TechWell Platform
The expression digital well-being refers to the impact that digital technologies have on what it means to live a good human life in an information society (Floridi 2014a).
The rapid spread of digital technologies and their integration into everyday life have transformed our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with our environment. As a result, both individual and social well-being are now deeply intertwined with the state of our information environment and with the digital systems that mediate our interactions within it.
This raise pressing ethical questions about how these technologies affect our well-being and how such impacts should be addressed (Floridi 2014b).
In 2017 This idea is clearly expressed in a report by the British Academy and the Royal Society, which identifies the promotion of human flourishing as the overarching principle guiding the development of data-governance systems—an approach echoed in several other reports and publications. Some commentators argue that digital technologies will inaugurate a new era of higher productivity and reduced social inequality by improving access to essential and currently overburdened services such as healthcare.
Others highlight the potential of digital tools to foster well-being and support human potential by drawing on insights from the behavioural and cognitive sciences about motivation and engagement.
These positive opportunities, however, are balanced by concerns. For example, some question whether the rise in mental health issues among adolescents (such as depression and anxiety) is linked to social media.
These issues reflect a broader and ongoing discussion about the ethical dimension of digital well-being, a debate that has now reached a point where it is important to identify and reflect on the main themes that have emerged.
In the everyday reality of our schools, this reflection points to two closely connected areas. The first concerns what schools should do in terms of education to help students develop a healthy relationship with digital information systems and with the devices they use. The second focuses on the policies schools need to adopt to create an environment where digital education can truly flourish. To implement such policies, teachers must be equipped with specific competencies—precisely what the TECHWELL platform aims to support.
The structure of the platform is simple and intuitive. It is based on the same proficiency levels used in the DIGCompEDU framework. Teaching materials and teacher guides are organized across levels ranging from A1, which assumes only a basic understanding of digital well-being principles, up to C2, which corresponds to advanced competencies enabling teachers to explore new approaches and innovative pathways to support students in their learning journey.
Click to the buttons below to learn more about each level.
Each level includes one or more learning units. Every unit focuses on a specific topic aligned with its proficiency requirements and provides an introductory video in which a subject expert outlines the key ideas. Teachers can also access a set of guides and classroom-ready materials to use directly with their students.
Although the structure is pyramid-shaped, the levels have deliberately not been made rigid or hierarchical. Teachers are encouraged to self-assess their own skills and choose the level they find most appropriate, while remaining free to move across levels as they see fit.
MAKES LITTLE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, RELIES ON TRADITIONAL METHODS
BEGINS TO USE DIGITAL TOOLS, EXPLORING POSSIBILITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
IMPLEMENTS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING, USING THEM FREQUENTLY IN VARIOUS CONTEXTS
USES DIGITAL TOOLS CONFIDENTLY, CRITICALLY, AND CREATIVELY TO ENHANCE TEACHING
GUIDES OTHERS, LEADS INNOVATION, AND DEVELOPS NEW STRATEGIES IN DIGITAL EDUCATION
ACTS AS A MENTOR, REDEFINING PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICIES THROUGH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
The platform also includes two downloadable resources designed to broaden the educational impact beyond the classroom. The first is a guide for parents, aimed at supporting the school’s efforts and fostering shared reflection, so that the promotion of digital well-being is consistent both at school and at home. This continuity is essential: conflicting behaviours or mixed educational messages can easily undermine the work carried out by teachers.
A second resource provides practical guidance for schools wishing to develop specific policies on digital well-being. This document offers concrete tools to help school leaders implement effective digital-well-being policies, which are crucial for creating a coherent and supportive educational climate that engages the entire school community.
Download the resources
