Council conclusions on supporting well-being in digital education

(2022/C 469/04)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

IN THE CONTEXT OF:

1. The political discussions at the Gothenburg Social Summit in 2017, where it was stressed that 44 % of Europeans do not have basic digital skills, that 90 % of jobs in the future will require digital skills and competences, and that 40 % of European companies struggle to recruit ICT specialists. Launching a reflection on the Future of Learning, to respond to future trends and the digital revolution, including artificial intelligence (AI), was one of the ideas discussed by European leaders on that occasion.

2. The first principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights, namely, that everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market.

3. The communication from the Commission on achieving the European Education Area by 2025, which underlines the need to create supportive learning environments for groups at risk of underachievement and to support well-being at school.

4. The Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030), which stresses that education and training have a vital role to play in shaping the future of Europe, at a time when it is essential for citizens to find personal fulfilment and well-being, to be prepared to adapt and perform on a changing labour market and to engage in active and responsible citizenship.

5. The Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027), which outlines the concept of a high-performing digital education ecosystem and stresses the importance of digital skills and competence development for everyday life.

6. The ongoing structured dialogue on digital education and skills with Member States, launched by the Commission in 2021, and its whole-government approach to digital education.

7. Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee, which is aimed at preventing and combating social exclusion and ensuring equal opportunities by guaranteeing free access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this regard, the Recommendation underlines the importance of providing digital educational tools, high speed connectivity, digital services and adequate equipment, as well as of improving digital skills and tackling all forms of digital divide.

8. The Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, which indicates that effective use of digital technologies requires the removal of accessibility barriers for persons with disabilities and investing in their digital skills.

9. The Council Recommendation on Pathways to School Success and replacing the Council Recommendation of 28 June 2011 on policies to reduce early school leaving, which aims to promote better educational outcomes for all young Europeans, irrespective of their personal characteristics, family, cultural and socio-economic background and stresses well-being at school and physical and mental health as key components of school success.

10. The informal Commission expert group currently being set up to promote supportive learning environments for groups at risk of underachievement and to support well-being at school.

11. The Council Recommendation of 29 November 2021 on blended learning approaches for high-quality and inclusive primary and secondary education, which underlines the importance of prioritising well-being (both physical and mental) and suggests including learner well-being and anti-bullying policies in school objectives, as well as increasing the focus on the well-being and the quality of the professional life of teachers and trainers, school leaders and other educational staff in order to mitigate stress and prevent burnout.

12. The Council Recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, which emphasises VET policies suited to the digital economy.

13. The Osnabrück Declaration on vocational education and training as an enabler of recovery and just transitions to digital and green economies, which aims to develop the digitalisation of VET in a new lifelong learning culture.

14. The Council conclusions on digital education in Europe’s knowledge societies, which emphasise that digital education should consider the well-being of all actors involved in the learning process.

15. The Education and Training Monitor 2021, which focuses on the topic of well-being in education.

16. The Commission Communication ‘A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+)’, which focuses on the improvement of children’s well-being in online environments.

17. The updated ‘Digital Competence Framework for Citizens’ (DigComp 2.2) produced by the Commission, which emphasises safety, e.g. in the context of supporting well-being and health as well as understanding and combating cyberbullying.

18. The European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu), which underlines the importance of measures meant to ensure learners’ physical, psychological and social well-being while using digital technologies.

RECOGNISES THAT:

19. For the purposes of these Council conclusions, ‘well-being in digital education’ is understood as a feeling of physical, cognitive, social and emotional contentment that enables all individuals to engage positively in all digital learning environments including through digital education and training tools and methods, maximise their potential and self-realisation and helps them to act safely online and supports their empowerment in online environments (1). These Council conclusions focus on digital well-being in and through education and training at primary, lower and upper secondary levels, including vocational education and training (VET).

20. For the purposes of these Council conclusions, the term ‘learners’ covers all pupils, students and apprentices attending primary, lower and upper secondary levels of initial formal educational systems, including initial vocational education and training (VET).

21. For the purposes of these Council conclusions, the term ‘educators’ covers teachers, school leaders, trainers and other pedagogical staff involved in teaching learners at the primary and secondary levels of initial formal educational systems, including initial vocational education and training (VET).

