"Video is ubiquitous, two thirds of knowledge on the internet is now in video format and YouTube statistics (“Statistics”, 2015) reveal that, since March 2014, there has been a 40% increase in the number of people engaging with video - either producing it or viewing the content. Videographics (the use of visual images) and infographics (the visual representations of data) are areas of increasing importance. Forbes Insights (“Executives embrace non-text world”, 2010) highlight that executives and business people prefer using non-text formats for a wide range of goals. Visual thinking strategies, video storytelling and Vlogs (video diaries/blogs) for reflection are also on the rise. The National Commission on Writing (2006, p.15) says ""Thinking on the screen"" is as important as ""thinking on paper"" in the 21st century. This under researched area is rising in importance and competence in video and visual thinking is crucial for communication in education and business. In Higher Education (HE), video technologies are being increasingly used in online learning and particularly in MOOCs. MOOCs have great potential for opening up education and making it accessible to all irrespective of institutional boundaries, national borders, or educational context. The need for competences in video/visual thinking (or visual literacy) is increasing and especially useful for supporting dyslexic learners in an inclusive manner alongside other learners without special support.The objectives were to improve the performance and efficiency of education and training in a sustainable way by (a) developing the competences of educators in visual literacy in a technology-rich environment, by delivering a MOOC that is open to all in e.g. vocational training, business and further education, (b) supporting the Opening Up Education policy by providing pedagogical materials and open educational resources (OERs) developed and evaluated through two MOOCs on visual literacy.First, using Informed Grounded Theory (Thornberg 2012) methodology we developed an innovative theory of visual literacy in a technology-rich environment. Data was gathered from interviewing 21 experienced online educators from multiple disciplines (from Europe, USA, Mexico, Turkey, Malaysia) about their use of visual media and visual technologies in teaching practice). The participants were recruited through relevant social media sites, professional associations, associated organisations and partner organisations including the project website, FaceBook page, Twitter, and LinkedIn group. The data was analysed using Informed Grounded Theory and combined with a literature review to create a new theory of visual literacy in a digital age. Secondly, we developed pedagogical materials (OERs) with a mosaic of case studies that show how to exploit the potential of visual media aimed at educators in HE but open to all. Using a design-based research methodology we developed, delivered and evaluated two iterations of a MOOC (5 weeks beginning on 23 April and on 8 Oct 2018). E.g. 8 webinars were added to the 2nd MOOC as a result of feedback from the 1st MOOC with 1 webinar. Qualitative/quantitative data was gathered from 5 surveys on learning experience, 2 impact surveys and a focus group.The impact on people/organisations in HE, vocational training and business can been seen in the enhanced competences, motivation and knowledge of 745 MOOC participants (mainly from second language teaching and higher education). The MOOCs illustrate how to teach online using the pedagogy of Networked Learning which emphasises the social concept of community, and discussion, as a support for peer learning and exchange of practical experience. This resulted in high levels of participation between weeks 1 and 4 and high levels of social presence. The impact on practice can be seen in exchanges within the supportive learning community where participants shared a wide range of case studies, lessons learned from experience, useful technologies and theoretical frameworks that they found useful as reported in survey and focus group feedback. The pedagogical materials and OERs are still available and can be freely reused by educators, e.g. webinars, videos, infographics, WIKI, and presentations of case studies. The impact on policy is seen in stimulating lifelong learning and business communication, enhancing competitiveness of Europe and 2011 EU Modernisation of HE, and promoting 2013 Communication on Opening Up Education. Research papers encourage further research on visual literacies, educational technologies and online pedagogy. The project was led by Dr. Julie-Ann Sime, Centre for Technology-Enhanced Learning, LANCASTER UNIVERSITY (UK), with DANUBE UNIVERSITY KREMS (Austria); WIDE Services (Greece); and CARDET (Cyprus). The project team also collaborated with EUROPALSO (Greece), Louisiana Tech University (USA), LearnBrite (USA) and American College of Greece."

