OEA - CIDI - Resolución CIDI RPME doc 58

INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT

PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE TWELFTH OEA/Ser.K/V

INTER-AMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION CIDI/RPME/doc.58/26

April 20 and 21, 2026 30 January 2026

Original: Spanish

HEMISPHERIC PROTOCOL ON EDUCATION IN DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS

[Hemispheric Program on Critical Literacy and Digital Education in Contexts of Change (LICED)] (Document prepared by the Technical Secretariat at the request of the CIE Authorities)TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................1 Objective ..............................................................................................................................................2 Scope of Application and Target Population........................................................................................3 Stakeholders Involved and Their Roles................................................................................................4 Protocol stages......................................................................................................................................5 Stage 1: Prevention and Awareness.................................................................................................6 Stage 2: Detection ............................................................................................................................7 Stage 3: Intervention ........................................................................................................................9 Stage 4: Referral and Inter-Institutional Coordination...................................................................10 Stage 5: Monitoring and Evaluation ..............................................................................................12 Cross-cutting approaches....................................................................................................................13 Human Rights and Digital Citizenship ..........................................................................................13 Gender and Equity .........................................................................................................................14 Social and cultural context.............................................................................................................14 Transformative Equanimity ...........................................................................................................14 Digital Educational Innovation ......................................................................................................15 Support instruments............................................................................................................................15

1. Digital self-assessment questionnaires..................................................................................17

2. Rubrics for evaluating critical thinking.................................................................................17

3. Guidelines for best practices in social media and digital production....................................17

4. Incident logs and digital improvement plans ........................................................................18

5. Infographics and visual materials for the educational community........................................18

Annex 1: Checklists............................................................................................................................19 Checklist for Stage 1: Prevention and Awareness .........................................................................19 Checklist for Stage 2: Detection ....................................................................................................20

Checklist for Stage 3: Intervention ................................................................................................21 Checklist for Stage 4: Referral and Inter-Institutional Coordination.............................................22 Checklist for Stage 5: Monitoring and Evaluation.........................................................................22 Annex 2: Fundamental Actions..........................................................................................................23 10 Fundamental actions in Stage 1 ................................................................................................23 10 Fundamental actions in Stage 2 ................................................................................................24 10 Fundamental actions in Stage 3 ................................................................................................25 10 Fundamental actions in Stage 4 ................................................................................................26 10 Fundamental actions in Stage 5 ................................................................................................27 Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................28Hemispheric Protocol on Education in Digital Environments Introduction The educational transformation in the digital era underscores the need for education systems to adopt a critical and ethical perspective on the use of technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and deepened preexisting structural gaps, particularly those related to access to, use of, and meaningful appropriation of digital technologies. Added to this are public policy challenges, such as freedom of speech, the intensive and poor regulation regarding the use of digital platforms, and the persistence of different socio-technological realities that have a direct impact on educational processes. In response to this context, the Hemispheric Program on Critical Literacy and Digital Education in Contexts of Change (LICED) proposes a systemic approach that, through digital critical literacy, invites a rethinking of teaching, learning and evaluation processes from a comprehensive, ethical, and contextualized perspective that responds to the current conditions and emerging challenges of the digital ecosystem. The Hemispheric Protocol on Education in Digital Environments (PH-DEE) is based on the recognition that it is not just about having access to devices or connectivity but about creating the conditions for all people to exercise active, healthy, reflective, and safe digital citizenship. From this standpoint, it highlights the need to consider digital accessibility processes in order to reduce educational inequalities and guarantee the right to education in a context marked by constant change and uncertainty. Critical literacy, (Lankshear and Knobel; 2006), implies not only mastering linguistic and technical codes, but also “understanding and questioning the power dynamics that structure the social and discursive practices in which digital technologies are embedded”. In other words, it is not enough

