.
Security in Learning Management Systems: Designing Collaborative Learning Activities in Secure Information Systems
The field of research on information technology applications in the design of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) activities generates very complex scenarios which must be studied from different approaches. One approach is to consider information security, but not only from a technological point of view.
In this paper we argue that current e-learning systems supporting on-line collaborative learning do not sufficiently meet essential security requirements, and this limitation can have a strong influence in the collaborative learning processes. In order to alleviate these problems we have proposed an approach based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) models that offer essential security properties and services in on-line collaborative learning, such as availability, integrity, identification and authentication, access control, confidentiality, non repudiation, time stamping, audit service and failure control.
Supporting Digital Immigrants. On-line Courses for Teachers on Internet Safety in Austria
Media education is an intercurricular subject in Austrian schools, however, it is not a part of teacher’s formal education. Teachers with good digital competencies are much more willing to discuss online safety issues with their students in classes. Therefore, enhancing these skills among teachers will ultimately help to bring these topics into mainstream education. A handful of powerful e-learning tools have been introduced to help teachers familiarise with online safety basics and integrate this topic into their classes.
We have found that reaching out to educators with quality e-learning content on online safety works best in collaboration with reputable providers of teacher training or sites that teachers go to. This ensures that the resources will match their needs as well as guarantee the sustainability of the knowledge base. These conclusions were formulated by Saferinternet.at, the Austrian EU-funded initiative of the Safer Internet Programme for online safety that, among other activities, provides teacher trainings on this topic.
Discovering the Digital World Together, Safely and Critically
Within the framework of the Safer Internet Program, Latvia organized a Safer Internet Day to bring parents, teachers and young people together to discover the digital world safely. According to current findings, safely means critically, because digital literacy skills are strongly linked to the ability to perform a critical evaluation of online content, which is automatically related to personal safety online.
Research conducted by EU Kids Online in 2010 showed that only 54% of children and young people say they are able and do compare information from different online sources before accepting it as true and trustful. To check this assumption, the Latvian Safer Internet Centre, together with Latvian social networking site Draugiem.lv, set up an experiment to test young people's caution when providing personal information. The findings point to a need for greater measures that address and enhance young people's critical digital literacy.
Lessons Learned from the Safer Internet Program in Estonia
Estonian children are a demographic that appear in the Top 5, in the EU, as Internet users who both take advantage of new ICT solutions as well as become susceptible to their downsides (various online threats). In this country, coordinated efforts in raising e-safety awareness are relatively recent. Earlier activities were poorly coordinated, lacked continuity and relied mostly on volunteers. During the last few years, the Safer Internet Program in Estonia has added a much-needed coordinating approach.
Our goal is to define the topics that have and have not been covered by the program, identify the program's weaknesses and strengths, analyse its effect, and recommend focuses for future stages. We have analysed the content (study materials and an e-course) created by the project, the experiences of the trainers, and course feedback. Based on these data we have formulated recommendations (from the viewpoints of the project, school management, parents and government) for the next stage of the initiative.
Are Schools Equipped to Address Online Safety in the Curriculum and Beyond?
This paper explores the data provided by over 1000 schools in the UK related to their online safety policy and practice. By comparing with data from the previous year, we consider the current state of practice among UK schools and analyse progress over a 12-month period.
What is clear from this analysis is that the aspects that either use technological intervention (i.e. filtering) and policy development are generally performing better than those that require long-term resource investment (such as training) or whole school involvement (such as parental education or community understanding). Monitoring and reporting also perform badly. It is interesting to note that even with an almost double the number of participating establishments, the strongest and weakest performing aspects remain almost constant across 2010 and 2011, with only slight improvement.
The analytical tool used to gather this data is now being used in pilot projects in the US and Australia. Once it is in full use in these regions, detailed analysis of international performance will be available, for the first time. This presents some exciting opportunities to understand at an international level, how schools engage with online safety and ensure protection of their pupils, staff and wider community.