"<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the educational sector, accelerating the process of digitalization of the educational offer of a large majority of schools in Europe. Due to the crisis, 190 countries have faced complete or partial school closures. The number of students affected by these closures in the project partnership countries is bewildering: Italy 9 millions, Portugal 2 millions, Spain 8 millions, Cyprus: 180 thousands, Turkey 17 millions, Greece 2,5 millions (source UNESCO). This situation has made technological innovations a priority for every educational institutions, but it also showed the importance of preventing the risks connected to the use of digital tools and finding innovative and effective solutions to make teachers and students able to protect themselves and acquire the necessary skills to maintain a status of Digital Wellbeing.During to the Covid-19 emergency, the risks associated with the use of online technologies have multiplied, due to the multiplication of the time spent by students online.According to EUROSTAT, 32.5% of European citizens between 11 and 26 years old spend between 4 and 6 hours online. From a research conducted in February 2020 by the European Pediatric Association, it emerges that 22.2% of young people who use cell phones every day were victims of cyberbullying. Minors can run into further online risks such as hate speech, solicitation, pornographic content. A study conducted in 2015 by Kaspersky states that 59.5% of minors who surf the Internet have come across pornographic content.Many dysfunctional behaviors (vamping, sexting, compulsive gambling) might result in pathological addictions and psychiatric conditions.School Institutions and the wider education sector have a great role to play in equipping students to manage their online lives, as a means of ensuring their personal wellbeing and tackling the negative phenomena mentioned above. While the development of digital skills has been focusing primarily on how to technically operate technologies, now it became an important task for the school system to develop skills to limit and channel this use. Schools can be major players in the development of a critical and balanced use of the media in daily life, that is to say of a status of digital wellbeing.<< Objectives >>Digital wellbeing is a term used by health professionals, researchers and device manufacturers to describe the concept that when humans interact with technology, the experience should support mental and/or physical health in a measurable way. It implies the capacity to create and maintain a healthy relationship with technology and use it to achieve goals and not as a distraction or obstacle.The aim of the “Digital Wellbeing@School” project is to increase the capacity of school institutions and teachers to integrate digital education in a way that promotes the digital wellbeing of students. Moreover, through building teacher capacity, the project will improve students’ abilities to manage their online time, make the most of digital learning, critically assess the media they consume and create, prevent and detect technology related risks and become responsible, confident digital citizens.The project objectives are:1Providing school institutions with a sound scientific background, guidelines, templates, a common language and a reference point, enabling them to implement policies for the promotion of Digital Wellbeing and cross-border discussion and exchange of good practices. (Project Result 1)2) Up skilling teachers in confident use of digital education, enabling them to plan specific and transversal activities for the development of digital wellbeing skills among the students.(Result 2)3) Creating a repository of learning activities (including assessment tools) with reference to the DIGCOMP 2.0 areas to facilitate the implementation of Digital Wellbeing practices at class level and mainstreaming Digital Wellbeing skills in teaching practices around Europe. (Result 3).Promoting individual reflection on the concept of digital wellbeing by developing an online game, which will enable students to reflect on their relationship with digital technology and help them identify possible risks (Result 4).<< Implementation >>The project partners will implement the following activities:- 100 Directorates/ Local Authorities /Ministerial School Offices + 100 Schools from the partner countries will be provided with a "" Framework for Digital Wellbeing at School in Europe"" and will implement the pedagogical, organizational and normative measures, adapting them to their context and needs, necessary to contributing not only to digital competences but also to the digital wellbeing of their students. The school leaders will be provided with guidelines to implement school-wide digital wellbeing policies, to manage and assess changing processes who are already taking place in the educational fields under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic and with tools to adapt their regulations, the training of the staff, the selection criteria of the digital tools and equipment they use.- 100 teachers will be trained and will therefore improve their understanding of the risks of social and digital media usage and acquire the capacity of integrating the promotion of digital wellbeing into their teaching practice. They will use the resources provided to introduce more effective pedagogic strategies for teaching and assessing digital competences congruent with digital wellbeing and will develop the ability of creating new resources that will continue to match the ever evolving learning needs of the students in the digital era and extend the acquired skills to other colleagues - 500 students will experiment learning activities that will enhance their knowledge of the risks connected to the improper use of technology, and will develop and assess the skills to critically engage with their digital world ensuring educational and professional success along with individual and social wellbeing and psychological balance. They will be provided with tools to make the most of digital learning and develop more critical thinking skills while being able to channel the use of the media they consume and create. They will be enabled to participate in the shaping of their class digital practices and take responsibility in the definition of rights and duties connected to the use of digital technologies at school.