and uncertainty. Critical literacy, (Lankshear and Knobel; 2006), implies not only mastering linguistic and technical codes, but also “understanding and questioning the power dynamics that structure the social and discursive practices in which digital technologies are embedded”. In other words, it is not enough to know how to use technology: it is essential to develop the ability to critically read the digital world, to act ethically within it, to obtain information in a relevant and reliable way, as well as to use technology to generate content linked to one's own interests and realities. Critical literacy has evolved beyond the basic ability to read and write in digital media to encompass a broader concept: the capacity to understand, interpret, and communicate information across multiple formats and platforms. Being digitally literate (Lankshear & Knobel, 2008) does not only imply mastering technological tools, but about participating critically in digitally mediated social practices, understanding the codes, contexts, and intentions that shape digital information. From this perspective, digital literacy is conceived as a set of “organized social practices” (p.5), in which individuals do not only consume content, but also produce, transform, and circulate it as part of their active participation in specific communities. This plural and contextualized vision is essential for a contemporary education that not only provides technical skills, but also empowers individuals to act critically, ethically, and creatively in digital environments. From a pedagogical perspective, this protocol aligns with the concept of literacy as a practice of critically understanding reality. In the digital context, critical literacy means providing tools so that people not only access information, but also understand it, set boundaries, transform it, and act upon the world through it. It aims to strengthen the capacities of the education system and its key stakeholders— students, teachers, families, school leaders, technical teams, and authorities—to face the challenges2posed by the digital environment in a critical and creative way. By articulating pedagogical tools, contextual diagnoses, teacher training, intervention actions, and continuous evaluation, the goal is to contribute to the strengthening of resilient, inclusive, and adaptive education systems that integrate technologies in a relevant and meaningful way. In this way, the PH-DEE protocol not only seeks to respond to a historical urgency in the region but also aims to position itself as a guiding and action-oriented instrument to collectively build a more critical, and digitally conscious education.

Comparative Table: Digital Literacy and Critical Literacy

Concept Definition Key Characteristics Importance in Digital Education Digital Literacy It is the set of technical, cognitive, and social skills required to use digital technologies effectively, safely, and participatively. It includes everything from using devices to managing information and communicating online.  Includes basic skills (navigation, editing, communication).  Involves knowledge of digital tools and platforms.  Encompasses competencies for the safe management of information.  Includes learning online behavior norms.  It can be functional or critical, depending on the approach.  Prepares individuals to integrate into the digital society.  Reduces the digital divide.  Improves access to educational and job opportunities.  Serves as a foundation for learning in technologymediated environments. Critical Literacy It is the ability to analyze, question, and thoughtfully understand the messages, discourses, and power relations present in media and communication environments. In the digital context, it involves critically reading content, recognizing biases, and engaging with ethical awareness.  Focused on deep analysis of content and its contexts.  Recognizes power structures within discourse.  Promotes active, not passive, interpretation.  Integrates ethical, political, and social perspectives.  It is a situated and contextual practice.  Shapes critical citizens in the

of content and its contexts.  Recognizes power structures within discourse.  Promotes active, not passive, interpretation.  Integrates ethical, political, and social perspectives.  It is a situated and contextual practice.  Shapes critical citizens in the face of digital information.  Encourages the ability to distinguish between different types of sources.  Empowers students to interpret, respond to, and transform digital reality.  It is key to combating hate speech and the promotion of freedom of speech. Elaborated by the author Objective The objective of this protocol is to foster a critical digital literacy that fosters the development of active, ethical and reflective digital citizenship, understanding that educating in digital skills goes far beyond teaching the technical ones. It is about forming individuals capable of exercising their rights and responsibilities in virtual environments, understanding the cultural, political and ethical implications of technologies in educational settings undergoing accelerated transformations. To this end, the protocol fosters training experiences that articulate access to devices with the critical analysis of information, the recognition of biases, the identification of discourses and collaborative knowledge-building. It also recognizes the need to generate safe digital environments, addressing3both structural gaps and digital violence and hate speech. As a flexible and contextualized guide, it seeks to strengthen the capacity of education systems to adapt to technological changes through innovative pedagogical strategies, active methodologies and continuous teacher training that consolidate a transformative digital citizenry.

