Improving Ethical Behaviour Online
Year 9 DIGITAL COMPASS Program: An evidence-based program supporting young people to behave ethically online
Digital Compass is an in-school program co-designed with young people to improve online ethical behaviour.
The content takes young people through a series of practical activities and guided group discussions designed around common online experiences. It has been developed in partnership with the Behavioural Insights Team and the Alannah & Madeline Foundation (AMF). The Program is evidence-based, drawing on the latest evidence from the behavioural sciences and Moral and Developmental Psychology.
As part of St Catherine’s School’s Health curriculum, our Year 9 Cohort has participated in a program comprising of two workshop sessions this term.
The workshops focus on improving online ethical behaviour. Facilitated by an experienced representative from the AMF, the content takes adolescents through a series of practical activities and guided group discussions, designed around common online experiences. The overriding aim is to equip young people with the necessary skills to take more control online.
The primary outcome of ‘Digital Compass’ is to provide practical techniques for young people to develop their ethical behaviour online. It centres on five core principles:
- Building self-efficacy in resolving conflicts
- Making small but significant changes to behaviour online
- Forming and challenging social norms
- Reflecting on personal values and actions
- Understanding how technology and our environment affect our actions
Throughout the workshops, our Year 9 students were involved in:
- Problem-solving a variety of scenarios
- Collaborating in group discussions
- Reflecting on their peers’ and their own online behaviours and experiences and how they make them feel
- Consequences and actions young people can take to become more ethical in their online behaviours
Our Year 9 girls participated enthusiastically. They provided valuable insights during the group discussions on how to improve their online experiences and determine how they can influence the online environment positively. The girls also considered their underlying beliefs and values, and how to apply these interactions online.
The overarching goal of the Program is to empower our students to make small, but significant changes to their online behaviours, to improve ethical decision-making and their wellbeing.
At the end of the two workshops students completed an online Digital Health Check Survey, which determined the differences in technology use across the Year level. The Health Check included such things as average time spent online each day, average notifications, sleep hygiene, wellbeing and types and time spent on social media. This led to students identifying the different barriers to making changes and planning how they could work towards taking control and implementing positive behavioural changes to their online activity.
For further information on the Program visit www.alannahandmadeleine.org.au