- 1000 European students will test their attitudes toward technology by playing an online game. The users will receive a feedback based on the choices they made during the playing session that will encourage self-reflection and dialogue with peers and family, while redirecting to further resources and suggesting the involvement of professionals in case of risk of developing addictions or dysfunctions.All the activities foresee a piloting phase to test the materials produced by the consortium and make improvement based on the feedback of external experts and target group. In order to share the project results and potentiate the use of the project resources, the partners will also create an eTwinning project called ""Digitally well"", where teachers and students from countries different from the partnership will have the opportunity to test the resources, rielaborate them creatively and provide their feedback.Upon completion of the project results, the partners will organize 7 different multiplier events, each with different target audience, in order to share and promote the project outputs and foster an international discussion on Digital Wellbeing.<< Results >>The partners will produce 4 project results:1) Framework for Digital Wellbeing at School in Europe: This project result targets school leaders and policy makers (local and regional authorities), by providing them with conceptual, scientific, regulatory and practical tools for the creation of a functional digital community.The aim is to provide the target group with:- A sound background that can guide policy across all levels- A set of templates that allows school institutions to develop concrete instruments, suited to their needs, without having to create a conceptual basis for this work- A common language and logic that can help the discussion and exchange of best practices across borders- A diagnostic tool to assess the school practice with respect to staff and students’ digital wellbeing- Practical guidelines to introduce a digital wellbeing policy within the school and to work for the acquisition and improvement of the students’ digital wellbeing skills2) Digital Wellbeing training course and platform for teachers: this is an Open Educational Resource consisting of a 8 modules-training course that will include the following topics 1.Searching and evaluating information online 2.Creating digital contents3.Communicating and collaborating online4.Managing online time5.Online safety6.Emotions and body respect7.Online teachers resources and support groups 8.Creation of learning activities for studentsEach module is connected with one or more areas of competence of DIGCOMP2.0, and will address transversal topics and provide the teachers with the psychological, emotional and metacognitive perspectives.3)Repository of Digital Wellbeing Learning Activities: this innovative Open Educational Resource offers the teachers a set of activities that will be realizable in class with the aim of enhancing students awareness of their relationship with technology, recognize improper group dynamics and warning signs of ICT abuse and implement real and effective prevention measures. The learning activities will fall into at least 3 categories:1.Activities for the development of relational skills2.Activities for increasing self-awareness and internal dynamics related to one's real and digital identity3.Prevention activities aimed at raising awareness of the risks of the Net and developing the skills necessary to manage information and online activities safely4) Digital Wellbeing Online Game: an interactive game, which students and youngsters will be able to access online, as well as at school with the guide of teachers. This is in fact an output that is likely to arouse interest among the mentioned categories and to have a great diffusion as it “speaks the same language” of the teenagers we target.The game will be based on the story of a group of friends (with different gender, age, ethnicity and interests) that will have to interact with different digital tools and make choices. Each situation, in order to be overcome, will require the player to perform a series of actions:- Indications to See / Read / Click- Characters to interrogate / speak / listen to - Actions to choose fromThe project is expected to have the following impact: teachers and educators will improve their understanding of the risks of social and digital media usage and use the resources to introduce more effective pedagogic strategies for teaching and assessing digital competences congruent with digital wellbeing. They will integrate digital wellbeing skills into their teaching practice and curricula, and act as facilitators of positive change within the class groups. This will lead to a strengthening of their professionalism with respect to 21st century skills.Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their relationship with the digital technologies, enhance their awareness of the risks and become critical digital consumers and creators."

<< Objectives >>We aim at addressing digital transformation in higher education by supporting digital writing competencies in higher education through technologies. In specific, ORWELL will support HE teachers in improving students' digital writing competences disciplines; support HE students' writing competences in digital spaces; and support collaborative writing practices. Overall, these aims should help HE students to use writing as a way to reflect and communicate about complex information.<< Implementation >>We will develop a project website that includes the outcomes of several activities organized within four working packages. We will produce a grid of digital cards describing good practices in digital writing teaching. We will produce a writing tool and lab to support domain-general writing skills, and a Moodle plugin to analyze how students use it. We will test the implementation of a revision tool and produce instructional videos as a support to collaborative practices of digital writing.<< Results >>We aim at improving higher education teachers’ competences to teach digital writing as a component in their courses. Moreover, we aim at providing a tool to improve digital writing in different languages. We expect an increase in students’ perceived competence in digital writing. We expect a shift in perceiving writing as an individual to a collective activity, by providing the tools and guidelines.