Description (Context)

Digital Education Concepts for Diversity and Democratic Participation.

Democratic societies are based on the controversial and constructive discussion of issues. Civic education must address topics under discussion, work out fundamental differences of opinion and thus promote contradictions and critical thinking.

Both learners and adult educators must become aware of their perception of social discourses and its impact on personal attitudes and actions. A conscious approach to one’s own attitudes promotes emphatic and critical thinking, creates an understanding for marginalized positions, and strengthens the capability to reflect one’s attitudes.

By encouraging learners to develop their own assessment of issues, their self-determination is strengthened. Sound political positions and knowledge of debates and problems promote self-confident   positioning in social issues. Through the low-threshold access of the SDD project, this is also achievable for people at lower educational levels.

AFE Related Topics

Target

The SDD project will address both direct and indirect target groups. Adult educators and learners are the primary direct target group. They will receive a free, high-quality educational offer and a framework for self-reflective discussion.

Another direct target group are policymakers and multipliers at political level. These are reached by a separate brochure.

Indirect target groups include people who have deficits in speaking and acting according to democratic principles and in tolerating diversity. As it is unlikely to reach them through measures of adult education, they require a confident counterpart making use of cogent arguments. But also, the broad public will benefit from the knowledge of learners when they act as multipliers for democratic ideas.

Outputs

• IO1 Code of practice “Experiencing Hate Speech: Responses, Coping Strategies, and Interventions”, testimonials and experience reports will be collected in form of national summaries and a European compendium, further-developing widely spread guides with arguments against right-wing populism.
• IO2 Interactive learning platform with a learning game at its core that will be accompanied by a library and materials for adult educators, including a workshop curriculum, a trainer manual and a template for certificates, and for stakeholders at political level.
• IO3 Workshop curriculum and trainer manual with instructions on how to make use of the game will be developed.
• IO4 Recommendations for political decision-makers and associations on how to promote diversity and empathy for victims of racism and hate speech and to facilitate the usage of the game and the learning platform.