An evaluation of Evolve Education's Digital Safety and Wellbeing programs
AUTHORS
Dr. Kristy Corser & Professor Michael Dezuanni Queensland University of Technology
Contact: Kristy Corser, Queensland University of Technology (Kristy.corser@qut.edu.au)
SUGGESTED CITATION
Corser, K., & Dezuanni, M. 2025. An evaluation of Evolve Education’s Digital Safety and Wellbeing programs. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of Technology.
DOI http://doi.org/10.5204/eprints.260438
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (grant #CE200100022). The Centre and authors acknowledge the First Nations owners of the lands on which we gather and pay our respects to the Elders, lores, customs, and creation spirits of this country.
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child
The ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child is shaping an environment with children, families, and communities so they can navigate their own digital worlds. Childrens lived experiences are rapidly changing, and every childhood is now fundamentally digital. The mission of the ARC CoE for the Digital Child is to create positive digital childhoods for every child in Australia. They do this by focusing on:
Healthy digital lives, understanding how digital technology intersects children’s lived experiences and providing guidance to families, educators, and policymakers as they navigate this space.
Educational empowerment, equipping children with the skills they need to live their best digital lives.
Safe digital spaces, making online engagement safer while promoting healthy digital relationships.
By empowering families to navigate the digital world and providing evidence-based insights to shape good policy and practice, the ARC CoE for the Digital Child is shaping a positive digital future for children in Australia.
The ARC CoE for the Digital Child Educated Child program aims to advance understandings of how children in diverse communities participate in digital learning and explore how participation might engage with curriculum guidelines and educational and learning practices. They use these understandings to develop models, frameworks, technology innovations and good practices of digital learning that build children’s educational opportunities, to foster inclusiveness and equitable outcomes.
The Research Team
Research Fellow Dr Kristy Corser has experience managing collaborative projects with for-purpose organisations. She is a scholar of critical studies in educational technology and is currently a Research Fellow within the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child as Co-Deputy Lead of the Educated Program.
Executive Summary
This report provides evidence to illustrate the potential for learning provided by Evolve Education to improve digital safety and wellbeing. The purpose of this evaluation is not to measure learning outcomes resulting from Evolve Education’s programs. Rather, the evaluation aims to determine the quality of the programs in terms of the potential they provide for impact and change leading to Awareness, Capability and Action, 3 inter-related elements found in the Theory of Change Framework provided in this evaluation.
Professor Michael Dezuanni is a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. He is also the Program Leader for Digital Inclusion and Participation at the DMRC. Professor Dezuanni undertakes research about digital media, literacies and learning in home, school and community contexts.
Dr Kristy Corser
Prof. Michael Dezuanni
Introduction
Young people’s uses of digital media and digital technologies are expanding in innovative and complex ways, including building relational and communicative online networks, expressing and exploring their personal and social identities through social media, and comprehending and enacting their rights for sociopolitical participation (Third et al., 2014). Given young people’s active online participation, developing digital citizenship skills has gained prominence as educators and policymakers grapple with the challenges and opportunities posed by young people’s engagement with digital technologies. Digital citizenship refers to the ability to participate safely, responsibly, and ethically in digital environments (Ribble, 2015). Scholarship highlights the multifaceted nature of digital citizenship, encompassing a range of knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for meaningful digital participation.
Empirical studies have pointed to the importance of context in shaping how young people develop and exercise digital citizenship skills. Socioeconomic status, parental mediation, school resources, and cultural norms all influence access to and engagement with digital learning opportunities (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007; Third et al., 2019).
Fostering digital citizenship among young people requires more than technical training. It calls for critical pedagogies that support ethical reflection, social responsibility, and inclusive participation in digital life. Research should continue to explore how these skills are cultivated across diverse settings and how educational frameworks can be reimagined to better support the evolving digital experiences of children and adolescents.
This is a collaborative project between the ARC CoE for the Digital Child and Evolve Education.
