| dc.description.abstract | In recent years, the availability of digital devices, tablets and other media has
significantly increased which has led to a series of transitions in all of social and professional
life, including how we teach and learn. The use of digital devices in educational settings has
evolved from separately facilitated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) classes
to being integrated into almost every subject with which a student comes in contact. In Canada,
many curriculum documents are calling for an increase in ICT use within lessons, student
worktime, assessments and evaluations. As ICT is becoming more and more integrated into the
educational experiences of students, so are the risks associated with its use such as the insecurity
of privacy online. Keeping personal data and identity safe is crucial in not only minimizing risks
of cyberbullying, cyber predators, phishing, and exposure to scams, but also potentially harmful
digital footprints that may re-emerge later in life. These risks can affect students immediate
wellbeing as well as have long-term effects.
These risks result in an immediate call for digital citizenship frameworks that will
support students in using the new technologies ethically and safely, while also teaching them
how to use these tools to participate constructively in their communities and society at large. The
urgency in the need for updated digital citizenship frameworks is what inspired the research that
has come together to create this portfolio. Though the focus of this research has been centred
around online privacy and safety for students between the grades of K-12, it falls under the
broader umbrella of digital citizenship. To begin implementing an adequate digital citizenship
framework for our times, investigation of currently available educational curricula as well as
third party initiatives must be conducted. This research was completed for the Office of the
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, through the completion of two commissioned research
reports. Two major research papers were written, the first focusing on Canadian curriculum and
professional development and the second undertaking a deeper and more detailed evaluation on
existing Canadian educational resources. This overview of Canadian curriculum and professional
development materials and initiatives, as well as a detailed evaluation of Canada’s existing
educational resources from provincial and territorial education ministries and school
jurisdictions, demonstrates the current landscape of current digital citizenship education in
Canada. Dr. Michael Hoechsmann, and I co-authored the first research paper. | en_US |
