Tag: Creativity
Media Literacy
Article
Jose Puig I Cadalfach Institute: “Our students weren’t aware of the dangers behind misinformation”
Our Institute, the Jose Puig i Cadafalch Institute, is a teaching community. The learning process of our students is extremely important to us but we strongly believe that it has to go along with proper behavior models, a great amount of autonomy and a sense of responsibility. In this regard, one of the main goals of our institute is to favor the students’ access to digital technologies, and to help them relate in the healthiest way possible with mobile devices and their apps.
These cross-cutting learnings are meant to be strengthened through the long-term project “Digital Media Awareness” that has been implemented , with our Erasmus+ platform international partners, . This project, with English as the working language, provides the students with a space to research and learn about current ICT related subjects. This space allows them to share common thoughts and worries with their international classmates, and discuss important subjects such as misinformation, fingerprints, digital identity and digital fingerprints, as well as hate speeches and cyberbullying. The project Fake News has been developed together with 4th year ESO (secondary) students. They have created workshops and dynamics, to develop during the visit of their international classmates, and to work in the classrooms with the younger students from the school
When the Fake News workshop started,all students from the Institute and all participating students from international schools that are part of the program were surveyed. Results showed the lack of knowledge and awareness about the dangers behind misinformation, the lack of analysis and revision of accessible information, andand what we can do to spot false content in time.
Once the Project ended, the same survey confirmed that the 4th year ESO students had increased their awareness on these issues and how to act on them. It was highly rewarding to see how their work had an impact on their behavior and their use of information sources. The rest of the surveyed students showed a fundamental change in their knowledge of this phenomenon and how they perceived themselves as agents involved in the fight against misinformation.
We are aware that we need to continue working and creating materials that can be used in the classrooms. Due to the wide range of possibilities to apply these workshops we will continue to use them in our school, to educate new generations that arrive at 1st year ESO The materials and workshops will also continue to be available as information sources so other teachers in the Erasmus+ platforms can use them during their lessons. The result of this project has been a success and we are very satisfied. We have been able to create awareness in our students and have resources to form and educate them in the best possible way.
Author
Design Thinking
Success Story
EduHack in Catalonia: co-creating learning experiences using design thinking
What is Eduhack?
We live in a global and hyperconnected digital world where the rapid and constant evolution of technologies has driven the need for transformation in all areas of society. Education is no exception. mSchools EduHack was articulated precisely in response to this scenario and 2 editions and 60 didactic proposals later, we can say that the initiative has been a success.
EduHack is a co-creation process based on Design thinking that, in its 2 editions, has connected, inspired and trained more than 800 Catalan teachers to identify and design innovative experiences for the classroom, the school and the community, always making use of digital technology. Over 160 didactic proposals, inclusive and digital, came out of this process and they have been tested in approximately 150 schools throughout the territory, impacting 7,500 students.
mSchools developed EduHack as a shared journey to teach and apply the principles of design thinking and co-creation through teamwork and collaboration between teachers and schools, to design meaningful learning experiences, resulting in didactic proposals that can be tested and integrated in classrooms and schools.
El mètode Eduhack
160
teaching proposals
800
designers and testers
7.500
impacted students
Breaking barriers between communities
At mSchools we have seen that one of the commonalities across the educational community is that teachers want to work together to solve old and new challenges within our education system. Instead of avoiding difficult and complex issues, they get involved in collaboratively designing practical solutions.
Through the use of an online platform and teamwork, EduHack provided a methodology for teamwork, as well as opportunities for peer learning and creation.
We believe that collaboration encourages pollination, mixing teachers of different disciplines stages, schools, and geographical location. EduHack promotes reducing barriers and broadening horizons through the design and exchange of new ideas across educational communities.
EduHack methodology: co-creation stages
Empathise
What is Design thinking?
Design Thinking proposes that we connect with our most curious self, asking ourselves why things are the way they are or why we do them the way we do them. It encourages us not to ignore what is obvious and to go out and explore the world. Our exploration will have to two directions:
Understanding the environment in which we want to act and look for inspiration in other environments.
Understanding the People Involved: How do our students, other teachers, or the school administration team experience this problem?
Design Thinking proposes that we connect with our most curious self, asking ourselves why things are the way they are or why we do them the way we do them. It encourages us not to ignore what is obvious and to go out and explore the world. Our exploration will have to two directions:
Understanding the environment in which we want to act and look for inspiration in other environments.
Understanding the People Involved: How do our students, other teachers, or the school administration team experience this problem?
Define
What is a design challenge?
At this stage, the design challenge must be defined. But what is it exactly? The design challenge stems from a problem that needs to be addressed. A good challenge allows us to look beyond the current paradigm and solutions to reach completely new possibilities. Choosing the right guide and deciding on the scope of the challenge can be difficult, so it’s important to explore and understand the problem itself before embarking on solutions.
At this stage, the design challenge must be defined. But what is it exactly? The design challenge stems from a problem that needs to be addressed. A good challenge allows us to look beyond the current paradigm and solutions to reach completely new possibilities. Choosing the right guide and deciding on the scope of the challenge can be difficult, so it’s important to explore and understand the problem itself before embarking on solutions.
Create
What does it mean to make a prototype?
It is about allowing people to play with the idea in the early stages of its development, so that elements that do not work can be redesigned from user feedback. In this way, it is possible to understand whether the concept satisfies the needs of the people as expected before fully implementing it.
It is about allowing people to play with the idea in the early stages of its development, so that elements that do not work can be redesigned from user feedback. In this way, it is possible to understand whether the concept satisfies the needs of the people as expected before fully implementing it.
Share
The end of the process is just the beginning.
Sharing design with other teachers involves explaining not only the end result, but also the process that has been followed and collecting, where appropriate, contributions, advice, improvements,… Design Thinking involves an iteration, a continuous improvement of the work done by enriching it with other views and experiences and, most importantly, networking between teachers and experts.
Sharing design with other teachers involves explaining not only the end result, but also the process that has been followed and collecting, where appropriate, contributions, advice, improvements,… Design Thinking involves an iteration, a continuous improvement of the work done by enriching it with other views and experiences and, most importantly, networking between teachers and experts.
The result: a few projects that have been tested
As a result of the methodology proposed by the Eduhack initiative, more than 60 didactic proposals have emerged, which have been piloted and tested in various Catalan schools. Here are some examples:
- ‘Fotem el camp’, Escola Nostra Llar, Sabadell: students use augmented reality to show their school during the open day.
- ‘Apadrinament digital’, Institut de Santa Coloma de Farners, Girona: intergenerational proposal to support the elderly in the discovery and use of digital materials and tools.
- ‘Minicraftegem un edifici singular’, Escola Joan Miró, Canovelles: students recreate a unique building in their immediate environment using Minecraft.
By working in this way, students are very motivated, very involved, eager to continue learning. It is a very comprehensive way of learning that promotes cooperative work.
Anna Maria Viñas ,
Escola Nostra Llar, Sabadell (Barcelona)
An initiative based on collaboration
The initiative also focuses on building collaborative relationships with companies, universities, research centers and public institutions to design and work together to accelerate the digital transformation of the education sector.
Pompeu Fabra University, University of Girona, University of Lleida and Rovira i Virgili University have collaborated in the development of this initiative.