General Objective: To foster the development of critical and ethical competencies in the use of digital technologies, promoting active, informed, and safe digital citizenship in transforming educational contexts.

Specific Objectives:  Promote critical and reflective digital literacy among students, teachers, and families.  Foster safe, inclusive, and equitable digital learning environments.

 Strengthening the capacity of the education system to adapt to changing contexts (crises, technological innovation, new regulations).  Develop pedagogical tools that foster critical analysis of information and digital communication. Scope of Application and Target Population This protocol recognizes that digital literacy should not be limited to technical skills but rather integrated into the social and cultural practices of educational communities. In this regard, educational policies (Lankshear and Knobel, 2006) should conceive digital literacy as promoting a plural and contextualized understanding of “digital literacies” instead of a compact set of skills. This leads to a framework of action in which public policies and programs aim to foster environments that encourage exploration and experimentation in safe environments with digital technologies beyond the formal curriculum. The target population of this protocol includes students, teachers, school leadership teams, families, and technical and ministerial bodies. Recognizing the diversity of experiences and prior knowledge in the use of digital technologies, it is essential to adopt pedagogical approaches that value individuals’ cultural and social practices. It is fundamental to consider the everyday digital experiences (Facer and Furlong, 2001) of young people as valuable learning resources, rather than assuming a generational gap in technology use and thinking of these experiences as complementary to other formal knowledge practices that occur in the school environment. This protocol seeks to involve the entire educational community in a process of critical and reflective digital literacy that acknowledges and leverages existing competencies and, simultaneously, promotes the development of students' potential. Its flexible and contextualized approach allows it to be adapted to diverse national and territorial contexts, including those with low connectivity, or broad-spectrum structural conditions, which reinforces its hemispheric applicability and its relevance as an educational policy tool. From a pedagogical perspective, it is crucial to avoid approaches focused exclusively on teaching isolated technical skills, resisting the temptation to make the curriculum the sole means of providing access to digital literacy. In this regard, creating opportunities (Lankshear and Knobel, 2006) for students to engage in authentic and meaningful digital practices that reflect their interests and cultural contexts promotes close collaboration between educators, families, and policymakers to design and implement strategies that foster digital literacy for all.- 4providing access to digital literacy. In this regard, creating opportunities (Lankshear and Knobel, 2006) for students to engage in authentic and meaningful digital practices that reflect their interests and cultural contexts promotes close collaboration between educators, families, and policymakers to design and implement strategies that foster digital literacy for all.- 4In the realm of educational policies, it is critical to avoid uniform approaches that do not consider the diverse realities of students (Facer and Furlong, 2001), given the importance of recognizing that young people interact with technology in varied ways, and that policies should reflect this broad overview to be effective. This leads to a level of flexibility and adaptability in approaching initiatives, promoting the use of resources and opportunities aligned with the specific needs and contexts of each educational community. In addition, it is essential that pedagogical policies and practices foster learning environments that ensure that all students have access to digital technologies and to opportunities to develop critical skills in their use. This approach facilitates the promotion of an environment of active, conscious and healthy digital citizenship, capable of fully participating in contemporary digital society. Stakeholders Involved and Their Roles Effective implementation of this protocol requires a systemic vision that goes beyond isolated actions and promotes collaboration among the various actors within the educational ecosystem. It is not only about incorporating technologies in the classroom but about coordinating efforts between teachers, students, families, school leadership teams, technical staff, and ministry authorities to build digital learning environments that are critical, ethical, and comprehen sive. This perspective recognizes that digital transformation in education is not just a technical matter but also a pedagogical, cultural, and organizational one, and that its success depends on coordination and commitment across all levels of the educational system.  Teachers: They are key facilitators in the digital literacy process. Their role goes beyond transmitting technical knowledge; it involves guiding students to develop reflective and critical thinking towards technologies. Teachers, based on their professional experiences, can provide personalized guidance, encourage students to produce content, and digitize the educational environment. It is important to acknowledge that they face challenges such as lack of confidence in using ICT and the absence of institutional strategies to foster a technological culture. To overcome these barriers, it is essential to implement teacher training

