The London School of Economics conducted an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of digital citizenship curriculum materials in enhancing students’ media literacy and digital citizenship. This blog details the key findings of the evaluation, and aims to empower parents, carers, and educators with strategies to address online bullying and support young people in navigating the online world safely.
Research shows that 24% of children and young people will experience some form of online bullying. Further, some groups, such as disabled young people and LGBT young people are more likely to be cyberbullied. Our consultations with young people in 2020 revealed that adults and carers who are concerned that disabled young people may be bullied often actively discourage them from using the internet.
However, a crucial strand of cyberbullying prevention is the provision of appropriate levels of support to enable young people to acquire the skills needed to be safe online, rather than discouraging their use of the internet altogether. The findings from the London School of Economics and Political Science's (LSE) report titled LSE - Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum Evaluation are in line with this strand of cyber-bullying prevention. It emphasises the effectiveness of Digital Citizenship Curriculum materials in enhancing UK school students’ media literacy and digital citizenship, thereby helping build resistance to bullying, misinformation and disinformation amongst school students.
The connection between media literacy and anti-bullying
According to the non-profit Common-Sense Media, digital citizenship is about helping students build the essential tools and habits necessary to thrive in a digital world, like privacy, digital well-being, cyberbullying prevention, and news and media literacy. The report by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is an independent evaluation of the effectiveness Common Sense Media’s, pre-existing Digital Citizenship Curriculum materials in enhancing UK school students’ media literacy and digital citizenship. The curriculum is a free resource of 72 lessons for learners aged 5 to 18 that address topic areas based on academic research and concerns from children, teachers, and parents. Core topics included Privacy & Security, Relationships & Communication, and Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech.
Relevant findings of the Digital Citizenship Curriculum Evaluation
- Overall, the intervention of teaching students the Digital Citizenship Curriculum resulted in positive shifts in student behaviour and understanding of the importance of treating others with respect, kindness, and empathy, choosing an approach that considered the well-being of others
- Response of Year 5 students demonstrated a notable increase in empathy and support towards others online after the intervention.
- After students were taught the Digital Citizenship Curriculum, there was a notable improvement in the understanding of cyberbullying, digital drama and hate speech. The study showed that the percentage of students who demonstrated only a limited understanding and application of cyberbullying dropped dramatically from 37% in the pre-test to 1% in the post-test.
- Students who were categorised as “emerging”, meaning they showed an evolving understanding of cyberbullying, increased from 6% before the lessons to 24% after.
- The 'Proficient' category, in which students demonstrated a proficient understanding of cyberbullying and consistently acted accordingly, showcasing recognition, contemplation, self-efficacy, and action, saw substantial growth, rising from 57% in the pre-test to 74% in the post-test.
- Overall, younger learners demonstrated that the lessons helped in nurturing the dispositions of being ‘Caring and Mentoring’ towards others. After the intervention, Year 5 students were asked about what it meant to be a digital citizen, and responses included “Someone that stands up for people” and who is “helpful to others online”.
- Scenario-based critical illustrations of everyday problems in digital social encounters are significant for building resistance to bullying, misinformation and disinformation amongst school students compared to functional learning of technical features and facts.
Recommendations
To effectively handle issues related to online bullying, teachers and school staff need to have some level of understanding of social media platforms that their pupils are using. Here are some of the recommendations provided by the London School of Economics and Common Sense Media.
- Work with the local authority and media literacy providers to ensure that all teachers have continuing professional development opportunities around new and emerging media and social media so that they are confident and knowledgeable about the ownerships and environmental impact of technologies, and about digital environments and digital habits.
- Make sure that teachers are confident to facilitate meaningful interactions and discussions about cutting edge digital issues such as the environmental impact of tech, privacy, data ownership, predatory behaviour online, AI, and misinformation and disinformation, contributing to a safe and credible classroom experience
Based on the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s consultations with disabled young people, one specific tip about how anti-online bullying lessons and school activities can be delivered effectively, was to include everyone in its delivery. This meant making sure that anti-bullying online lessons and school activities were delivered to those who had not been supported to learn about online bullying or internet safety, and students who were not using the internet. Towards this goal, a few of the LSE evaluation’s notable suggestions include:
- The positive aspects of technology should be promoted, and lessons should cover how to use technology safely and responsibly. Supporting positive usage should be reflected in the school’s learning strategies and targets, and through their staff development programmes.
- Implement more in-depth explorations of digital citizenship topics in primary schools through regular age-appropriate lessons that are central to the school's curriculum.
- Hold annual half-day trainings and discussions on the digital and online sphere for parents and carers.
- Implement more in-depth explorations of digital citizenship topics in secondary schools through longer lessons that are central to the school's curriculum at both key stages.
- Spread the interventions across subjects throughout term-time in a creative workshop-style format
- Regular evaluations of cyberbullying prevention activities should be carried out to ensure policies and procedures are up to date. Annual surveys of pupil’s experiences of cyber- bullying can be a useful tool for assessing current effectiveness.
The way forward
A whole school approach to tailoring and delivering media literacy interventions is crucial to reduce bullying in schools and respond to it appropriately. This calls for collective and collaborative action between pupils, teachers, support staff, parents and organisations delivering media literacy/digital citizenship interventions.