Through their program, Evolve Education seeks to foster informed and responsible digital citizens while continuously evolving their educational offerings to remain relevant and impactful in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
The purpose of this project is to provide Evolve Education with valuable empirical data regarding the effectiveness and impact of their digital citizenship program titled; Digital Safety, Privacy and Security, Safety and Well Being through a Theory of Change Framework (Connell & Kubisch, 1998, Ofcom, 2021). This datadriven approach assesses how participants, namely, students, teachers and parents have the potential to develop critical digital literacy skills and knowledge from participation in Evolve Education’s program and to provide recommendations to Evolve Education to assist in the improvements of their program.
The findings presented in this report serve as a foundation for Evolve Education to refine their program’s content, enhancing the delivery methods, and ensuring it meets the diverse needs of their audience.
Key findings
Evolve Education’s program demonstrates strong potential to enhance digital safety and wellbeing learning
Evolve Education’s program is strategically developed to support parents, educators, and students through targeted content that demonstrates the potential to build knowledge and understanding in critical areas including digital safety, wellbeing, privacy, and security.
The student program is pedagogically aligned with the Australian Curriculum
Evolve Education’s student program is very well aligned with the Australian Curriculum, incorporating relevant content from key learning areas and general capabilities. This alignment enhances its educational legitimacy and ensures that the program can be effectively integrated into formal school-based learning environments.
Content and delivery are very engaging, contextually relevant, and professionally facilitated
The content and delivery of Evolve Education’s digital safety, wellbeing, privacy and security lessons are engaging and meaningful. Lessons are delivered by experienced educators who deliver the material in a manner that is both accessible and resonant for their audience, thereby increasing the relevance and impact of the program.
Recommendations
Sustain ongoing delivery and professional development
It is recommended that Evolve Education continue to adopt a sustained and iterative approach to content delivery. Ongoing education for students, teachers, and parents is essential to ensure continued awareness and responsiveness to evolving issues in digital safety, wellbeing, privacy, and security. Additionally, it is advised that Evolve Education staff continue to ensure that the high level of relevance of their content is maintained by continuous professional learning, while also critically reflecting on the scope and pacing of material delivered in each session.
To enhance the relevance, responsiveness, attendance, and impact of the program, it is recommended that Evolve Education incorporate co-design methodologies that actively involve parents, teachers, and students in the development of lesson content. Given the dynamic nature of digital environments, collaborative content creation can contribute to the materials remaining current, contextually grounded, and reflective of participants’ lived experiences and needs, thereby fostering greater ownership and engagement with the program. 1 2
Strengthen integration with whole-school approaches to digital wellbeing
It is recommended that Evolve Education further embed its program within a wholeschool framework to promote a consistent and sustained culture of digital safety and wellbeing. This could involve aligning program content with broader school policies, pastoral care initiatives, and cross-curricular priorities, ensuring that digital citizenship and digital literacy is reinforced across multiple learning and social contexts. Supporting school leadership and staff to integrate Evolve Education’s principles into everyday practices can enhance the program’s reach and long-term impact.
Embed co-design practices with key stakeholders
Framework
This analysis of Evolve Education’s Digital Safety, Privacy and Security and Wellbeing program uses a Theory of Change Framework.
Theory of Change
Using theory of change helps to move beyond seeing digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing education as a solution in itself to evaluate (and design) digital safety and wellbeing interventions with a better focus on specific, positive change for teachers, students, parents, families and the wider community.
To apply the inter-related change elements to Evolve Education’s digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing education, the elements of digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing education need to be linked to peoples:
It is these 3 inter-related element descriptors; awareness, capability and action that are used to identify which aspects of digital safety and wellbeing the intended change will relate to. In detail,
- participants need to develop their awareness of digital safety and wellbeing topics so they can make informed decisions around their digital experiences
- participants use digital safety and wellbeing skills to actively demonstrate capability through shared language and varied experiences
- participants recognise and respond to their online actions and are willing to reflect and share on their digital experiences
Often interventions can create change in more than one of these areas, so it is not about identifying just one relevant element, it is useful to look across the elements to see where change can happen.
Evolve Education’s approach to improving digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing among teachers, students and parents is presented in this diagram.
