OVERVIEW

The Department of Education’s Digital Strategy for Schools 2027 identifies AI Literacy and Ethical Digital Leadership as the top transversal skills required for modern teaching. According to CyberSafeKids (2025), educators are "reacting" to digital harms rather than proactively educating, creating an urgent need for the professional confidence to support children’s online lives. Despite Ireland’s strong digital infrastructure, research, education and community agencies highlight a lack of education for youth in digital critical thinking. This course addresses this need, enabling educators bridge the knowledge gap between digital technology use and wellbeing and support youth to effectively navigate the digital world.

Experts from computer science, psychology, art therapy, artificial intelligence, technology enhanced learning, cyperpsychology and social science have collaborated to develop an innovative course that investigates the transdisciplinary issues in digital technology design, development, deployment and use for individuals and society. Participants will be provided with resources, slides, videos and notes to support delivery of content in their own environments. 

The link to the module flyer is here.

This education is targeted at those who engage with children and youth including primary and secondary school educators and community leaders but anyone who is struggling with managing the impact of technology in their own lives or those in their care. The course enables understanding of the complexity of digital wellbeing issues and also provides resources to enable confident delivery of education or training in the area.

The course aims to develop a comprehensive understanding in the participants of how to navigate the digital world with confidence and promote resilience in Irish society so the next generation is empowered to  use technology in a way that supports wellbeing.

DURATION AND DELIVERY

This micro-credential will run from September to January, combining online lectures and two days of face-to-face lab sessions in MTU, Bishopstown Campus. 

The online lectures cover topics include:

• Critical Thinking Online,
• Attention and Attachment Economy,
• Design, Development and Deployment of AI and Digital technologies,
• Recommender Algorithms,
• Ethics in Technology,
• Legislation in the Digital World,
• Problematic Internet Use
• How information spreads online.

The two days of face-to-face lab sessions in MTU will introduce creative habits and social prescribing ideas to balance online and offline behaviour. Indicative labs are:

• Reconnect – reflecting on personal technology use and the science of habits
• Digital Story Telling - sense-making through narrative using digital media tools to create engaging narratives that help individuals and communities understand and interpret their experiences.
• Chroi – Aligning, goals, values and behaviours in a digital world
• Meditative Photography – using digital photography to develop awareness and see new perspectives through mindfulness
• Sonic World – investigating the impact of technology on the sonic landscape

ABOUT THE​ DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

The Department of Computer Science at MTU Cork is one of the largest Computer Science departments in Ireland. We offer a range of modern undergraduate programmes and a host of opportunities at master’s degree and at PhD level. Our industry engaged programmes match the needs of our economy and have an excellent reputation for producing the most employable computer science graduates in the region. These highly skilled graduates are in huge demand and contribute significantly to the development of the region. As technology plays a greater role in our society the growth in the demand for these graduates will continue year after year.