provide personalized guidance, encourage students to produce content, and digitize the educational environment. It is important to acknowledge that they face challenges such as lack of confidence in using ICT and the absence of institutional strategies to foster a technological culture. To overcome these barriers, it is essential to implement teacher training processes that address technical, methodological, and research aspects, promoting continuous professional development.  Students: They are active agents of their digital learning, developing a critical and ethical sense in their interaction with technologies. This involves not only competent use of digital tools but also the ability to analyze, evaluate, create, and transform digital content responsibly. Digital literacy fosters student empowerment to fully participate in digital society, understanding the implications of their online actions and contributing positively to digital environments.  Families: Their involvement is crucial to reinforce what is learned at school and foster a responsible environment for technology use supporting educational processes and good digital practices at home. Collaboration between school and family is fundamental to establish shared norms and values that guide students’ digital behavior.  School Leadership Teams: Their leadership is essential to create an institutional culture that values digital literacy and promotes pedagogical innovation providing the resources, time, and training necessary for the development of the protocol. This includes allocating adequate budgets, planning time for teacher training, and implementing policies that support the critical use of technologies in teaching, learning, and evaluation processes.- 5 -  Technical Teams: They provide methodological support, accompaniment, and monitoring during the protocol’s implementation. Their role is to advise educational communities raising awareness of the relational factor in the integration of technologies (ICRTs) in teaching, learning and evaluation processes, ensuring pedagogical practices align with the protocol’s objectives and respond to the specific needs of each educational community.  Ministries of Education: They bear responsibility for overseeing the implementation, evaluation, and updating of the protocol, ensuring alignment with national educational

policies. This involves designing regulatory frameworks supporting critical digital literacy, providing resources, and supervising compliance with established standards. Additionally, they must promote research and innovation in digital education to continuously adapt the protocol to technological and social changes. Effective interaction and communication among these actors significantly strengthen their capacities and contribute to the protocol’s success. Interinstitutional collaboration and participation of the entire educational community are essential to building a digital learning environment adapted to contexts of change. Stakeholders Role Teachers Apply critical and digital teaching strategies; guide reflective thinking. Students Be active agents of their digital learning, with critical and ethical awareness. Families Self-training and support training processes and strengthen good digital practices at home. Management Teams Ensure resources, time, and training for the development of the protocol. Technical Bodies Provide methodological support, guidance, and monitoring. Ministry of Education Oversee the implementation, evaluation, and updating of the protocol. Elaborated by the author Protocol stages Critical digital literacy in the educational field has crossed borders as an essential competency for citizenship to become an approach that ensures democratic participation within school environments. Educational institutions have the responsibility to prepare students to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital environment. To achieve this, this protocol is structured to comprehensively address the various stages of the critical digital literacy process. These stages, which include prevention, detection, intervention, referral, and follow-up, enable a coordinated and effective response to the various situations that may arise from the use of digital technologies in the educational context. Each stage of the digital literacy protocol plays a vital role in shaping critical and ethical digital citizenship. Digital literacy is not constrained to the technical proficiency of tools, but implies the ability to understand, evaluate, create and transform content in digital environments in a reflective and responsible manner. In this regard, prevention and awareness are fundamental for establishing a