Awareness
make informed decisions around digital experiences
Capability
actively demonstrate capability through shared language and varied experiences
Action
can recognise and respond to their online actions
Figure 1. Inter-related element descriptors.
The inter-related change elements assist in the identification of the difference digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing makes to peoples;
✓ knowledge they have about digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing
✓ the digital skills and competencies they develop or increase;
✓ how being a responsible digital citizen enables them to participate in constructive dialogue in online spaces;
✓ how digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing impacts attitudes and societal norms related to ethical and informed online behavior;
✓ and ultimately, how practicing digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing leads to changes in behaviour, online interactions and contributes to a safer, more inclusive, and responsible digital ecosystem for everyone.
These differences are presented in the following 3 tables; Awareness, Capability, and Action, along with criteria and impact measurers creating a Theory of Change Framework to evaluate Evolve Education’s programs.
Awareness Participants develop awareness of digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing so they can make informed decisions around their digital experiences
Digital Child | An evaluation of Evolve Education’s Digital Safety and Wellbeing programs
Digital Safety have knowledge of digital safety understand the skills and competencies they need discuss their digital safety willing to broaden their digital safety skills feel motivated to make safe choices online
Privacy & Security have knowledge of privacy & security make sense of online privacy & security experiences participate in dialogue about online privacy and security expect online access which acts in the public interest that is safe and protects digital rights be safer online
Wellbeing knowledge of the risks and benefits of being online understand the skills they need to manage their digital wellbeing can advocate for healthy online interactions are more aware of unsafe or harmful online experiences and want to play a part in reducing them be more resilient online
Impact Measures for Awareness:
• People expect to engage in a healthy digital environment
• People upskill their digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing
• People make informed decisions about their digital engagement
• People care more about digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing
• People access safe online environments
• People know the risks and benefits of being online
Table 1. Inter-related element descriptors.
Knowledge Skills & Competencies
Digital Safety see the connection between their online and offline experiences understand the skills and competencies to be safe and secure online
express capability to engage safely online can be reflective about their digital safety can make safe choices online
Capability
Participants use digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing skills to actively demonstrate capability through shared language and varied experiences
Privacy & Security have the knowledge of privacy and security
have the critical means to identify and report unsafe online behaviour
discusses their capability to navigate online privacy settings can be reflective about their privacy & security have the critical means to identify appropriate online
Wellbeing shows knowledge about being resilient online manage healthy online interactions capable of discussing online wellbeing can be reflective about their wellbeing act with self-efficacy when online
Impact Measures for Capability:
• People use their digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing skills to improve their lives
• People use their digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing skills for good
• People make safe decisions about their digital engagement
• People become more resilient about online harms
• People access online environments in a safe manner and for good
Table 2. Theory of Change Framework - Capability.
Digital Child | An evaluation of Evolve Education’s Digital Safety and Wellbeing programs
Digital Safety solve digital conflicts competent skills to navigate online rights can express how they have a safe online experience can apply reflection and personal judgement on their rights and responsibilities engage online safely
Action
Participants recognise and respond to their online actions and are willing to reflect and share on their digital experiences
Privacy & Security enacts digital privacy & security settings safe & secure online discusses their online digital experiences wants to improve privacy and security knowledge engage online securely
Wellbeing report unsafe online behaviour can be more resilient online discusses respectful online actions engage online to improve wellbeing engage online positively
Impact Measures for Action:
• People use their digital safety, privacy and security and wellbeing education to improve their lives
• People are more resilient and digitally literate
• People use their digital safety, privacy and safety and wellbeing skills to improve their wellbeing
Table 3. Theory of Change Framework - Action.
Data Collection
The following table shows the data collection methods that were conducted for the purpose of the evaluation. It was important to gather data from different participants to gain a range of perspectives about the program. A member of the research team visited 2 schools in Victoria to gather data face to face from teachers, parents and students.
Academic audit - This involved critically analysing Evolve Education’s presentation materials, workshop materials, student booklets, and parent information.
Focus groups – Students were involved in small focus groups and were asked various questions about their experiences in attending Evolve Education lessons. Questions included; how were the topics relevant to you, did you enjoy the lesson, what else would you like to learn about?
