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Byte-size Brilliance: Listening to Youth and Students during UNESCO's first International Day for Digital Learning
On 19 March 2024, to celebrate UNESCO's first International Day for Digital Learning, UNESCO's SDG4 Youth & Student Network, together with the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEMR), Restless Development and the Global Student Forum organized a consultation for youth and students to feed into the GEMR Youth Report on Technology. The network also contributed to a webinar that explored youth at the intersection of digital learning and the need for them to be part of decision making on the use of technology in education.
The webinar provided a platform for young leaders who participated in the consultation process on technology in education led by the GEM Report and Restless Development to present and discuss its conclusions with regional organizations working on SDG4. It also took stock of UNESCO’s vast work on digital learning. This includes recent findings from the latest GEM Report, recommendations from the UNESCO Futures of Education Report, recent guidelines on AI in education and research and progress in measuring some of the commitments that came out from the Transforming Education Summit with particular reference to the new benchmark indicator on digital learning. The consultation was open only for youth and students to get their perspectives and featured regional leads with VIP speaker Tony Weaver and poet Karimot Odebode.
Watch the event
Voices of the SDG4 Youth & Student Network
“Authentic STEM experiences can often become highly contextual and exclusive, but we can harness technology and connectivity to provide more learners the opportunity to access these contexts.”
“In a world where education is under attack, we must learn to use technology as a bridge between digital information and students/youth to protect them from any disruption that can occur during learning journey.”
“Empowering youth in digital learning is key to unlocking the future of endless possibilities where every young mind can innovate, participate, and thrive equally.”
"Technology serves as an educational lifeline for millions, thus denying underprivileged students access is unjust. Urgent action is required to provide devices and reliable internet for their education."
"In regions facing adversity, like Myanmar, digital learning becomes a lifeline—transforming challenges into opportunities for education, ensuring every learner can navigate their path to knowledge and empowerment."
"We all should embrace technology and its advancements to transform teachers and schools. But it's imperative that we prioritize safety and ensure every youth has access to digital learning tools, leaving no one behind."
"A crucial way to ensure digital learning is not a conduit to being misinformed and radicalized is to fund & prioritize the humanities, where we learn to develop critical thinking."
