1.7 million in funding for the development of an educational programme
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is providing 1.7 million euros in funding for a new project involving Bielefeld and Paderborn universities, a church educational institution and an association for digital learning. The scientists involved in the project are developing an educational programme that strengthens digital skills in families. Primary school children and their parents are to be trained in how to use the internet and AI.
Bielefeld/Germany, February 7, 2025. The four-year project ‘Together online: Search.Find.Understand’ is the first to systematically combine media education in the family and at school. ‘Previous studies show that children develop their digital skills primarily in the home environment. Nevertheless, most educational programmes focus exclusively on the school context,’ says the coordinator of the joint project, Professor Dr Anna-Maria Kamin from Bielefeld University. The educational scientist emphasises how important it is to critically question internet sources and the results of AI-supported applications. For this reason, children and parents in the project should, for example, work together to learn how to deal with fake news and misinformation.
Focus on disadvantaged families
Bielefeld University is developing the media pedagogical foundations and concepts for the educational programme. Paderborn University is contributing its expertise on family literacy through a team led by Professor Dr Heike M. Buhl. The scientist explains: ‘Children and parents explore digital media separately at times, but above all have shared experiences. This gives parents a better idea of how they can support their children.’
Both locations are jointly responsible for the scientific evaluation using standardised surveys and qualitative interviews as well as participant observations. The target group is primarily families who have previously had little access to media education programmes, but who are very interested in using digital media. The project therefore takes care to support families in difficult circumstances.
Der Verein Neue Wege des Lernens erstellt die digitalen Lernmaterialien und sorgt für die technische Umsetzung der Bildungsangebote. Das Programm wird gemeinsam mit der Katholischen Erwachsenen- und Familienbildung Paderborn erarbeitet und dort in drei Durchgängen erprobt. Alle Konzepte und Materialien werden so aufbereitet, dass sie auch in anderen Einrichtungen der Familienbildung eingesetzt werden können. Das Projekt läuft von Januar 2025 bis Dezember 2028.
Translated with Deepl_com
Weitere Informationen:
(https://www.empirische-bildungsforschung-bmbf.de/de/Themenfinder-1720.html/projekt/01JD2402A)
Steckbrief zu dem Forschungsprojekt
(https://uni-bielefeld.canto.de/b/SFEK9)
ImageSource
Universität Bielefeld,
Die Projektverantwortlichen (v.li., vorne): die Professorinnen Dr. Dorothee M. Meister, Dr. Anna-Maria Kamin und Dr. Heike M. Buhl; dahinter Volker Wittenbröker (Neue Wege des Lernens) und Daniel Burkhardt (Kath. Erwachsenen- und Familienbildung).