Basic digital education

Digital basic education is a subject that has been anchored as a mandatory exercise in the curriculum for secondary level 1 in the Austrian education system . The subject of digital basic education includes media literacy , digital education and political education .

history

The subject was introduced in the 2018/2019 school year for all types of schools in lower secondary level. A pilot test took place in the 2017/2018 school year, in which interested schools were able to introduce the subject matter.

The starting point of the digital basic education as a subject was the publication of the digitization strategy “School 4.0” of the ÖVP / SPÖ government on January 23, 2017 by Education Minister Hammerschmidt. In the course of the premature end of the ÖVP-SPÖ government, the opportunity arose to achieve the necessary 2/3 majority in parliament for the introduction of a new subject. The opportunity was used and the subject decided in the course of a more comprehensive school reform. The law was published on September 15, 2017.

After the change to the ÖVP-FPÖ government on December 18, 2017 and the Ministry of Education Faßmann took over the management of the Ministry, the School 4.0 strategy has not been significantly changed. The curriculum was announced by the Ministry on April 19, 2018.

Content

The curriculum defines digital basic education as the integration of digital competence, media competence and political competence with the goal of an informed, confident and responsible use of media and technology by responsible citizens in a democracy and a society that is increasingly influenced by digitalization. The three areas are defined as follows:

Digital competence is defined as the ability of the pupils to select appropriate tools and methods based on a broad overview of current digital tools (hardware and software) for specific application scenarios in the school, professional and private context, to reflect on them and to apply them.
Media competence is defined by the areas of production, representation, media language and media use. The imparting of media skills therefore includes the ability to use media, to understand and critically evaluate the various aspects of media and media content, and to communicate oneself in a variety of contexts. Critical and creative thinking are mentioned as central aspects of media education.
Political competencies are defined as a means of promoting democracy and active participation of citizens. It is emphasized that free digital information and communication networks offer far-reaching communicative, social and creative opportunities, but also harbor risks and dangers for the individual. The focus will then be on the understanding of democracy and freedom of expression as well as active participation in network-based, media-mediated communication.

supporting documents

↑ Christian Swertz: Digital literacy in the pilot: . In: Media impulses . tape 56 , no. 3 , October 5, 2018, ISSN 2307-3187 ( univie.ac.at [accessed December 17, 2019]).
↑ 71. Ordinance of the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research, with which the ordinance on the curricula of the new secondary schools as well as the ordinance on the curricula of general secondary schools are changed. Retrieved December 17, 2019 .

[1] Christian Swertz: Digital literacy in the pilot: . In: Media impulses . tape 56 , no. 3 , October 5, 2018, ISSN 2307-3187 ( univie.ac.at [accessed December 17, 2019]).

[2] 71. Ordinance of the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research, with which the ordinance on the curricula of the new secondary schools as well as the ordinance on the curricula of general secondary schools are changed. Retrieved December 17, 2019 .