Living and Learning
Empowering Digital Resilience: Media Literacy and Cybersecurity for Vulnerable Groups
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mariana Ochoa Moreno, Kathrin Keller
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, this research explores the intersection of digital media competencies and IT-security practices, focusing on enhancing digital autonomy for vulnerable populations. The objective is to enhance digital security skills and media literacy among adolescents, and individuals with migrant backgrounds by addressing digital inequality through value-sensitive assistance systems, including a website and a browser plug-in. The aforementioned target groups are often left behind due to language, education, employment barriers, and limited technology access, therefore bridging this gap is necessary to ensure equitable access to digital participation in society. The work contributes to the framework of media and digital literacy by integrating personal IT security competencies, adopting an interdisciplinary approach that spans media studies, information security, and social justice. In this context, the empirical study Security and Dangers on the Internet investigates participants' digital environments through in-depth interviews (n=16, planned n=40). This qualitative-exploratory analysis identifies distinct digital challenges faced by adolescents and individuals with migrant backgrounds. An iterative development process for tailored digital solutions aims to empower these vulnerable groups, promoting digital autonomy and resilience. This contribution presents preliminary results, highlighting informal yet effective media literacy practices, participants demonstrate critical engagement with content, particularly with emotionally charged material on social media, using self-developed validation methods like cross-referencing news sources and checking website security. However, these findings underscore the need for evidence-based assistance systems as an essential step towards reducing digital literacy inequality.
Developing e-Learning Education Modules : Simulation-Based Learning (SBL) to Translate Social Justice-Oriented Theories into Practice
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Eunjung Lee, Kathryn Bowles, Toula Kourgiantakis
A principle of doing ‘no harm’ is critical in working with marginalized populations. Developing a simulation-based learning (SBL) method in social justice education is critical since students learn practice skills without posing risk to real clients. Furthermore, incorporating e-Learning environment into SBL is innovative since critically reflecting implicit biases demands a ‘personal’ learning space, where individual learners repeatedly practice their emerging skills without disruptions of others’ judgement thus providing an emotionally, culturally and politically safe educational space to improve professional competence. The e-Learning method works in a self-directed manner, thereby it reduces power imbalances that exist in higher education between learners and instructors and among learners with privileged or underprivileged status. In collaboration with student, instructors and community practitioners, we developed case-based learning contents which were transferred into three types of modules: didactic, digital storytelling, and branching in 4 different levels. To maintain learner engagement, case studies included a mixture of written descriptions of the clients, audio and/or video simulations, featuring professional actors and practicing social workers. Currently, 82 graduate social work students completed the e-Learning modules in different levels. We share details of how we developed different types of modules using the Articulate Storyline 360 platform, which is a cloud-based platform that specializes in creating interactive e-Learning courses; demonstrate selected modules as the outputs; share a pilot study on the participant feedback; and discuss lessons learned through the e-Learning module development and its implications to health and social service providers.
Smart Senior: Exploring How Seniors Use Smartphones in Everyday Life
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Magdalena Hodalska
This paper explores the daily smartphone habits of Polish seniors within the broader international context of the #HumanePhone project, which aims to understand the smartphone practices of people from different generations living in various countries, cultures, and geographic regions who speak different languages but use their phones in remarkably similar ways from morning to night. Supported by Jagiellonian University, the research is conducted across four continents: Poland, China, the USA, and Australia. The study presents findings from surveys with Polish seniors (N=55) conducted in 2024, complemented by in-depth interviews (N=20) carried out in 2025. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the research investigates the circumstances of smartphone multitasking among members of the silver generation. It reveals pervasive behaviors—such as checking phones during walks, falling asleep with devices at hand, and engaging with their phones during meals and cooking—highlighting the significant role smartphones play in their daily lives. The study emphasizes that technology fosters a sense of security, alleviates loneliness, supports shopping, and maintains social connections with family and friends—ultimately enhancing seniors' quality of life. Offering vital insights into an often-overlooked perspective, this research underscores the importance of understanding seniors’ digital practices, especially as technology becomes increasingly central to aging populations worldwide.