Observations – Lesson observations took place of 1 parent workshop, 6 student lessons and 1 teacher workshop that were delivered by Evolve Education staff across 2 different schools. During this time, the researcher was observing the delivery of content including the scenario based activities and the engagement of the participants.
Interview – A member of the Evolve Education staff was interviewed by the research team to understand how Evolve Education develop their resources, continue their learning and reflect on their presentations. A teacher from a Victorian school was also interviewed and asked questions about their engagement with Evolve Education, including how and why they engage with a third party to deliver content to their school community.
Lesson data – Lesson data was collected and analysed for the evaluation. Data included the interactive components of the workshops and lessons (Menti data) and completed student work booklets.
Digital Child | An evaluation of Evolve Education’s Digital Safety and Wellbeing programs
Criteria
Awareness Participants need to develop their awareness of digital safety and wellbeing topics so they can make informed decisions around their digital experiences
Academic Audit
Focus groups
Lesson observations
Capability
Participants use digital citizenship skills to actively demonstrate capability through shared language and varied experiences
Action
Participants can recognise and respond to their online interactions and are willing to reflect and share on their digital experiences
Academic Audit
- Facilitators
- Materials
- Completed workbooks
Focus groups
Lesson observations
Academic Audit
- Lesson Data (Menti)
- Scenarios
Focus groups
Lesson Data (Menti)
Teacher interview
Evolve Education interview
Teacher workshop observation
Lesson Data (Menti)
Teacher interview
Evolve Education interview
Teacher workshop observation
Lesson Data (Menti)
Teacher interview
Evolve Education interview
Lesson Data (Menti)
Academic Audit
Workshop observation
Lesson Data (Menti)
Academic Audit
Lesson Data (Menti)
Academic Audit
Workshop observation
Table 4. Data collection artifacts.
Analysis
This analysis of Evolve Education’s student, teacher and parent programs provides empirical evidence of the programs providing opportunities for learning aligned with the broad Theory of Change categories of awareness, capability and action of digital safety, privacy and security, and wellbeing.
Student Program
Evolve Education’s student program offers a comprehensive and professionally delivered curriculum that addresses a wide range of topics related to digital safety, wellbeing, privacy, and security. The program engages students through diverse and developmentally appropriate pedagogical strategies, including interactive activities such as word clouds (Image 1) and text-based responses, as well as collaborative learning approaches like pair, group, and wholeclass discussions. Additional instructional tools such as workbooks (Image 2), videos, and scenario-based learning tasks (Image 3) further support student engagement and deepen understanding of key concepts.
“It was easy to understand….we didn’t just have to sit and look at a screen all day...we did role play.”
Grade 3 female student from Victoria
The content of the student program is ageappropriate and contextually relevant, addressing both the risks and rewards associated with online engagement. By presenting a balanced perspective, the program enables students to critically explore the opportunities and challenges of digital
Image 1. Word cloud.
Image 2. Student workbook.
Image 3. Scenario based learning task.
environments, thereby supporting the development of essential online knowledge, skills, and competencies.
“I understand the online world more. Like how bad it can be, but like also how good it can be.”
Year 7 male student from Victoria
The student program delves deep into topics, allowing students to have the potential to gain a thorough understanding of the content.
Student: “Something that stuck out to me was like blackmailing. Like I knew it, but not to like to that extent where it would be threatening, really bad.”
Researcher: “And have you done any type of lesson like this before?”
Student: “Yeah sort of but not in like as much detail.”
Researcher: “And when you say not as much detail, what do you mean?”
Student: “I mean like, it would just sort of be on the topic of like stay safe around strangers, more of like that, but not like what the ups and downs could be”
Year 7 male student from Victoria
Evolve Education’s program adopts an inclusive and non-assumptive approach to students’ existing digital knowledge, skills, competencies, and behaviours. It provides age-appropriate, contextually grounded learning opportunities that reflect real-world digital experiences. The program includes clear definitions of key terminology, encourages critical discussion of
attitudes and societal norms, and fosters open dialogue related to digital safety, wellbeing, privacy, and security.
