WEF, DQ target one million people with digital learning know-how

Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ) Institute, an organisation working in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF), has developed a digital initiative aimed at boosting the digital competence of one million younger generations in Nigeria and other countries by 2030.

The initiative christened ‘DQEveryChild,’ is a digital intelligence education programme, which can be ‘plugged and played’ into Nigeria’s education system, for free.
DQEveryChild is a combination of online education tools and real-time assessment which is free to every child eight and 12 globally, and can be easily incorporated into any national or school curriculum via the DQWorld.net platform, paving the way for a healthier, safer and more prosperous digital economy, for all.

With the scheme DQ Institute said children in Nigeria will be able to measure their ability and command of digital media, thereby helping to combat their exposure to dangers such as fake news, cyber bullying, online grooming and radicalisation.

Through DQEveryChild, the curriculum of 20 lessons over 10 hours is delivered through storytelling and gamified design, which makes learning interactive and fun and encourages a positive attitudinal shift and behavior.

The curriculum covers eight core digital citizenship skills, which are: Digital Citizen Identity; Screen Time Management; Cyber Bullying Management; Cyber Security Management, among others.

At the end of each lesson, children take an online real-time assessment that will provide DQ scores for each of the skills acquired.The DQ Institute, in association with the World Economic Forum, will explore the integration of a Global DQ Index – measuring the average DQ across participating countries – within one of the Forum’s main annual reports.

Commenting on the digital educational scheme, an official of RAVE et al, a certified-DQ ambassador pioneering the implementation of DQ across Nigeria, Charity Babatunde, said, “our children are digital natives, born into a world that offers them incredible opportunities but not without its own fair share of dangers.”

According to him, “The eight core digital citizenship skills that DQWorld.net empowers our children with, is a vital necessity for helping them make informed choices and navigate the digital world safely.

“It is a great honour for me to serve as the pioneer DQ Ambassador in Nigeria (first in Africa) and to be a part of this laudable, award-winning initiative. I encourage parents, schools, government and all other stakeholders to join the #DQEveryChild movement. Let’s make the necessary investment today, in preparing our children for the digital future.”

Founder and Chief Citizenship Officer of DQ World, Dr. Yuhyun Park, said: “Africa is experiencing explosive growth in the use of the internet. With the increased opportunities offered by this connectivity come new risks, especially for our young children, who are the first generation born and raised in a digital world.

“As parents, we need to help them be future-ready and master the digital world. We need to help them not only with technical skills but also the ability to navigate and rise above the internet dangers such as cyber bullying, fake news, online grooming and radicalisation, gaming addiction, and inappropriate content.

“Children need help to navigate this landscape safely. Just like we need a driving license before we can drive on the road, children need digital education before they can start using digital media and technology.