Democracy in a Digitalized Era: a blessing or a curse? Erasmus Project

Project Title

Democracy in a Digitalized Era: a blessing or a curse?

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

DEMOdigi – Democracy in a Digitalized Era: a blessing or a curse?
Digitalization has changed our society, the way we interact, communicate and perceive the world. Digital tools play important roles in political decision making. Trends online have strongly influenced recent political movements and elections. The digital world does not respect borders. It is normal for students to access information from other countries online. Thus, working with schools from different places in Europe for our project is extremely helpful and necessary to achieve a clearer picture.

The aim of the project is to analyze democratic structure in a digitalized world and society. How does digitalization change our structure and perception of democracy? Is the digital world democratic? How can we equip our students to deal with the threats and opportunities that a digitalized world entails?

Five schools from four European countries will be participating in this project: Viktor Rydbergs skola Vasastan (Stockholm, Sweden), Smáraskóli (Kópavogur, Iceland), Max Delbrück Gymnasium (Berlin, Germany), Friedrich List Gymnasium (Asperg, Germany) and B’ Gymnasio Arsakeio Psychikou (Athens, Greece). VRSV and Smáraskóli have developed ways to work digitally with students. Smáraskóli is responsible for teaching us about privacy issues using digital tools and data protection. In Sweden digital awareness is part of the national curriculum, which we believe will be beneficial in the project. B’ Gymnasio Arsakeio Psychikou has worked on European partnerships before and are experts at teaching democracy. Max Delbrück Gymnasium has great experience in organizing debates between schools. Friedrich List Gymnasium has a vast knowledge of working with democratic structures in school, making sure that students can influence their everyday lives in school.

We will learn about the democratic framework, the structure and history of democracy. Students will get the chance to compare the different views of democracy in our respective countries.
We will realize a SWAT analysis of digitalization and learn about how digitalization can be used to promote and threaten democracy.
We will create a wiki page with what we learn throughout the project.
Finally, we will create an interactive questionnaire where anyone can find out whether they are a DEMOdigi (a democratic citizen in a digitalized world) and get further information on questions they got wrong.

We will use lectures, discussions, films, interviews, exchange of ideas through eTwinning and external partners to learn as much as we can about the topic at hand.

The result of the project is a wiki page where anyone can look at the pros and cons of a digitalized world. In the spirit of open sources, we will be able to share all our findings with schools and institutions both in our own countries and abroad. This also includes guidelines to the teaching methodologies that have been used.

During the final months of the project, we make sure that the results are disseminated in all participating schools. We will use the questionnaire in all classes in order to brainstorm concrete change processes for digital participation. Class representatives and teachers are trained as multipliers.

Thus, this entire project is a dissemination of sorts.

The impact and longer term benefits will be an enhanced knowledge of democracy and digitalization for anyone who studies our findings.

Are you a DEMOdigi? At the end of our project, you may find out!

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 45252 Eur

Project Coordinator

Viktor Rydbergs skola Vasastan & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Smáraskóli
• Philekpaideftiki Etaireia – B’ Gymnasio Arsakeio Psychikou
• Max Delbrück Gymnasium
• Friedrich-List-Gymnasium