Observation: 5 year old Max from a school in Victoria could recall devices connected to the internet after his lesson with Evolve Education.
Evolve Education’s student program is well aligned with the Australian Curriculum, particularly through the integration of general capabilities such as Digital Literacy, Ethical Understanding, and Personal and Social Capability. The program also complements key learning areas including Health and Physical Education, Digital Technologies, and English by addressing topics such as online safety, digital wellbeing, ethical decision-making, and effective communication in digital contexts.
consider ways of managing the use of social media to maintain privacy needs, for example activating privacy settings to avoid divulging personal data such as photographs, addresses, and names and recognising that all digital interactions are difficult to erase (digital footprints) – Digital Technologies Year 3 & 4, Australian Curriculum (2025)
Evolve Education’s student program, delivered in classroom settings with the support of teachers, provides students with meaningful opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for navigating digital environments. By fostering awareness, building capability, and encouraging responsible action, the program provides the potential for students to become informed and empowered digital citizens.
Teacher Program
Evolve Education’s teacher program offers on-demand professional learning that can be tailored to the specific needs of individual schools. Evolve Education have established ongoing relationships with schools, at times being invited to return within the same year or in subsequent years to deliver additional content. The program addresses a broad range of topics related to digital safety, wellbeing, and privacy and security (see Table 4), and is delivered through diverse modalities including online sessions, in-person workshops, interactive activities, and collaborative or individual formats. This adaptable approach enables teachers to engage with relevant content in ways that suit their context and professional learning preferences.
While prior research suggests that student’s digital safety and wellbeing education is most effective when embedded within schoolbased approaches and delivered by classroom teachers (Dezuanni & Corser, 2023), schools are identifying gaps in the consistency of students’ digital literacy education, even when wellbeing programs may have been in place. Teachers often do not perceive themselves as experts in digital safety, prompting schools to seek external specialists for teacher professional development as well as student lessons, typically in response to emerging incidents within the school community.
“We found that there was a lot of issues with online behaviour with our students, …that was something that we were seeing that was becoming increasingly evident. So we thought we needed to reach out and get some support with that, something that was a little bit more groundbreaking, a lot more current than probably what we were able to provide.”
- Classroom teacher, Victorian school
Evolve Education delivers its teacher program using content sourced from reputable thirdparty organisations, including the eSafety Commissioner, Common Sense Media, and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation (image 4). What distinguishes the program is its engaging and accessible delivery, which not only introduces teachers to high-quality resources they may not have previously encountered, but also enhances their confidence in teaching digital safety content and responding effectively to digital incidents as they arise
Evolve Education’s teacher program provides high-quality professional learning that supports educators in developing confidence and capability in teaching digital safety, wellbeing, and privacy and security. The program offers engaging and context-responsive delivery. By introducing teachers to valuable content and practical strategies, Evolve Education enhances their ability to integrate digital safety education into their teaching and respond effectively to digital issues within the school community.
Image 4. Educator content
Parent Program
Evolve Education provides parent sessions tailored to the developmental stages of children, from early childhood to adolescence. Sessions cover a range of topics including online risks, screen time management, safe and healthy digital practices, and responding to issues such as cyberbullying and unwanted contact. Content is adapted to suit the age group of the child and aims to support parents in setting boundaries, modelling positive behaviours, and engaging in their child’s digital world. These sessions (see table 5) are delivered across a range of settings, including online (image 5), in-person, and hybrid formats. These sessions are often coordinated alongside student and teacher workshops within school environments, and are also conducted in off-site locations such as libraries and community centres.
Increasingly, there is growing demand for culturally responsive sessions tailored to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. These workshops are adapted to meet the needs of participants whose first language is not English, often involving one or more live translators and modified content that prioritises visual communication and accessibility. While attracting high numbers of parent participants remains a challenge for Evolve Education, as it is for schools and the broader community, those who do attend demonstrate engagement with both the content
and mode of delivery. Despite occasional low attendance, the sessions are consistently well received by participating parents.
Amazing presentation! Heavy topic presented in a proactive way. I have felt completely out of my depth but feel so much more empowered in this after attending tonight’s session!