Children’s Experiences of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Abuse on the Internet
A survey conducted by Save the Children and the Helsinki Virtual Community Policing Group provides insight into the prevalence of the sexual abuse of Finnish children on the internet. The anonymous survey took place in four online communities in 2011. The report presents the results regarding respondents under 16 years old (62% girls, 38% boys), accounting for 54% (2 283) of all respondents.
The focus was on online interaction where the counterpart was an adult or someone clearly older. 33% of the children had received sexual messages, photos or videos experienced as harassing from an adult or someone clearly older; 24 % had entered into discussions of a sexual nature, and 20 % had had a sexual webcam contact with an adult or someone clearly older. 11 % had appeared scantily dressed or naked on webcam. Bearing in mind the restrictions regarding online surveys, the results provide cause for concern. Online sexual abuse of children – whether experienced as harassing or not - appears to be a far-reaching problem requiring determined law enforcement interventions and child protection actions.
E-learning: The Dark Side?
There are concerns that the Internet has created new risks for our society and in particular for young people. We argue that the way we frame these risks is affected by the way we view young people, in particular their maturity and ability to make choices for themselves.
A recurrent metaphor concerns the ‘dark-side’ of the Internet which draws on ancient and modern myths about the nature of good and evil. We argue that a knowledge divide between adults and youth has developed concerning the use of digital technologies. Digital natives are able to change the power balance of our society: this threatens the status quo and therefore has created a moral panic.
The key areas of concern for risk include: cyber-bullying, game-playing, social networking, sexual solicitation and addictive behaviours. Although these areas present real risks, we note that young people are moderating their own behaviour as they develop understandings about the possibilities offered by new technologies. The answer to our concerns should not be to seek to control digital technologies, but rather to educate adults and young people about what is possible and appropriate, so that they can choose to become responsible, digital citizens of the 21st century.
Social media in informal language learning - competition launched
The EU network 'LANGUAGE LEARNING AND SOCIAL MEDIA – 6 Key dialogues' has launched a new competition: Social media in informal language learning and use.
This competition aims at documenting how a language learner in the Web 2.0 uses social media for language learning in daily life outside formal learning contexts.
All you have to do to take part is participate in an interview and answer questions about social media in informal language learning and use. More than 80 interviews have already been uploaded to the LS6 Vimeo channel.
For further information about the competition, the panel of jury and useful links, go to the competition website and read the instructions.
Media & Learning 2012
The Media & Learning 2012 Conference is aimed at practitioners and policy makers who want to contribute to the development of digital and media skills in education and finding new and effective ways to embed media into the learning process.
Media & Learning 2012 is the place to be if you are interested in the latest developments, services and uses of media in education and training. Aimed at both policy makers and practitioners, the purpose of this annual event is to identify policies and initiatives that promote digital and media competence at all levels of education and training as well as to promote best-practice in the take-up and application of media in education and training.
Target audience:
- Policy-planners and decision-makers responsible for promoting digital and media literacy generally amongst the workforce
- Producers of media resources for use in education and training including traditional media producers including broadcasters
- Teachers and trainers with responsibility and/or interest in the creation of user-generated media resources as well as the use of existing media resources
- Representatives from agencies with an interest in promoting the take-up and use of media in teaching and learning
- Industry representatives with an interest in the development and training of workers in the creative industries
The main themes:
- Mapping future trends and developments in media-enhanced learning in all sectors
- Boosting skills and competences in media production, use and re-use of media-enhanced content
- Tracking the importance of media literacy and wisdom as fundamental building blocks in the creation of innovative, inclusive and future-proof education and training
A highlight of the Media & Learning Conference will be the MEDEA Awards Ceremony 2012 when this year’s winners will be announced and shown on Thursday evening at 18:15.
The conference organisers invite interested individuals, project teams, institutions and organisations to propose contributions that are relevant to the conference themes in formats ranging from presentations to screenings and hands-on workshops. The call for contributions closes 1 June 2012, you can find out more and download the contribution form online.