22. Digital technologies have radically changed the ways in which people learn, work, use information and communicate. The digital transformation brings new challenges and opportunities for learners and has an impact on their cognitive, physical, social and emotional life.

23. The COVID-19 pandemic and the switch to emergency distance and online teaching and learning has brought many challenges to digital learning environments. The way in which digital education and training systems, including learners and educators and other relevant actors, have reacted to these challenges may serve as a useful experience and lessons learned for the development of well-being approaches in digital education.

24. High-quality and inclusive education and training should enhance the opportunities opened up by the digital transformation to support learners’ and educators’ well-being in digital learning environments. This should be systematically supported and fostered in all aspects of the digital education ecosystem (2).

25. The reinforcement of learners’ well-being in the context of digital education is a two-way process. Digital environments may bring some challenges, including within the digital education context, e.g. cyberbullying, which can negatively impact well-being, especially if some aspects of those environments are poorly designed or deployed. In contrast, well-designed digital education ecosystems that are effective and inclusive can promote the development of learners’ well-being and improve their educational, life and work prospects.

26. The digital divide poses a serious threat to well-being in digital education and training for both learners and educators, often reinforcing existing inequalities or creating new ones. School systems at national, regional and local level should be able to respond to any problems of insufficient access, inadequate equipment or unsatisfactory learning conditions faced by learners, in particular disadvantaged learners including those with disabilities and/or special educational needs and those facing challenges relating to the digital gender divide.

27. New learning models, including those involving the use of accessible and findable digital tools, extend outreach to disadvantaged learners, including those with disabilities and/or special educational needs and those who are temporarily unable to attend school because of a health condition, as well as learners living in isolated, insular or remote areas, such as the EU’s outermost regions. They also support stronger motivation and commitment to benefit from online experiences, and together with learner-centred approaches help reduce the digital divide.

28. With the arrival of learners from migrant backgrounds and/or those whose first language is different from the language of instruction, digital tools and high-quality educational content can facilitate the continuity of their education and training, can help them to maintain their connection with their language and culture of origin and to cope with possible traumatic experiences and new challenges.

29. More frequent and growing access to and use of digital environments can expose learners to a greater risk of suffering from threats in the digital world, e.g. cyberbullying and/or isolation. Efforts must be made to ensure that learners are educated and that educators are adequately trained and cooperate with other relevant professionals in order to truly promote a safe digital learning environment.

30. The focus on critical thinking, media and digital literacy and resilience to disinformation and misinformation should be strengthened in education and training systems, with a view to empowering learners with the skills needed to respond to potential threats and challenges and providing for a safer and more positive experience online.

31. Educators, together with administrative and management staff, have an important and irreplaceable role in the development of education and training environments (3) and in supporting the well-being of learners. They should develop and strengthen their digital competences and enhance their knowledge of the benefits and challenges of using digital tools in education and training e.g. within their initial education, induction and continuous professional development, as well as on the importance of raising the attractiveness of ICT skills development for girls inter alia by gender-sensitive approaches to teaching digitalisation-related competences.

32. Digital technologies are not intended to replace physical presence and face-to-face interactions between educators and learners. The purpose of integrating digital technologies in educational processes is to support and facilitate educators’ work and to enhance learners’ learning experience.

ACKNOWLEDGES THAT:

Learners’ and educators’ well-being in the context of digital education and training can be supported by:

A. Acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences required for the fostering of well-being in digital education and training 33. Individuals engage in a digital environment throughout their personal, professional and civic lives. Development of digital knowledge, skills and competences can support their emotional prosperity and contentment and foster their ability to respond appropriately to the challenges and risks presented in both the digital and the physical world. 34. Policies and measures concerning the development of digital skills and competences should be designed with due regard for learners’ well-being and their individual needs, with a special focus on disadvantaged groups. They should also be aimed at increasing their resilience and empowerment. Digital competence (4) involves confident, critical, responsible, ethical and safer engagement with digital technologies. Digital skills such as computational thinking, ICT problem-solving and data literacy are needed both during the initial stages of education and training and on a life-long basis so that individuals can become better integrated into society and have better access to job opportunities. 35. Digital technologies influence the ways in which learners learn, seek and share information as well as how they interact with each other and socialise. Learners are exposed to a wide variety of information, including disinformation and misinformation, so the development of digital and media literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills is essential. 36. Learners should acquire and develop the necessary knowledge, skills and competences that will contribute to the innocuous, safe and ethical use of digital tools, including cybersecurity skills and knowledge of AI algorithms’ limits. This could have a significant impact on learners’ well-being and resilience. 37. Developing personal and social competence may help learners to use digital social networks with less risk of emotional or social harm and increase their awareness of the risks of excessive use of digital technologies. 38. Learners should have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and competences necessary to enable them to create, share and use digital content, and should be aware of the rules related to intellectual property. 39. Advanced and specialised skills are needed for the development of ICT products and services and advanced digital technologies, including those which may have a positive impact on the well-being of individuals, e.g. people with disabilities and/or special educational needs. 40. Educators should be supported in acquiring and developing their digital knowledge, skills and competences, e.g. within their initial education, induction and continuous professional development, and be well-informed about the benefits and challenges of using digital tools, and the opportunities resulting from their use, in education and training. Educators should support learners to use technology in a safe, responsible and creative manner.

