Data and the digital world - a topic for schools and lessons!

Type of event: Seminar
Institution: Faculty of Educational Science
Funding period: 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2024
Short title: DDLE in the school

Extract from the funding application: "To anchor Digital and Data Literacy Education (DDLE) in schools, the promotion of DDL by teachers is only a necessary, but not a sufficient condition. Curricular and didactic issues must also be considered: Which topics are important for the promotion of DDL in schools? How can DDLE be taken into account in the subjects taught? How and where can DDLE be located outside the subjects? What level of complexity is appropriate for dealing with DDLE at school?"

Orientation of the teaching lab

Progressive digitalisation and datafication are fundamentally changing social processes and require an understanding of and critical reflection on digital data for individual and social participation. As digital data processing influences daily decision-making processes, digital and data literacy must become central components of school education.

The promotion of digital and data literacy goes beyond the use of digital tools. It involves developing a critical understanding of the role of digital data in society and requires both theoretical and practical engagement by student teachers and teaching staff. They should develop ideas on how digital and data literacy can be integrated into the curriculum and didactics.

A reflective further education format for teachers is necessary in order to acquire scientifically sound skills and develop options for action for everyday school life. Student teachers should not only deal with the challenges of everyday working life theoretically, but also practically and develop a critically reflective attitude. The course concept is based on the assumption that insights into real school challenges promote this attitude.

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Review and results

As part of the project, a concept for an introductory event on digital and data literacy education for teachers was developed and trialled. The aim was to establish this as a long-term programme in teacher training. Cooperation with the State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development (LI) facilitated a seminar in which student teachers and teachers developed concepts for integrating digital and data literacy in schools. This collaboration is to be continued in order to anchor the seminar as an integral part of the teacher training curriculum and as a further training programme. The Faculty of Education supports this by funding a teaching assignment, and the concept is being continuously developed by the Office for Digital Teaching.

In addition, extensive materials and didactic concepts were created and published as Open Educational Resources (OER). The aim was also to develop curricular and didactic concepts for the integration of digital and data literacy into everyday school life, which were published in the digital.learning.lab of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training in order to ensure sustainable and broad availability.

Students of educational science were given a comprehensive overview of the requirements for digital and data literacy in schools. They developed a deep understanding of digital technologies, data processing and the ethical, legal and social implications of digitality and translated this into pedagogical concepts. They also learnt basic methods for collecting, analysing and interpreting data, including critical reflections on the impact of data use on individuals.

Tips from teachers for teachers

The experience of collaborative project work from the learning facilitator's perspective has helped to develop teachers' skills in the area of project didactics. It has been shown that clear structures and regular structured feedback discussions as well as the recording of intermediate goals are important for students in order to achieve good project results.