New guidelines to help teachers lead Europe’s digital education
As a teacher, you are at the heart of Europe’s digital transformation. To support you in this journey, the European Commission has released four new sets of guidelines.
These practical tools help primary and secondary school educators tackle disinformation, navigate artificial intelligence (AI), teach informatics with confidence and make informed choices on digital education content.
Why this action matters
Teachers are essential in preparing young people for the digital world – and EU citizens recognise this. They also expect education systems to make this happen.
According to a flash Eurobarometer survey on the future needs in digital education:
- 81% of citizens say teachers should have the skills to use and understand AI
- almost 90% say that all teachers should be able to help students recognise disinformation online.
What the guidelines offer
All four guidelines provide:
- practical guidance
- ready-to-use classroom examples
- clear quality criteria
- up-to-date definitions
- support for teachers and school leaders
Whether you are a specialist in the topics of the guidelines or just starting to integrate them into your own subjects, these resources empower you to navigate the digital future with confidence.
Use AI and data ethically in your teaching
As AI usage is growing in education, teachers need to ensure it is used responsibly. These guidelines help you comply with laws like the AI Act while fostering stronger ethics and critical thinking in your students.
- What you get: Confidence and knowledge to navigate data and understand the potential of AI in education.
- The benefit: You can use AI to enhance learning while keeping student safety and ethics at the forefront.
Tackle disinformation and boost digital literacy
Help your students become responsible digital citizens. These updated guidelines offer practical tips for building resilience against "fake news" and harmful content.
- New insights: Learn about the role of generative AI in spreading disinformation, and how social media and influencers affect public opinions.
- Practical tools: Access an updated glossary and lesson plans on critical thinking, cyberbullying, AI, and strategies to prepare students for online challenges.
They also provide policy recommendations for school leaders to strengthen digital literacy.
Bring high-quality informatics into your classroom
Informatics is about more than just coding; it is about solving real-world problems. These guidelines offer you hands-on strategies deliver high-quality informatics education in any setting.
- Practical resources: Use real-life examples, case studies, and open-access tools to make technology relatable for your students.
- Impactful learning: Help your students develop the critical skills they need to understand and shape the technology of tomorrow.
Choose the best digital education content for your lessons
While demand for digital education content is growing, it hasn't always been clear what "high-quality" content actually looks like. For the first time, these guidelines provide a clear, established definition and quality criteria to help you choose the best resources for your students.
- Step-by-step support: Use typical school scenarios to guide you through selecting, creating, and adapting digital education content for your specific classroom needs.
- Ensure inclusion: Make sure your learning materials are high-quality, inclusive, and accessible to every learner.
How this fits into EU education policy
Supporting teachers is essential to a thriving digital education ecosystem. These guidelines are a flagship initiative of the Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) which aims to support the digital transformation of education systems across Europe.
This work also aligns directly with the Union of Skills commitment. By providing you with these practical, hands-on tools, the EU ensures that you have everything you need to cultivate the competent, adaptable, and digitally literate workforce that Europe requires.
Later this year, the Commission will also adopt a broader Education Package to further modernise schools and support your work through cross-border collaboration. It will also aim to empower learners and advance digital learning through the 2030 Roadmap on the future of digital education and skills.
The guidelines were developed with the support of dedicated expert groups. These groups bring together various profiles from academia, teacher training, civil society, broadcasting, and the European Commission. Two sets of guidelines were updated by working groups of the European Digital Education Hub.
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