Digital Media Literacy · 3rd Year

Active learning ideas

Cyberbullying and Online Safety

Cyberbullying and Online Safety addresses the social and emotional challenges of the digital world. Students learn to identify the various forms of cyberbullying, from exclusion to harassment, and develop practical strategies for bystander intervention. This topic is a core part of the NCCA's commitment to student wellbeing and safe online behavior.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA DML LO 4.3: Identify strategies to deal with cyberbullying
• NCCA DML LO 4.4: Demonstrate safe online behaviour and bystander intervention

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Role Play: The Upstander Scenario

Pairs are given a scenario where they witness a peer being teased in a group chat. They must role play three different 'upstander' responses: direct intervention, private support for the victim, and reporting to an adult.

What constitutes cyberbullying?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 40 min · Small Groups

Collaborative Problem-Solving: The Reporting Roadmap

Groups are assigned different platforms (Snapchat, Discord, etc.) and must create a 'step-by-step' visual guide on how to block, mute, and report a user on that specific app, which is then shared with the class.

How can we safely intervene if we see online abuse?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Defining the Line

Students are given a list of online behaviors (e.g., 'roasting,' 'leaving someone on read'). They individually decide when each behavior crosses the line into bullying, then pair up to discuss and find common ground.

Where can we report inappropriate online behaviour?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Cyberbullying is just 'drama' and people should just ignore it.

  Cyberbullying can have serious mental health consequences. A collaborative investigation into the 'impact of online words' helps students see that digital harm is real harm and requires an active response.

• Reporting someone is 'snitching' and will make things worse.

  Reporting is a tool for safety, not just punishment. A role play showing the positive outcome of a report (e.g., the bullying stops, the victim feels supported) can help change this perception.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• Think-Pair-Share