Digital Media Literacy · 3rd Year

Active learning ideas

Safe and Ethical Publishing

Safe and Ethical Publishing is the final step in the digital creation process, where students prepare to share their work with the world. This topic covers the responsibilities that come with being a content creator, including respecting privacy, obtaining consent, and understanding the long-term impact of online publishing. It aligns with the NCCA's 'Publishing Myself' strand, focusing on digital citizenship.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA DML LO 4.1: Publish digital media safely and ethically
• NCCA DML LO 4.2: Consider the rights and responsibilities of digital citizens

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Mock Trial
• 50 min · Whole Class

Mock Trial: The Privacy Breach

Set up a trial where a student is 'accused' of publishing a video that includes a peer without their consent. Students take on roles as lawyers, witnesses, and jury members to debate the ethical and legal implications.

What should we consider before publishing content online?

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Terms of Service Scavenger Hunt

Groups are assigned a popular publishing platform (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram). They must find the specific rules regarding 'community guidelines' and 'copyright' and present a 2-minute summary of what is and isn't allowed.

How do we protect our privacy when sharing media?

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The 'Publish' Checklist

Students create a 5-point 'ethical checklist' to use before they hit publish. They pair up to compare lists and combine them into a final 'Class Code of Ethics' for digital publishing.

What are the ethical responsibilities of a digital creator?

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• If I'm not making money from it, I can publish whatever I want.

  Ethics and privacy laws apply regardless of profit. A role play about a 'viral' non-profit video that accidentally shames someone helps students see that the impact of publishing goes beyond money.

• Once I hit 'private,' my published content is 100% safe.

  Privacy settings can change, and platforms still have access to the data. A collaborative investigation into 'data leaks' and 'platform changes' helps students understand that publishing always carries some level of risk.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mock Trial
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share