B. The design of teaching and learning approaches and digital environments that enhance learners’ well-being 41. Teaching and learning approaches, which include teaching and learning methods and organisational aspects, should improve the relevance and effectiveness of the education and training process as well as learners’ contentment and self-confidence in all learning environments. In this context, the accessibility, safety and quality of digital infrastructure and digital technologies are crucial. The development and use of advanced digital technologies in education and training can be beneficial, especially for disadvantaged learners including those with disabilities and/or special educational needs. 42. When digital education policies are being designed, the following aspects should be considered: — the environments where learning takes place, taking into account the socio-economic, cultural and family background of learners as well as other relevant circumstances. — the tools and devices employed, tailoring their use to the individual needs of learners (influenced by e.g. health condition, special educational needs and socio-economic background): — Digital education ecosystems should support work with innovative education tools, which could include gamification, educational solutions based on e.g. extended reality technologies such as augmented/virtual reality, AI, learning analytics and social networks, which respect an ethical and transparent approach, data privacy and non-discrimination by design, while taking into consideration benefits and potential risks (5). — The digital solutions should be designed to allow and encourage adaptability to digital education purposes and respect the diverse backgrounds and needs of all individuals, especially learners from disadvantaged groups. Where relevant, interoperability of digital solutions used in education and training should be promoted. — Advanced and specialised digital technologies (e.g. AI, augmented/virtual reality, Internet of things, digital twins, etc.) can improve the accessibility and quality of learning and training environments and synergically complement non-digital teaching and learning approaches. Integration of innovative digital solutions can promote skilfulness of learners in vocational education and training. — The use of digital technologies may take up time that could be used for other activities that are beneficial to health, such as physical exercise or sleep. Consideration should therefore be given to the balance between on-screen and off-screen time and to time management. — the learning tasks that are used in the education process leading towards intended learning outcomes. — The use of high-quality digital education content designed with sound pedagogical purpose and delivered in a modern, accessible and easy-to-use fashion (6). — Support for learner-centred approaches, including promotion of learners’ autonomy. — educators who should be well-trained and capable of providing guidance to learners on the appropriate usage of digital technologies, including wise and balanced allocation of on-screen and off-screen time. Well-trained educators are able to take into account the specificities of different digital learning environments, to work with innovative digital tools, teaching and learning approaches and to implement them in a pedagogical context while bearing in mind the risks of excessive use of digital technologies.

