Affiliation

Memorial University of Newfoundland and Cape Breton University

Email

mvgoodyear@mun.ca

Abstract

This paper will explore resources to support educators in teaching digital citizenship in the K-12 classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic and the various shifts to virtual learning meant an increase in technology use for children across the world. With this rapid increase in technology use, it has become more critical than ever to teach children how to navigate the digital world in a safe and responsible way. While many educators incorporate technology into their classrooms, there continues to be a limited understanding as to the importance of teaching digital citizenship skills to young learners. This paper analyzes what digital citizenship is in a K-12 context. It will discuss the educator’s role in digital citizenship education and provide useful resources to support educators in the teaching of digital citizenship skills.

Keywords

digital citizenship, digital literacy, educator, technology,  k-12 classroom, online learning

Introduction

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various school closures, children are using digital tools and the internet more than ever before (Ranchordas, 2020). Children today have access to the internet through computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles. This interconnectivity has allowed individuals all over the world to communicate with one another regardless of time or space. This was especially beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic as the internet allowed for learners to continue their education online, connecting with both their teachers and peers.  There is substantial evidence linking the pandemic to an increased use of technology for children and teens. In one study by Hartshorne (2021), it was discovered that children’s time interacting with digital technologies increased from an average of 2.6 hours a day to 5.9 hours per day following the start of the pandemic.  With the rapid use of technology and the internet by younger populations, it is crucial that education focuses not only on how to operate these digital technologies, but more importantly how to use these technologies in a safe, responsible and cooperative way. This paper will examine digital citizenship education specifically within the K-12 context. It will explore what is meant by the term digital citizenship, the educator’s role in digital citizenship education and provide resources to support educator’s in their approach to digital citizenship.

Literature Review

What is digital citizenship?

There is a common misconception that digital citizenship means a focus on online safety. While internet safety is an important component of digital citizenship, it is but the beginning in building skills which make a good digital citizen. According to Ribble, digital citizenship is defined as “the norms of appropriate, responsible behaviour with regard to technology use.” (2008, p. 15). In his book The Rise of the Network Society (2000), Manuel Castells similarly discusses the concept of digital citizenship. Castells states that a good digital citizen is capable of using technology ethically, or in a way that will not cause harm to themselves or others. Ribble et al. (2004) highlight nine key topics that make up their definition of digital citizenship. These areas include; etiquette, communication, education, access, commerce, responsibility, rights, safety and security.

Importance of Digital Citizenship Education for Students

For students, being a digital citizen ultimately means not only learning how to utilize technology, but to do so in a responsible and safe manner. Recent research points to children using technology and the internet more in the past two years than in the four years preceding the pandemic (Common Sense Media, 2021). Studies have shown that the increase in internet use by students has also led to a rapid increase in its misuse. Since the beginning of the pandemic, parents and educators have become increasingly concerned about the effect that technology access has had upon children. Gleason and Gillern (2018) describe that a lack of digital citizenship skills often increases the likelihood of young people falling into dangerous habits online which makes them increasingly vulnerable to victimization. Recent media reports have pointed to growing instances of young people’s irresponsible and often reckless use of technology. Some of this behaviour includes using the internet for intimidation or threats, the posting or sharing of inappropriate or private content online, and downloading pirated material from the internet (Ribble & Miller, 2013). Cyberbullying has been a hot topic in the past few years as individuals have witnessed victimization at increasingly younger ages. Statistics Canada (2023) reports that one in four teens aged 12 – 17 have experienced cyberbullying. These young peoples’ experiences range from being insulted online, to being excluded from an online community, to having hurtful information posted about them online.

