EDUCATION 4.0 TO FOSTER DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Resumo

Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of the digital world, such as technology addiction, fake news, misinformation, online harassment, data theft, and privacy invasion and exposure. Therefore, the education system needs to focus on equipping students with basic digital skills, such as Digital Literacy, to foster and strengthen Digital Citizenship, which involves the responsible, safe, and ethical use of digital technology and media. To achieve this, the adoption of the Education 4.0 paradigm is necessary, aimed at nurturing the skills required for 21st-century learning and work, in response to the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this context, this paper presents the development of an Education 4.0 strategy, through the application of technological, human, organizational, and pedagogical drivers for the digital transformation of education, with the goal of exercising skills, knowledge, and attitudes and values to promote Digital Citizenship competence. The proposed Education 4.0 strategy was tested and evaluated in three elementary and high school classes, involving a total of fifty-three students and three teachers. Based on student feedback regarding the experimentation of the Education 4.0 strategy, the results indicate an improvement in their awareness and maturity as digital citizens.