Digital participation as a socio-educational task - Mariaberg e.V.

Promoting media literacy among young people in need of support is no longer purely a technical issue. It has become a central component of social education work and is an important building block for social participation, self-determination and inclusion. Mariaberg e. V. combines experience from open youth work, integration assistance and inclusive media education in its approach. The “T(R)aumfänger” (dream/space-catcher) project is a prime example of how digital spaces can be made accessible to people who have often been excluded in the past. The aim is to give young people with mental, physical or psychological disabilities safe and supervised access to digital services while promoting a form of self-efficacy that is rarely experienced in everyday life.

The starting point is always the young people's own living environment. Many arrive with limited knowledge of digital technology. Some are superficially familiar with tablets, social media or streaming services; others, due to developmental impairment, concentration difficulties or autism spectrum disorders, have conditions that make traditional learning formats difficult to access. For this reason, inclusive media work in Mariaberg is based on principles such as low thresholds, voluntary participation and relationship orientation. Digital activities are introduced cautiously, practised repeatedly and consistently tailored to individual interests. Whether it's turning on a tablet, using read-aloud functions or creating a TikTok video together – each step is embedded in a setting that conveys safety, orientation and appreciation.

The real and digital spaces of the open youth work at the Mariaberg youth centre are particularly important in this context. Here, media education is not seen as an additional learning task, but as part of social interaction. Young people use PlayStations, tablets, VR glasses or music apps to try things out, connect with others or implement creative ideas. Media thus become tools for social integration. Many of the learning experiences gained – such as navigating menu structures or making conscious decisions about digital visibility – strengthen self-confidence and expand the scope for action.

However, project experience to date also shows that digital education processes do not work through media production alone. Only a few young people develop a lasting interest in regularly creating their own content. Motivation often stems less from long-term perspectives and more from enjoyment, relationship experiences and immediate successes. T(R)aumfänger 2.0 takes this finding into account: the further development focuses on self-determined use, safe appropriation of space and support on social media, supplemented by peer coaching and low-threshold contact points provided by trained young people.

For this approach to work, however, it requires professional specialists who are able to combine technical, social and ethical issues. In Mariaberg, therefore, the qualification of employees is a central component. The Internet for All training project has already shown how effective such training courses can be. A total of 109 employees were trained, supplemented by training courses for clients, which reached 63 people. The content included digital inclusion, safe internet use, creative media design, data protection, risks such as cyberbullying, and practical exercises on social media, video work, and digital tools. Feedback from participants shows a significantly strengthened attitude, greater confidence in dealing with media, and a greater willingness to implement inclusive media work in everyday life.

The training courses were based on a blended learning approach, oriented towards the PADIGI course ‘Inclusive Digital’, whose materials are available as freely accessible OER resources. This allowed professionals to switch flexibly between face-to-face sessions, online learning and practical exercises. The consistent linking of attitudinal issues, ethical considerations and everyday media practices proved particularly successful: professionals learned how to assess risks, share responsibility, enable participatory processes and create digital content safely together with clients.

Building on these experiences, Mariaberg is currently developing an online self-learning course entitled ‘Inclusive Media Education’, which offers professionals in integration and youth welfare a low-threshold, modular continuing education format. The training is based on the European competence framework DigComp 2.2, Dieter Baacke's media competence model and the principles of ethical, inclusive media education. It comprises modules on inclusion, media design, digital rights, security, risks, communication, collaboration, technical problem solving and creative media design. Each module offers presentations, audio texts, reflection tasks, exercises and review questions. Barrier-free design, ADHD- and autism-friendly didactics and a clear structure are key features of the format.

An ethical approach forms the common basis for all these training courses. Inclusive media work requires professionals to reflect on power relations, recognise real and digital protection needs, and enable participation without patronising. The training courses help them to develop precisely this inner compass and apply it in their everyday work. After all, digital participation is not just a question of equipment, but of attitude – and this can only be strengthened through continuous further training.

Overall, the approach from Mariaberg shows how inclusive digital education can be implemented in practice: as a combination of social-educational support, qualified professionals, accessible technology use and ethical reflection. Media literacy is not seen as an isolated learning objective, but as part of a broader understanding of participation, self-determination and social integration. For social service providers, this approach offers valuable insights into how digital participation can be made sustainable and inclusive.