The dangers of the internet are many and children especially are susceptible to these dangers for a number of reasons. Children’s lack of awareness as to what the risks of the internet are means they are more likely to engage in behaviours online that are risky. Likewise, children and adolescent’s brains are still developing a complete understanding of critical thinking, impulse control and the ability to foresee the consequences of their actions. Children are growing in their knowledge of how to interact with others in both real world and virtual settings. The internet however is no longer recognized as an entity separate from our face-to-face society and the consequences for actions in the digital realm follow young people offline. Orth and Chen (2013) draw attention to the fact that young people’s lives now exist in both the physical and digital world and that each of these worlds has a great deal of influence over the other.  Similarly, studies demonstrate that students misuse of technology outside of school hours often has an impact on educators and students in the school environment.  In their report Teens, Kindness, and Cruelty on Social Network Sites (2011), the Pew Research Center noted that students’ negative online interactions often negatively impacted face-to-face interactions with peers at school. In this study, participants indicated in-person arguments, loss of friendships at school, and discomfort in social interactions in school following interactions that had occurred online (Ribble & Miller, 2013). The digital world is now so entrenched in children’s lives that the online reality has become equally as significant in their lives as their in-person reality. Education must therefore adapt to equip students with the skills they will need to be productive members of society now and throughout their lifetimes.

Whose responsibility is digital citizenship education?

Drader (2022) investigated perceptions surrounding digital citizenship and found varying understandings about who should be responsible for teaching students how to responsibly use technology. While it is generally thought that this responsibility should mainly fall on parents and families of children, Orth and Chen (2013) found that many parents investigated parents’ feelings surrounding digital citizenship. In this study they found that while most parents recognized digital citizenship as a pressing skill set for individuals to have, they did not feel adequately prepared to teach it to their children. There exists a broad consensus that schools have an equal responsibility to prepare students to become good democratic citizens. Fullan (2001), further emphasized the responsibility of schools by stating that they have a moral obligation to prepare students to be responsible, contributing members of society. Therefore collaboration between schools and parents is crucial to incorporate digital citizenship as an element of school curricula and an extension of learning that takes place at home.

An Educator’s Role

Teachers have long been tasked with guiding their students in learning that is not strictly curriculum related but encompassing the building of positive values and behaviours. The Canadian Teachers’ Federation notes that 75% of educators support the notion that part of an educator’s role is to provide children with the necessary life skills they will need to be good, contributing citizens of society throughout their lifetime (Sears, 2004). Educators of all grade levels regularly incorporate lessons on topics such as etiquette, sportsmanship, bullying, conflict resolution, and safety in order to build their student’s ability to act in a way that makes them a good citizen. While these subjects are not necessarily curriculum dictated, the importance of character education incorporating these themes has been widely recognized. Traditionally these lessons have often focused on behaviours occurring in the face-to-face environment and have been limited in their application to the digital space. With an increasing number of students having access to technology and the internet, the necessity for digital citizenship education has become glaring. Teachers play an important role in helping their students act responsibly online.

Challenges for Educators

Despite the acknowledgement of educators that digital citizenship is important for students, they face many challenges in incorporating it into their teaching. One study examining teacher’s perceptions of digital citizenship (Pusey & Sadera, 2012) found that teachers also feel ill prepared to teach their students about digital citizenship. The same study concluded that lowered teacher confidence in teaching these skills was often due to their lack of understanding of what digital citizenship is. Mattson and Curran (2017) similarly echoed these findings by asking how educators can be expected to teach a digital citizen when they do not understand what a digital citizen is by definition. If teachers are expected to address these issues within their classroom, they must first have an understanding of digital citizenship themselves. While the responsibility for learning about digital citizenship is part of an educator’s role, provincial governments and school boards also need to support educators in this skill development.

Hollandsworth et al. (2011) found teachers also face a significant challenge in that the majority of programs aimed at teaching digital citizenship skills are designed for students in middle school and high school. Unfortunately, as these researchers note, by upper grade levels students have already been entrenched in technology for many years and their online behaviours are now second nature to them. In fact, the Canadian Pediatric Society Digital Health Task Force (2022), notes that the majority of Canadian children have already been exposed to technology by the time they are two years of age. This finding reinforces Ribble’s (2014) recommendation that digital citizenship skills be introduced as early as kindergarten. For educators this means a pressing need to incorporate digital citizenship education at earlier stages. However, given the scarcity of age-appropriate resources, teachers have limited materials available to them.

