THE WEIWE(R)BE PROGRAM AS A PROMOTER OF THE DIGITAL CAPITAL: THE 2023/2024 CASE STUDY
T.M.L. Cardoso1, A.C. Cruz2, F. Pestana3, E. Mateus2
The curricular and pedagogical integration of projects by the Wikimedia Foundation, specifically Wikipedia, as promoters of a wide range of literacies, can be evidenced in the literature, as well as in the work that we have been developing in educational contexts. The WEIWE(R)BE programme, which emerged from the partnership between the WEIWER® International Academic Network and the School Libraries Network of the Portuguese Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (RBE), is an example of such integration, as will be presented and discussed, focusing on the 2023/2024 case study. In fact, the curricular and pedagogical integration of those projects enables us to work with students aiming at their development of the Digital Capital, namely in a digital context, thus activating other literacies, for instance, information literacy, critical literacy and technological literacy. Our work comprises the use of Open Educational Resources, therefore grounded in Open Educational Practices. Moreover, the WEIWE(R)BE programme is aligned with the following DigCompEdu areas: the professionalisation of educators and the success of students, resulting in a holistic and systematic development of literacy skills. Specifically, the Programme starts with a teacher training, after which teachers are expected to explore and promote learning scenarios conducive to integrating those skills in their teaching practices. With regard to the 2023/2024 case study, we highlight that during this academic year, 16 teachers, from six schools, participated in the WEIWE(R)BE, along with 144 students of seven 10th grade classes. Methodologically, the objectives of this case study are to identify how the integrated and systematic development of literacy skills is realised, especially in collaboration with the school library; to map the pedagogical innovation that results from it, particularly in hybrid contexts. The data gathered in the infographics proposed by each school is analysed using descriptive statistical analysis and content analysis, allowing for the triangulation in a mixed methodological approach based on the pragmatic paradigm. In addition to characterising the participants in the programme, the results show the skills they acquired and/or further developed, revealing strengths and weaknesses of the innovative contexts, fostered by the WEIWE(R)BE, whether at a pedagogical or curricular level, by which we can conclude on the importance of such shared practices.
Keywords: Open Education, Active Methodologies, Collaborative Practices, Technology-Enhanced Learning, Digital Literacies.