Digital Kids Asia-Pacific (DKAP)

UNESCO’s Digital Kids Asia-Pacific (DKAP) project, supported by Korean Funds-in-Trust, supports Member States to develop evidence-based policies that foster children’s digital citizenship competencies and promote their safe, effective and responsible use of ICT. The DKAP research tools have been developed for education stakeholders to support the development of evidence-based national policy, interventions in the education system, and public information and awareness campaigns.

Digital Citizenship Research for the Asia-Pacific Region

From 2018-2021, the DKAP research was piloted and implemented with 9 countries in Asia-Pacific region including:

• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Fiji
• Indonesia
• Lao PDR
• Republic of Korea
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Vietnam

The DKAP Research Tools

• UNESCO Digital Kids Asia-Pacific Framework for Education: Guides the balanced development of children's digital citizenship competencies to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks arising from digital technologies

• Validated survey instrument: Investigates the ICT practices, attitudes, and behaviours of 15 years old children in school and at home, and key factors that affect their digital citizenship competencies
• Research operation guides: Outline the processes for adapting and translating the DKAP survey instrument for diverse national contexts to ensure the efficiency and quality of research 

For access to the full research tools package, please visit the DKAP website resource page.

Key Findings from Pilot Study 

On 10 May 2019, UNESCO launched the DKAP report titled "Digital Kids Asia-Pacific: Insights into Children's Digital Citizenship" providing cross-national research findings and policy recommendations from the first round of research conducted with Bangladesh, Fiji, South Korea, and Viet Nam.

Key findings include:

• The highest competency was Digital Safety and Resilience while the lowest was Digital Creativity and Innovation. Current interventions may be overly focused on digital safety concerns while more attention should be given to developing digital creativity and innovation

• Digital divides in access were evident with forty per cent of surveyed children in Bangladesh having not used any kind of digital devices by age 14, while only 3 per cent in South Korea. The duration of years exposed to digital devices was highly correlated with performance in digital citizenship competencies.

• Girls outperformed boys in all five domains. We need to embrace the holistic aspects of digital citizenship competencies that can attract girls to STEM areas, instead of a narrow and conventional definition of digital competencies as single-aspect hard skills.

The report itself can be accessed here. 

Download the key findings presentation here.

Watch a recording of the launch livestream here.

Regional DKAP report from countries in Southeast Asia

On 4 March 2021, in partnership with the SEAMEO Secretariat, the “Insights into the Digital Lives of Children in Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the Philippines.” were launched, providing findings on the digital citizenship competencies of children in Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Philippines. The results served as an entry point to inform policy makers and practitioners to further develop basic education policy for improving digital citizenship and literacy for youth in Southeast Asia region.

Opportunities for Partnership

There are opportunities for partnership to expand and develop the Digital Kids Asia-Pacific research:

DKAP Champions Initiative

UNESCO is engaging with partners to lead collaboration efforts to expand the DKAP research by applying or adapting the DKAP Framework and survey. DKAP Champions can be interested governments, organizations, or individuals.

Bhutan and Thailand are currently in the process of conducting DKAP in their own countries to understand their children's digital citizenship competencies and the implications for both education and society. 

Engaging Youth for Digital Citizenship

UNESCO is exploring opportunities and partnerships to engage youth in the development of digital citizenship. These activities may include co-creation of national education interventions, youth advocacy campaigns, and youth-led capacity building.

For interested partners, please contact: ict.bgk@unesco.org