Author: Martina Natalini

As digital technologies continue to shape how children and young people learn, communicate, and access information, the development of digital literacy has become an increasingly important educational priority. Within this context, the Erasmus+ co-funded project Teachers 4.0 Digital Age: Tackling Disinformation and Promoting Digital Literacy through Education and Training in European Classrooms seeks to support educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders in addressing the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. In Cyprus, two important project activities were recently completed: a specialised online course for educators and a national policy roundtable on digital and media literacy.

Digital Literacies: Course “Encouraging Critical Thinking in the Classroom”
As part of the project, the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute offered the Specialised Online Course Digital Literacies: Encouraging Critical Thinking in the Classroom on two occasions. The first cycle was delivered between November 2025 and January 2026, while a second cycle was offered between  May and June 2026, attracting educators from primary, special, secondary general, and technical and vocational education. The course aimed to strengthen teachers’ digital literacy competences and equip them with practical strategies to address misinformation, teach for critical thinking, and support students in navigating digital environments critically, responsibly and effectively.

The course combined synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, enabling participants to engage with both the theoretical and practical dimensions of digital literacy education. Through interactive online sessions and self-paced learning modules hosted on the Project’s Learning Platform, participants explored topics such as digital challenges and critical thinking, the evaluation of the trustworthiness and validity of online information sources, and the design of classroom activities that foster digital literacy skills, including critical thinking, information evaluation, and responsible engagement in digital environments.

The course also examined children’s digital habits and everyday online practices, encouraging educators to build on students’ existing knowledge, experiences, and competencies in digital environments. Emphasis was placed on developing teaching approaches and activities that leverage children’s digital skills and integrate meaningful digital literacy practices across different areas of the curriculum.

In addition, the course explored how emerging communication technologies, particularly social media, have transformed the landscape of communication compared to traditional channels. Participants reflected on both the opportunities and the challenges associated with these technologies, considering their potential to enhance communication, participation, and access to information, as well as the risks they pose in relation to misinformation, privacy, online safety, and digital wellbeing.

Cyprus’ National Policy Roundtable
Complementing the professional learning activities offered to educators, the project also sought to strengthen dialogue among key stakeholders involved in digital literacy policy and practice. To this end, the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute and the European University of Cyprus co-organised a national policy roundtable, bringing together representatives from government, academia, civil society, the media sector, and teacher education.

The discussion focused on the current state of digital and media literacy in Cyprus, key challenges related to misinformation, artificial intelligence, and online safety, as well as opportunities for strengthening digital literacy across education and society. Participants highlighted that existing initiatives remain fragmented and largely project-based and stressed the need for a coordinated national strategy that promotes collaboration, sustainability, and wider impact.Key recommendations included integrating digital literacy across school curricula, strengthening teacher education programmes, expanding training opportunities for parents, journalists, and the general public, and developing stronger policy frameworks at both national and European levels to address emerging digital challenges. The discussion concluded with a shared commitment to continue the dialogue and work towards the development of a comprehensive national strategy for digital-age literacies. 

Looking Ahead
The project will continue to build on these outcomes through further dissemination, dialogue, and collaboration activities, particularly through the national workshops and conferences that will be organised in the participating countries. These events will provide opportunities to share project results, exchange good practices, and engage educators, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in discussions on digital literacy and critical-thinking skills and dispositions.

A major milestone will be the organisation of the project’s final international conference in Brussels in October 2026. The conference will bring together educators, researchers, policymakers, and project partners from across Europe to share project findings, showcase educational resources and innovative practices, discuss policy recommendations, and strengthen European cooperation in promoting digital literacy and resilience against misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.