While technology access has increased exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual learning also highlighted the lack of technological access still experienced by some Canadians. During the pandemic, many learners sought digital devices from their schools in order to access online learning. Similarly, many students in rural, remote and Indigenous communities did not have the internet access required for synchronous learning. According to The Canadian Radio-Television Commission of Canada, 45.6% of people in rural communities have internet connections that allowed them to connect to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic (Freeman et al, 2022). For many educators this digital divide has meant their learners have a wide range of digital literacy skills. While some students have had extensive previous experience with multiple technologies, others have had limited opportunity to engage in online activities to build their digital literacy. The gaps presented by the various digital literacy levels of students presents an ongoing challenge for educators without a comprehensive digital citizenship framework to work from.

Application

While there is agreement that children should be taught digital citizenship skills in school, there is often little guidance for educators on how to implement these concepts in their classrooms. Fortunately, there are numerous engaging resources to support educators in their approach to digital citizenship. Resources in this section have been categorized for educators as ‘Curriculums and Frameworks’ and ‘Specific Content Resources’. In the ‘Curriculum and Frameworks’ section, is a collection of complete curriculums and lesson plans, while the ‘Specific Content’ section contains various technology-based applications and websites designed to enhance digital citizenship lessons. Each of these resources is intended to support teachers in both the in-person and online classroom.

Curriculums and Frameworks

Digital Citizenship Curriculum

(Common Sense Education)

Kindergarten – Grade 12

Common Sense Education (2020) has created a free digital citizenship curriculum to support educators in their teaching of students in the K-12 classroom. The curriculum was designed in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and offers lessons specifically catered to children at different ages and stages of development. The curriculum covers a wide range of digital citizenship topics including; media balance and wellbeing, privacy and security, digital footprint and identity, cyberbullying and hate speech, and news and media literacy. This is an ideal starting point for teachers looking to incorporate some digital citizenship learning in their classroom.

Faux Paw’s Cybersecurity Superstars Curriculum

(iKeepSafe, 2023)

Grades 1- 4

This curriculum consists of four lesson plans focussed on teaching students about internet safety. Through the website, students have access to a number of picture books and videos that feature a cat exploring the online environment.  Lesson plan topics include; privacy, cyberbullying, balancing screen time, and making good decisions online.

Be Internet Awesome with Google

(Google, n.d.)

Grades 2 – 6
Google has created a complete digital citizenship curriculum- Be Internet Awesome (Google, n.d.). Here educators can explore engaging lesson plans to teach the basics of digital citizenship for grades 2-6. What sets Google’s curriculum apart from others is that it is designed to be used alongside their interactive game platform. This series of online adventure games reinforces lessons taught within the curriculum, and allows students to practice what they have learned about being safe and responsible online. There are various games available based on different topics of digital citizenship including sharing information online, cyberbullying, and fake news. Educators are also encouraged to examine the resources Google has compiled to share with parents for further exploration at home.

Specific Content Resources

Information Literacy

The internet has provided us with endless knowledge at the click of a button. The concern is no longer that young people do not have access to this information, but that they require the skills to navigate the vast amount of information available to them. For this reason it is crucial that digital citizenship education includes teaching students how to critically assess information. By teaching these skills we empower our students to be critical thinkers and enable them to make informed decisions in the digital world.

Real or Photoshop

(Online activity by Adobe (Mearig, 2013))

Grades 2 – 12

This activity can be adapted for use with learners in elementary and high school. Here students will use their observational skills to determine whether photos are real or photoshopped. This activity provides the opportunity for educators to share the impact of Photoshop (Adobe, 2023) on the photographs we see online.

Fake It to Make It

(Online game by Werner (n.d.))

