On October 23, a round table moderated by Olivier Ruol the reunion Ingrid February (Invite), Marc Dubuisson (director of Notre-Dame des Trois Vallées College), Martin Culot (Animated Media), Martine Rioux (The Connected School), Nathalie Caclard (in charge of digital cultural development) and Antoine Carrier (Rapépratiques) on the subject of the role of school in the recognition of digital multiculturality. Their discussions revealed several dimensions of the digital divide and highlighted the need for new approaches to promote an inclusive digital culture within educational establishments.
Round table with Olivier Ruol
Photo: Stéphanie Dionne, The connected school
Beyond Access: A Digital Cultural Divide
Martine Rioux opened the debate by specifying that if the divide linked to access to devices and Wi-Fi is no longer a major obstacle, the real divide today rather has to do with the state of mind in which we is located. The gap is widening between those who are already comfortable with advanced technologies like chatbotsand those who are still hesitant to take the first step. She stressed that the important thing is to adopt a caring attitude when having a supportive posture, especially when supporting beginners. An essential point raised is the linguistic divide which can add to the divide in uses for allophone families, making their digital inclusion even more complex.
Nathalie Caclard recalled the existence of several digital cultures as well as the impact of this diversity on the reluctance of certain people to get involved. For her, it is necessary to support educational staff in the transition from a simple consumption of digital tools towards true creation.
Antoine Carrier then clarified that we can excel in certain digital cultures while having difficulty in others (e.g. some know how to program and others will know how to do audio-visual creation better). Martin Culotfor his part, insisted on the need to reduce the divide linked to media codethat is to say, understanding how technologies and digital media work, an issue often perceived as far removed from the daily lives of teachers.
Involving youth cultures in learning
A central point of the discussion was the importance of integrating digital practices of young people in educational activities. Martine Rioux et Antoine Carrier highlighted the effectiveness of projects based on popular tools or cultures, such as those inspired by TikTok or which take place on Minecraftto capture the attention of students and actively involve them. Antoine cited the example of the use of video clips and cultural references such as rap to motivate students (see our other article on this subject).
How to overcome perceptions and resistance?
Several speakers recognized the invaluable role of teachers in this process of change. According to Marc Dubuissonit is essential to take advantage of internal skills and the individual interests of teachers to decompartmentalize subjects and promote transversal learning using digital tools. However, he also highlighted the challenges related to the perception of IT and the need for continuing education for teachers, so that they can feel comfortable with these technologies and integrate them in a relevant way.
Nathalie Caclard named the interest in creating external partnershipsfor example with Digital Public Spaces (EPN) and specialized facilitators, to support the school’s action. Involving families in the process is also an essential aspect, particularly for disadvantaged or culturally distanced from digital environments. The speakers finally called for relying on examples of inspiring projects to motivate and convince more reluctant school principals and teachers.
Digital transformation supported by empathy and collaboration
In conclusion, this round table highlighted the importance of collaborative and inclusive approach to bridge cultural digital divides within schools. Speakers highlighted the need to foster empathy, value the skills and interests of young people, and work closely with families and local communities. As Ingrid Février recalled, digital technology is not an end in itself, but a tool serving the learning and development of students. The debates made it possible to identify several concrete avenues, in particular the need to continuing education of teachersthe popularization of digital culture and the active involvement of parents. With adequate support and adapted resources, schools can play a central role in bridging these different digital cultures and preparing students for 21st century skills.
The Écolebranchee thanks the Educational Digital Agency (AdN) of Wallonia and the Ministry of International Relations and the Francophonie of Quebec, as part of the 13th call for projects Quebec – Wallonia-Brussels, for the biennium 2024-2026, for allowing participation in this event.
