The Department of Education (DepEd) is currently working with several partners to promote proper online behavior among the students and teachers as the country shifts into distance or blended learning amid the pandemic.

One of the options under DepEd’s Distance Learning Delivery Modalities (DLDM) is Online Distance Learning (ODL) for both teachers and students who have access to digital devices, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and desktop computers, and with available online resources and Internet connectivity.

Recognizing the importance of keeping students safe from online risks, DepEd has partnered with Globe, Plan International Philippines, and UNICEF SaferKidsPH to create the eModules.

The first of a series of eModules designed to promote proper online behavior among the youth is called “Digital Insight.” 

The eModules tackle the Internet landscape in the Philippines while underlining imminent threats and risks such as cyberattacks and identity theft that digital technology users are exposed to and how the youth can be protected against them.

The eModules are an offshoot of Globe’s Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) workshops launched in 2016 to educate students on digital citizenship and responsible use of technology. DTP was eventually integrated by the DepEd in the K-to-12 curriculum to bolster DepEd’s existing modules around digital literacy.

Without face-to-face interactions in schools, DepEd and its partners saw the need to convert the traditional DTP workshop modules into bite-sized instructional materials that are easily accessible online to reach more educators, parents, and students, as well as further enrich the DTP content to make it more applicable under the new normal.

“As young people spend more time online, they are now more vulnerable to online threats which include online abuse, exploitation and identity theft,” said Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto. “Educating our netizens is especially crucial at this time when Filipinos are expected to increase their internet usage, we hope to see more responsible digital citizens,” she added.

There are five lessons under the Digital Insight eModule which include Internet addiction, digital safety, anti-piracy, creating more secure accounts and understanding terms and conditions, and cyberbullying.

The lessons are presented through short three- to five-minute shareable videos that are easy for the youth to understand on their own. These are available at Globe DTP and the DepEd Commons websites as well as the Globe Bridging Communities Facebook Page. Globe also converted the lessons into one virtual reality video to give students a more immersive learning experience.