Online education

TikTok expands STEM education focus in EU amid regulatory scrutiny

TikTok is intensifying its focus on educational content amid mounting scrutiny in the US and the UK. The platform is rolling out its STEM feed across Europe, starting with the UK and Ireland, following its successful launch in the US last year. This dedicated feed, featuring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content, will now be integrated alongside the main feeds for users under 18 and can be enabled by older users through the app’s settings. Since its US debut, one-third of teens regularly engage with the STEM feed, with a notable surge in STEM-related content production.

The expansion comes with enhanced measures to ensure content quality and reliability. Namely, TikTok is partnering with Common Sense Networks and Poynter to vet the content appearing on the STEM feed. Common Sense Networks will assess appropriateness, while Poynter will evaluate information reliability. Content failing these checks will not qualify for the STEM feed, aiming to provide users with credible educational materials.

This move arrives amidst growing criticism over TikTok’s handling of harmful content and its impact on young users. Concerns have been raised about addictive design tactics and inadequate protection of minors from inappropriate content. In response, the EU is investigating TikTok’s compliance with online safety regulations.

By emphasising its educational initiatives, including the STEM feed, TikTok aims to position itself as a constructive platform for youth development, countering regulatory scrutiny and public concerns.

Why does it matter?

TikTok’s push for educational content aligns with its recent efforts to present a positive global image to lawmakers and stakeholders. The company has showcased the STEM feed in congressional hearings to refute accusations of harm to young users. Through initiatives like this, TikTok seeks to demonstrate its commitment to promoting learning and responsible content consumption while navigating regulatory challenges in multiple jurisdictions.

Schools and lawmakers ramp up media literacy education

As concerns grow over the proliferation of AI-generated disinformation, schools and lawmakers are doubling down on media literacy education. The push, already underway in 18 states, aims to equip students with the skills to discern fake news, which is particularly crucial as the 2024 presidential election looms. Beyond politics, the harmful effects of social media on children, including cyberbullying and online radicalisation, underscore the urgency of these efforts.

States like Delaware and New Jersey have set the bar high, mandating comprehensive media literacy standards for K-12 classrooms. These standards promote digital citizenship and empower students to navigate media safely. Yet, disparities exist among states, with some, like Illinois, implementing more muted forms of media literacy education, focusing primarily on high school instruction.

In response to the lack of federal guidelines, bipartisan efforts in Congress, such as the AI Literacy Act, seek to address the gap. Introduced by Rep. Lisa Blunt-Rochester and Rep. Larry Bucshon, the bill aims to integrate AI literacy into existing education programs, emphasising its importance for national competitiveness. However, progress on the bill has stalled since its introduction, leaving the federal approach to media literacy uncertain.

Despite variations in implementation, students across states are embracing media literacy education positively. For educators like Lisa Manganello in New Jersey, the focus is on fostering critical thinking and information literacy, irrespective of political affiliations. As misinformation continues to increase online, the need for media literacy education at the state and federal levels remains paramount to empower students as responsible digital citizens.

Airtel and UNICEF collaborate to connect Nigerian students to digital learning

In early 2023, as part of the Reimagine Education Initiative, Airtel will connect 620 primary schools in Nigeria to digital learning through its partnership with UNICEF. The implementation of the project will take five years. In the first year, Airtel and UNICEF will deliver digital learning resources to the 620 identified schools: to twenty schools this December and the remaining 600 before the end of February 2023. The project will provide a reliable telecommunications network and free access to a curriculum through the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP), an e-learning platform developed by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, and Microsoft. In addition, Airtel will provide free access to the Youth Agency Market Place (YOMA) digital platform to any Airtel subscriber.

Bridging the digital divide with Public ICT Access Centres for access to free ICT literacy training and online education

In September 2022, the Ministry of Digital Transformation committed itself to the unveiling of up to 50 ICT Access Centres across the country by the year’s end. The commitment came on the heel of the release of the UNDP’s Digital Readiness Assessment Report in March 2022, which highlighted key problem areas for the country in its quest for whole-of-government, whole-of-society digital transformation as including:

1. The lack of access to broadband internet in public spaces and schools, regardless of area within the country.
2. Older residents and those outside of urban centres receive reduced digital benefits.
3. The effects of COVID-19 exacerbated digital divides on education level.

The Access Centres allow visitors to Connect and Create, Educate and Innovate, while the government has partnered with key organisations such as the Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA) Online Programme, YTEPP, and the Microsoft Philanthropic Group to bring these goals to fruition.

To this date, twelve centres have been installed, while five are open and ready to serve.