(Parent testimonial on website - Parent/ carer, Coburg Primary School)
There is evidence of the program’s potential to build parents’ digital literacy skills, enabling them to better support their children’s safe and informed engagement in online environments.
Image 5. Online Workshop.
Outcomes
The following outcomes are presented on a 4 point scale; below standard, developing, meeting, exceeding. These criteria were developed based on the Theory of Change Framework to understand how Evolve Education’s program is creating awareness, capacity and action through the Theory of Change. Table 6 outlines the criteria.
Table 6. Criteria
The program does not meet the expectations required to support the potential for change
Awareness
The program is developing in meeting the expectations required to support the potential for change
The program is meeting the expectations required to support the potential for change
The program is exceeding the expectations required to support the potential for change
There was sufficient evidence that demonstrated Evolve Education’s program is exceeding in providing potential for participants to develop their awareness of digital safety, wellbeing, privacy and security topics so they can make informed decisions around their digital experiences.
Capability
There was sufficient evidence that demonstrated Evolve Education’s program is exceeding in the expectation in providing potential for participants to use digital citizenship skills to actively demonstrate capability through shared language and varied experiences.
Action
There was sufficient evidence that demonstrated Evolve Education’s program in meeting the expectation of providing potential for participants to recognise and respond to their online interactions and to willingly reflect and share on their digital experiences.
Ethics
This study had approval from the QUT’s Human Research Ethics Committee (project ID 9738) and Catholic schools held by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) (project ID 1455).
Recruitment
Recruitment was conducted by Evolve Education for this research project based on their working relationships with the school staff.
Acknowledgements
Recruitment was conducted by Evolve Education for this research project based on their working relationships with the school staff.
Appendix. Evolve Education Programs
Student Program
Table 1: Digital Safety Lessons
Year 1 & 2
Lesson: My Connected World
Outcome: Students explore how to stay safe when accessing connected devices.
Activities:
The internet connects us
• The connected world
• Ask permission
• Pesky pop-ups
Trust your gut
• Unsafe feelings
• Trusted adults
Year 3 & 4
Lesson: Being Kind Online
Outcome: Students investigate ways to be kind online and how to protect themselves from online meanness.
Activities:
Online meanness
• What does online meanness look like?
• Dealing with digital drama
• Bouncing back
Upstander, bystander
• Trusted adults and help-seeking
• Be an upstander
Year 5 & 6
Lesson: Rights, Respect & Responsibility
Outcome: Students develop strategies to manage negative online behaviour and de-escalate digital drama.
Activities:
Respond, report and support
• Identifying digital drama
• Reporting cyberbullying
• Support for ourselves and others
Your rights online
• Online behaviour and the law
• Showing respect online to yourself and others
Year 7 & 8
Lesson: Digital Citizenship
Outcome: Students learn about digital rights while gaining skills to handle negative online behaviour and de-escalate digital conflicts.
Activities: Solving digital conflicts
• Responding to online conflicts
• Reporting and removing content
• Creating positive online communities
Digital rights and responsibilities
• Your rights and responsibilities online
• Ethics, morals and the law online
Year 9 & 10
Lesson: Digital Safety 101
Outcome: Students explore essential digital safety principles to protect their rights and the rights of others in the digital world.
Activities:
Safeguards and solutions
• Co-designing strategies to stay safe
• Online threats: responding and reporting
• Rights, respect and responsibility online Online interactions
• Online risks and how to avoid them
• My Online Values
Year 11 & 12
Lesson: Your Right to Report
Outcome: Students explore essential digital safety principles to protect their rights and the rights of others in the digital world.
Activities:
Safeguards and solutions
• Standing up to online harm
• Rights, responding and reporting
• Respect and responsibility online Online interactions
• Online risks and how to avoid them
Deepfakes, drama and digital decisions
Table 2: Privacy and Security Lessons
F Students explore the importance of keeping their personal information safe.
Staying safe online: * Our online values * Devices we use * My time online Care what you share * Personal information is private * Ask permission (consent)
Year 1 & 2
Lesson: Defend my Device
Outcome: Students explore the importance of keeping their personal information safe.
