Cyber Security and Education (Deadline March 16, 2012)

With the rapid evolution of online media, new technologies have become more targeted and more sophisticated. Web 2.0 applications facilitate users' creativity, they not only enable sharing of content, but also co-creating it with others. This new context has been widely recognized in relation to its educational, social and even economic benefits. Wide use and popularity of social media also brings to the fore the notion of security and concerns regarding the management of the personal information circulating and stored on the web. Schools are an important resource, now that young people's use of the Internet is growing, and smaller children are quickly gaining access to and becoming proficient users of technology.

In fact, the European Safer Internet Program (2009-2013) has assessed the status of online safety education in schools and has identified the educational sector as a main stakeholder in the promotion of safe use of the Internet and other communication technologies. In this light, the next issue of eLearning Papers will address the role the educational sector has in teaching children and young people about cyber security.

Addressing Cyber Security in schools should foster critical digital literacy, such that children can become empowered to make informed decisions about how they choose to use and share information online. Certain competences have been identified as necessary skills young people should have in order to manage security online. These skills include the ability to adopt a critical use of new media (including the ability to assess sources), understanding how to present oneself online, in terms of privacy, identity and reputation management, and developing responsible and ethical online behaviour. A focus on these competencies signals a shift in teaching ICT in the classroom, providing instruction not only on at how technology works, but also on its use.

An educational approach to Cyber Security means raising student awareness of the risks and consequences of their online practices. It should provide a platform that teaches students to recognize and prevent real risks, such as cyber-bullying, identity theft or sexual harassment, and introduces them to existing risk prevention resources, like the Online Police. While there is consensus on the pressing nature of these risks, incorporating Cyber Security into the curriculum is a new practice, at best. The field is in need of best practice scenarios and in-depth discussions surrounding how students can be encouraged to engage in safe Internet use.

eLearning Papers seeks contributions about Cyber Security for young people and the educational sector in both sections: In-Depth and From the Field. We specifically invite contributions which address one or several of the following issues:

Useful approaches to online security in curriculum design and teaching practice
Good practice in Cyber Security
Teaching, learning and promoting critical digital literacy
Defining at-risk populations and specific security concerns
National approaches to online safety; national information society policies or ICT in education policies
Competences for online safety education
Safety risks for young people and children (safe behaviour online, privacy issues, cyber-bullying, intellectual property rights, involuntary disclosure, etc.)



The article submission closes on March 16, 2012.

The provisional date of publication is April 20, 2012.

For further information and to submit your article, please contact: jimena.marquez@elearningpapers.eu

Guest editor: Jean Underwood, Professor of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, UK

The submissions need to comply with the following guidelines:

Submission language: English
Title: must effectively and creatively communicate the content of the article and may include a subtitle.
Executive summary for In-depth section should not exceed 200 words.
Executive summary for From the field section should not exceed 50 words.
Keywords: up to five relevant keywords need to be included.
In-depth full texts: articles should range from 4,000 to 6,000 words.
From the field texts: texts should not exceed 1,200 words.
Conclusions: special importance is given to the representation of the conclusions, which should be clearly stated both in the summary and at the end of the article.
References: All the references must be adequately cited and listed.
Author profile: author name, institution, position and e-mail address must accompany each submission.
Images: Please send high resolution JPEG files


See the complete guidelines at: Instructions for writers http://www.elearningpapers.eu/en/elearning_papers/instructions_for_writers