Performing Digital Citizenship: Theatre-Based Approaches to Online Safety and Ethical Technology Use
Introduction
Step into the digital world through the power of theatre. This course empowers educators to explore online safety, ethical technology use, and digital citizenship through creative, participatory drama methods that foster critical thinking, empathy, and responsible online behaviour.
Description
This course explores digital citizenship through innovative, theatre-based pedagogies that promote critical engagement with online environments. Participants examine key themes such as digital identity, cyber safety, misinformation, digital wellbeing, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Drawing on drama education practices (e.g., role-play, forum theatre, image theatre), the course fosters experiential learning and reflective dialogue. Educators develop practical strategies to address complex digital issues in inclusive and engaging ways, enhancing students’ critical thinking, empathy, and responsible participation in digital spaces. The course aligns with Erasmus+ priorities on digital transformation, inclusion, and active citizenship, supporting teachers in integrating creative, learner-centred approaches into their classroom practice.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Understand key concepts of digital citizenship, including rights, responsibilities, and ethical online behaviour
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Identify and critically analyse online risks such as cyberbullying, misinformation, and data privacy issues
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Apply drama-based methodologies (e.g., role-play, forum theatre, image theatre) to teach digital topics
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Support students in developing critical thinking and media literacy skills
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Facilitate discussions on digital identity, self-representation, and online wellbeing
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Explore ethical dimensions of emerging technologies, including AI
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Design inclusive and engaging learning activities addressing digital citizenship
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Promote responsible, safe, and reflective use of technology among learners
Methodology and Assessment
The course uses experiential, participatory methodologies grounded in drama pedagogy, including role-play, improvisation, forum theatre, and collaborative creation. Learning is inquiry-based and reflective. Assessment is continuous and formative, based on participation, group work, peer feedback, and the development of practical classroom activities and lesson plans.
Materials, Digital Tools & Other Learning Resources
Participants will use a range of resources including scenario cards, case studies, and drama toolkits. Additional materials include videos, policy frameworks, and media literacy resources supporting digital citizenship education.
Preparation
After registration participants will receive pre-course questionnaire which will be used by the trainer to learn about participants’ teaching backgrounds and to assess their exact needs. Before the beginning of the course a basic reading list will be suggested to participants to prepare for the training. Participants will also be asked to prepare a presentation about themselves, their professional context and their culture which will be presented during the course. Participants will receive information about the country they are going to visit in order to prepare them for their cultural experience.
Follow up
After the course participants will be asked to share what they have learned with the rest of the staff in their schools. Further books and articles to deepen the topic and contacts with some other practitioners all over Europe and in the world will be suggested by the trainer. The methods shared and explored and the bibliography given will allow the participants to complete and improve their educational path.
Certificate
Each participant will get a course attendance certificate and on request we will complete the Europass Mobility Document.
Accommodation
We do not directly offer accommodation and subsistence and participants are responsible for organizing it by themselves.
Paperwork
We also provide all the support with paperwork you might need for your Erasmus+ project documentation such as mobility agreement and registration letter.
Fee: 560 €
Cancelation policy
Free cancellation up to 30 days before the start. After that, the reservation is not refundable. Changes in name and profile of the participant are possible any time before the start of the course (replacement participants from the same school/org are accepted at any time). In case the school/org doesn't find a replacement, we will still offer a place at any of our confirmed courses later in the year without any additional costs but we can not guarantee that every course session will be confirmed and the school/org will only be offered to choose from already confirmed course sessions. In case it will not be possible for the participant to attend the course or for us to organize the course due to extraordinary circumstances (classified as such by the European Commission) which present themselves in the period of less than 30 days before the start of the course and we don’t manage to find an alternative solution, we will keep 50 % of the payment and refund the remaining balance of 50% to the payer’s bank account.
Draft Programme - 35 didactic hours
Day 1
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Welcome and introduction
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Outline of the programme
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Cultural exchange
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Warm ups and icebreakers
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Course expectations and needs analysis, setting up a collaborative learning environment and creating an educational contract
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Introduction to Drama Pedagogy
Day 2
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Foundations of digital citizenship
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Rights, responsibilities, digital identity
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Digital footprints and ethical dilemmas
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Sharing personal experiences with digital issues
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Role-play of online scenarios
Day 3
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Cyberbullying, misinformation, privacy threats
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Introduction to participatory theatre methods
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Group creation of short scenes on online risks
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Audience participation and problem-solving
Day 4
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Exploration of misinformation and bias
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Questioning sources and narratives
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Deconstructing media messages
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Storytelling and perspective-taking
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Creating counter-narratives
Day 5
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Constructing digital identity
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Image theatre exploration
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Symbolism and interpretation
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Social media and self-esteem
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Ethical self-presentation
Day 6
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Impact of technology on wellbeing
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Mindfulness through movement
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Reconnecting body and attention
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Contrasting digital vs. offline experiences
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Designing wellbeing interventions
Day 7
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Design of personal plan for implementation of theatre-based approaches to online safety and ethical technology use
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Presentation of outputs(personal implementation plans)
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Group reflection, feedback and discussion
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Dissemination strategy and european dimension
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Validation of the learning outcomes
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Evaluation of the course
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Closing session