International project – ASAP: Workshop with project partners, external experts and school representatives at Doba Business school

DOBA Business School is a partner in the ERASMUS+ project, ASAP (A Systemic AProach to social media and pre-adolescents through thinking skills education). The project addresses the use of social networking sites among adolescents aged 11–13 in relation to the dangers they face (cyberbullying, violence or abuse).

As part of the project, DOBA Business School organised a workshop on 15 March 2023, which was attended not only by representatives of the project partners, but also by external experts and representatives of primary schools (assistant principal, teachers, counsellors). The aim of the workshop was to work together with external experts and representatives of primary schools to identify the key challenges and needs related to the promotion of responsible use of the Internet and social networking sites, and to co-design possible actions and ways to address these challenges. Due to the international composition of the workshop, it was held in English.

In the morning, we held a round table discussion on “Digital education and cyberbullying prevention: existing situation, challenges, and needs in the Slovenian school context”. The following experts participated as speakers:

• Prof. Maja Vičič Krabonja from the Maribor Secondary School of Economics,
• Maja Vreča, expert associate from the Safe.si Centre for Internet Security and an employee of Arnes,
• Boris Veler from Logout, Centre for Digital Wellbeing, and
• Assistant Professor Dr Benjamin Lesjak from the Faculty of Management of the University of Primorska.

In the afternoon, we analysed best practice examples and the needs and challenges of primary schools in addressing the issues. The discussion took place in small groups with the active participation of school representatives and project partners.

The workshop was held in a spirit of cooperation, exchange of views and co-creation of proposals, content and actions that will be used to good effect in the planning and development of further project activities. The representatives of the project partners were very impressed with the organisation and the implementation of the event: they especially commended us on the selection of external experts, the speakers at the round table discussion, and the representatives of the primary schools. With their views and experience, everyone contributed significantly to the successful continuation of the project.