conscious digital culture from an early age, addressing aspects such as online safety and protection ,- 6privacy, and respectful digital communication. Detection enables the identification of needs and risks associated with technology use, facilitating timely and effective interventions. Intervention provides strategies to address identified issues and promote good digital practices. Referral and interinstitutional coordination ensure an appropriate response in cases that require the involvement of other entities. Finally, support, follow-up and evaluation guarantee the continuous improvement of the protocol and its adaptation to new technological and social realities. Digital Literacy Protocol Process (Stages and Main Actions) Elaborated by the author Each stage of this protocol includes a brief description with key elements to consider, a checklist (see annex 1), and a table listing the 10 fundamental actions for each phase (see annex 2). With a comprehensive approach in mind, the fundamental actions defined for each stage not only implement its objectives but also concretely reflect the principles of critical digital literacy. They allow for a step-by-step verification of how commitment to ethical, reflective, and situated digital education is realized, ensuring that every phase of the process—from awareness to evaluation focused on strengthening an active, conscious and healthy digital citizenship. Stage 1: Prevention and Awareness The prevention and awareness stage constitutes the fundamental pillar for developing critical and ethical digital literacy in educational settings. This initial phase aims to establish a conscious digital culture that enables students, teachers, and families to understand and face the challenges of the digital world. Continuous training of educators in critical digital literacy is essential, as teachers function as key mediators in building reflective digital competencies. Additionally, the implementation of school campaigns on digital citizenship and online safety promotes collective awareness and the commitment of the entire educational community to creating safe and responsible digital environments. To ensure its effectiveness, this stage should pay special attention to the multiple realities along the region and structural vulnerabilities that limit access, use and meaningful appropriation of technologies, fostering

differentiated strategies that respond to diverse settings.- 7Workshops aimed at families strengthen support at home and encourage healthy digital practices from an early age. The review and update of the curriculum to integrate digital content across all subject areas ensures that critical digital literacy is not an isolated component but a transversal competency permeating the entire educational process. By comprehensively addressing these aspects, the prevention and awareness stage lays the foundation for inclusive, equitable digital education adapted to the needs of the 21st century. • Ongoing teacher training in critical digital literacy Ongoing teacher training in critical digital literacy is essential for educators to guide students in developing reflective and ethical digital competencies. This training must go beyond the technical use of digital tools, focusing on the ability to analyze, evaluate, create, and transform digital content critically. It is crucial that workshops and courses are designed to foster a deep understanding of the use and impact of technologies in education and society. • School campaigns on digital citizenship and online safety School campaigns are an effective tool to raise awareness within the educational community about the importance of digital citizenship and online safety. These campaigns can include activities such as talks, workshops, contests, and the creation of informative materials that address topics like respect on social media, self-care and caring for others, privacy protection, and cyberbullying prevention. In this regard, it is necessary to develop resources and activities that teach students how to navigate the digital environment safely and responsibly. • Workshops for families on digital literacy and parental control Involving families in the digital literacy process is essential to reinforce the practices learned at school and promote responsible technology use at home. Workshops for parents and guardians can address topics such as setting limits on device usage and content access, configuring parental controls, and identifying online risks and response protocols. • Curriculum review to integrate digital content across all subject areas Integrating digital content into the school curriculum is key to ensuring that students develop digital competencies across all subjects. This involves reviewing and updating study plans to include skills such as critical thinking, evaluating online information, and creating and transforming digital content in various disciplines. Stage 2: Detection This second stage of the digital literacy protocol is fundamental for early identification of

digital competencies across all subjects. This involves reviewing and updating study plans to include skills such as critical thinking, evaluating online information, and creating and transforming digital content in various disciplines. Stage 2: Detection This second stage of the digital literacy protocol is fundamental for early identification of needs, risks, and gaps in the use of digital technologies within the educational community. This phase allows the recognition of behavior patterns that may lead to problematic digital practices, such as excessive dependence on devices, lack of privacy or overexposure to social media, an emerging risk particularly relevant for children and adolescents. It also facilitates the identification of disparities in use, access, skills, and attitudes toward technology, as well as different levels of risk, which is essential for designing effective and personalized interventions. Implementing assessments on the critical and safe use of technologies provides a clear view of the digital competence level of students and teachers, allowing the detection of areas that require strengthening. Systematic observation of digital practices in the school environment helps identify behaviors that could compromise the safety and well-being of users. By identifying digital gaps,- 8strategies can be developed to ensure immersion in the teaching-learning process, guaranteeing that all members of the educationa