C. Interpersonal relations in the digital education ecosystem 43. Digital education ecosystems are based not only on digital infrastructure and digital tools and content, but also on social interactions between the individuals involved - i.e. the learners, educators and other actors who use technological means for communication and creation of content and networks - and on their physical and social environments. It is essential to take these social interactions into account when designing digital education ecosystems. 44. Technological progress has changed the forms of communication and opened up new opportunities for empowerment, self-expression and digital citizenship (7), including active participation in society via online tools. 45. Digital interactions can help in the development of social skills and strengthen social connections. However, learners and educators can also be exposed to digital risks (8) (such as cyberbullying, hate speech, fake news, privacy breaches, online frauds, echo chambers (9) etc.) (10) that are harmful to their well-being (11). It is essential that learners, educators and parents be aware of the scope and variety of these risks and know how to avoid and/or prevent them, where to find support and how to build resilience. It is also important to use interactions as well as teaching and learning approaches in digital learning environments to address digital risks. 46. Education and training systems and schools should explore ways of strengthening well-being in digital education, promote digital risk awareness and prevention as well as whole-school policies, including school procedures of an organisational nature, supporting safe digital education environments and addressing challenges connected with digital risks. 47. Social comparisons fostered in the online world can have a negative impact on mental health and self-esteem, particularly in adolescence. Learners’ body image concerns and sense of social alienation can be triggered or intensified if they are exposed to ‘ideal’ images on social media. The use of online social media is also connected with the phenomenon known as the ‘fear of missing out’. Educators within digital learning environments should be aware of these risks, raise awareness of and address the negative impacts of these phenomena and promote the development of skills among learners to tackle these issues. 48. Educators should support learners’ motivation to learn and develop to their full potential, to help them grow into coherent, mature individuals who are aware of their strengths, weaknesses, life goals and aspirations, and who have built a positive self-image while respecting others and their individual needs. Such behaviour is a key factor of well-being in digital education. 49. Wise digital parenting and a supportive family environment should be part of a digital education ecosystem, while taking into account the family background. Schools should be aware of the importance of communication and cooperation with parents or carers on the opportunities, benefits and challenges presented by digital education, as well as digital risks and the importance of time management when using digital tools for educational and training purposes.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY, TO

50. Place emphasis on strengthening learners’ and educators’ well-being when designing national policies and strategies in digital education;

51. Promote the designing of teaching and learning processes with a view to their impact on learners’ well-being and, where relevant, encourage strong cooperation between digital education ecosystems and mental health and psycho-social professionals and services;

52. Encourage teaching and learning processes based on a learner-centred approach, e.g. through the integration of advanced digital technologies, ethical use of AI and data (12), with a special emphasis on support for the well-being of disadvantaged learners and those in vulnerable situations including those with disabilities and/or special educational needs, as well as gifted learners, and on tackling the digital gender gap;

53. Strengthen learners’ and educators’ awareness of the need to balance on-screen and off-screen time well, and, where possible, support schools in developing appropriate time management as regards digital and face-to-face teaching and learning activities;

54. Explore ways of supporting the design and implementation of teaching and learning processes and the use of digital technologies in education and training in order to facilitate the integration of learners from migrant backgrounds and/or those whose first language is different from the language of instruction into Member States’ education and training systems, while allowing them to maintain their connection with their mother tongues and respective cultures;

55. Support (13) learners’ awareness of potential threats in the digital world and the development of their resilience in order to reduce the risks and offer safe online opportunities for young people, whilst supporting data protection and online privacy;

56. Explore ways to support educators in promoting learners’ critical thinking, media and digital literacy and working with data and information, including an informed approach to misinformation and disinformation (14);

57. Encourage schools, where appropriate, to apply whole-school approaches which would systematically promote well-being in digital education at the primary, secondary and VET levels, including flexible policies which would support prevention and resilience and address challenges such as digital risks, as well as schools’ organisational procedures;

58. Consider using opportunities offered by existing EU instruments (the European Social Fund Plus, Erasmus+, the Technical Support Instrument, etc.) to promote digital education policies focusing on the well-being of learners and educators in digital learning environments.

INVITES THE COMMISSION, IN LINE WITH THE TREATIES AND WITH FULL RESPECT FOR SUBSIDIARITY, TO

59. Support research on the impact of the use of digital technologies on learners’ and educators’ well-being across the Member States, and draw up an evidence-based study on the state of play of well-being needs in digital education environments. Design a model for efficient practices aimed at improving well-being in digital learning ecosystems and, ultimately, criteria for a ‘digital well-being school model’ in schools as a possible example and for Member States to use on a voluntary basis. When designing this model, take stock of the work of the informal Commission expert group on supportive learning environments for groups at risk of underachievement and for supporting well-being at school, which is currently being set up;

60. Encourage the development and sharing of high-quality content for educators and other relevant professionals aimed at further improving their knowledge, skills and competences, learner-centred pedagogical approaches and work with diverse groups of learners;

61. Consider promoting well-being in digital education as part of the annual Digital Education Hackathon;

62. Raise awareness among all relevant stakeholders, e.g. designers of digital tools and services, such as the education technology sector (EdTech) and those focused on cybersecurity, on integrating user-friendly approaches and solutions which would support learners’ and educators’ well-being in digital education. Raise awareness among all relevant stakeholders who develop digital education content on integrating the aspect of well-being not only in the content itself but also in teaching and learning processes.