Grades 9 – 12

In this game, users attempt to make money by creating fake news! Students will have the opportunity to see firsthand how internet stories can be exaggerated in an attempt to gain more followers and make more money. This game reinforces important concepts surrounding conducting proper research, considering credible sources of information and online manipulation.

​​Reality Check

(Online game by MediaSmarts (n.d., b))

Grades 9 – 12

In this game, students will examine various social media posts and determine whether they appear to be ‘real’ or ‘fake’. The game walks students through a lesson on how to critically examine and fact check information they find on the internet. Activities are fun and engaging and teach young people different techniques for authenticating information they find online.

Health & Emotional Wellness in the Digital World

Teaching children about the risks of technology would be remiss if it did not incorporate the negative impact of technology on our personal wellness. Students should understand that when used in excess technology can have poor effects on both their physical and mental health.

Once Upon Online

(Online game by Digital Matters (n.d.))

Grades 5 – 12

Digital Matters has created a series of lessons related to digital citizenship. While there are several different lessons available, of particular interest is one which supports upper-elementary and high school students in their understanding of healthy digital limits. Educators are able to download lesson plans that focus on digital wellness and teaching students how to effectively balance screen time. Within the website, students have free access to an interactive role play game where they choose to make decisions related to screen time and witness the impacts of such decisions on the wellbeing of their character.

Online Safety

Online safety is arguably one of the most important digital citizenship topics for children. Children must learn to navigate the online space in a way that keeps them safe. This involves educating children about the potential dangers that exist in the online environment. By teaching children the risks of sharing personal information, cyberbullying, and communicating with strangers online, we better equip them to protect themselves.

Zoe and Molly Online

(Online game and comic books by Canadian Centre for Child Protection (2023))

Grades 3 and 4

Zoe and Molly Online is a website that provides a fun way for students to learn about the risks of sharing information and photos online. The materials on the website include lesson plans and accompanying comic books aimed at grades three and four. Educators also have access to lesson plans, Powerpoint and SmartBoard presentations to go along with the corresponding grade level comic.

Cyber Choices

(Online game by MediaSmarts (n.d., a))

Grades 3 – 5

Cyber Choices is an interactive story game created to provide children with the opportunity to practice making responsible and safe choices online. The game allows children to make choices about sharing information, cyberbullying and conflict resolution online. As students navigate these decisions, they recognize the impact their choices have upon the outcome of the storyline. Cyber Choice is available to schools by purchasing a license. When purchased, teachers have access to the game, a teacher’s guide and programming to track learner progress.

Jessie and Friends

(Interactive Games and Activities by The National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom (n.d., b))

Grades K-2

Jessie and Friends is part of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency online safety education program. It is an interactive game intended for children aged 4-7. This game allows children to understand the importance of reporting things they see on the internet that may make them feel worried or uncomfortable.  The game covers topics children typically interact with online (e.g., watching videos, sharing pictures, online gaming and online chatting). Children can work through the levels and make decisions about when they should TAG (tell a grownup) about something they have seen online.

Band Runner

(Interactive Games and Activities by The National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom (n.d., a))

Grades 3 – 5

Band Runner is an engaging game that incorporates arcade style gaming and online safety. Learners work their way through levels by running and jumping to collect stars. Their course in the game is dictated by how they make decisions related to online safety. Topics cover accepting friend requests from strangers, sharing locations online, and reporting cyberbullying.

Conclusions

Digital technology is, and will continue to be, a constant in our society. Understanding how to use technology responsibly and protect oneself online is a crucial component of preparing students for life in modern day society. Educators have an essential role to play in introducing these concepts to students. By educating learners on these topics, educators can help young people develop a strong understanding of the risks and benefits of using digital technology and demonstrate how to responsibly navigate these technologies so that they may ultimately become good, contributing digital citizens. With the right support and resources, educators can effectively integrate digital citizenship teaching into their practice and help their students prepare for success in an increasingly digital world.

References

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