63. Support the use of EU programmes, such as Erasmus+, the European Social Fund Plus, the European Solidarity Corps, Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme for promoting learners’ and educators’ well-being in digital learning environments and the use of advanced digital technologies, e.g. for learners with disabilities and/or special educational needs, as well as the development, testing and deployment of gamification, educational solutions based on AI, and extended reality technologies such as augmented/virtual reality for pedagogical purposes;

64. Reflect the need for a holistic, integrated and sustainable digital education ecosystem in the Member States that promotes quality and inclusion and fosters well-being in digital education in the ongoing implementation of the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) and the upcoming proposals for a Council Recommendation on the enabling factors for digital education and a Council Recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills in education and training.

(1) Cognitive well-being can be defined as learners’ ‘successful participation in society in a variety of roles - as lifelong learners, as productive workers, as active citizens’. This participation is enabled, among others, by the knowledge and competences they possess. Physical well-being can be understood as individuals’ health level and their capacity to lead a healthy lifestyle. Social well-being covers learners’ interactions with others, as well as their perception of the digital learning environment. Psychological well-being refers to learners’ opinions and feelings about their own lives and the personal objectives they have set themselves (Panesi, S., Bocconi, S. and Ferlino, L., Promoting Students’ Well-Being and Inclusion in Schools Through Digital Technologies: Perceptions of Students, Teachers, and School Leaders in Italy Expressed Through SELFIE Piloting Activities, Frontiers in Psychology, 2020).

(2) The digital education ecosystem includes digital education infrastructure, connectivity and equipment (including accessible and assistive technologies); high-quality digital education content; learners and educators with the know-how to integrate digital technologies in the pedagogical process; and the development of digital knowledge, skills and competences and conditions for interpersonal relations in digital learning environments.

(3) Various factors can have an impact on educators’ general well-being, e.g. excessive workload, perceived lack of recognition of and respect for the teaching profession, excessive class sizes, lack of support for schools with unmanageable student misbehaviour issues, and, in some countries, inadequate or unequal funding (Viac, C. and Fraser, P., Teachers’ well-being: A framework for data collection and analysis, OECD Education Working Paper No. 213, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2020).

(4) See e.g. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S., Punie, Y., DigComp 2.2, The Digital Competence framework for citizens: with new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes, 2022 and the Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning (OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1).

(5) These include, for example, internet addiction, excessive on-screen time, gaming disorders and health-related issues such as sedentary behaviour leading to obesity.

(6) Regarding educational content, the upcoming Digital Education Content Framework of the Commission may provide useful guidance.

(7) According to the Council of Europe, ‘a digital citizen is someone who, through the development of a broad range of competences, is able to actively, positively and responsibly engage in both on- and offline communities, whether local, national or global’ (Richardson, J., Milovidov, E., Digital citizenship education handbook: being online, well-being online, rights online, Council of Europe, 2019).

(8) Digital risks can be connected, e.g. with excessive or inappropriate use of digital technologies or interaction of learners with the digital world.

(9) The term ‘echo chamber’‘refers to situations in social media and online discussion groups in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a closed, insulated system. Participants usually receive information that reinforces their existing views without encountering opposing views’ (Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S. and Punie, Y., DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens - With new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2022).

(10) A 2019 OECD study defines a typology of risks: contact risks, content risks, privacy risks and consumer risks (Burns, T., Gottschalk, F. (eds.), Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-being in the Digital Age, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2019).

(11) For example, cyberbullying can be even more harmful than ordinary forms of bullying because the reach of the humiliation is extended to a large audience online, and words and images can remain in the online environment indefinitely.

(12) The ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data in teaching and learning for educators, prepared by the Commission, can be seen as a useful source of guidance and support in this regard.

(13) For example through the existing network of Safer Internet Centres in Member States, co-funded by the EU, and the platform betterinternetforkids.eu, the pan-European hub on child online safety, containing material for teachers, parents and children in all official EU languages.

(14) The guidelines for teachers and educators on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education and training, prepared by the Commission, can be seen as a useful source of guidance and support in this regard.