Activities:
My Digital Footprint
• Places we go
• Information we share
Protecting our privacy
• People who help us
• Asking permission
• Trusted adults
Year 3 & 4
Lesson: Online Hazards
Outcome: Students explore the risks and rewards of being on connected with digital devices.
Activities:
Protect your privacy
• Personal information is private
• Password Protection
• Pop-ups, scams and unsafe contact
Red flag, green flag
• Online gaming safety
• Trust your gut
Year 5 & 6
Lesson: Risks & Rewards
Outcome: Students explore the importance of keeping their personal information safe.
Activities:
My digital footprint
• Places we go
• Information we share
• Protecting our privacy
People who help us
• Asking permission
• Trusted adults
Year 7 & 8
Lesson: My Online Privacy
Outcome: Students explore how to protect their digital privacy and learn how data can impact their reputation and what they see online.
Activities:
Protecting your online privacy
• Personal data in the digital age
• Algorithms, cookies and your data
• Your digital identity and footprint
Navigating the digital landscape
• Dealing with online threats
• Responsible online communication habits
Year 9 & 10
Lesson: My Data
Outcome: Students explore complex concepts related to privacy and security and learn to navigate the digital world responsibly and safely.
Activities: Digital trails and data dilemmas
• Online tracking and how it is used
• The benefits and drawbacks of online tracking to both companies and users
Principles of privacy
• Protecting personal privacy
• Digital privacy of others
Year 11 & 12
Lesson: Your Digital Future
Outcome: Students explore complex concepts related to privacy and security and learn to navigate the digital world responsibly and safely.
Activities:
Digital trails and data dilemmas
• Digital footprints and our future
• Online tracking and its implications.
• Protect personal and others’ privacy.
Respecting Others’ Digital Privacy
• Privacy, posting and consent.
• Respect online
Table 3: Wellbeing Lessons
Year 1 & 2
Lesson: Building Balance
Outcome: Students explore practices that enhance their health, safety and happiness.
Activities:
All about me
• Listening to your body
• My healthy balance
• Switching off strategies
My digital manners
• Pause for people
• Taking turns
Year 3 & 4
Year 5 & 6
Lesson: Health, Help-seeking & Happiness
Outcome: Students investigate their own digital wellbeing and how to find balance when using devices.
Activities:
Health and happiness
• Your digital diet
• Safe spaces
• Balance and boundaries
Help-seeking
• Speaking up
• Switching off
Lesson: Brain, Balance & Boundaries
Outcome: Students investigate their own digital wellbeing and how to find balance when using devices.
Activities:
Health and happiness
• Your digital diet
• Safe spaces
• Balance and boundaries
Help-seeking
• Speaking up
• Switching off
Year 7 & 8
Lesson: Media Mindfulness
Outcome: Students explore how their online choices impact on their wellbeing and look for opportunities to achieve media balance.
Activities:
Curating your digital diet
• How does it make me feel?
• Healthy vs harmful
• Curating your content library
Creating your balance
• Your time online
• Your Digital Wellbeing
Year 9 & 10
Lesson: The Digital Impact
Outcome: Students explore the impact their online activities have on their wellbeing and the importance of mindful digital choices.
Activities:
Curating your digital world
• Following positive social media content
• Making positive digital choices
• Respect and empathy online
Understanding digital impact
• Your digital diet
• Screentime balance and signs of overuse
Year 11 & 12
Lesson: The Digital Impact 2
Outcome: Students explore the impact their online activities have on their wellbeing and the importance of making mindful digital choices.
Activities:
Curating your digital world
• Misogyny and the ‘manosphere’
• Making positive digital choices
• Respect and empathy online
Understanding digital impact
• Your digital diet
• Screentime balance and signs of overuse
Teacher Program
Table 4: Teacher Professional Development
Early Years Lesson: Staying Safe Online Topics Covered:
• Avoiding online risks
• Research-backed resources
• Online safety & play-based learning
• Media balance and quality
• Device safety in the home
• Digital consent and privacy
Primary / Secondary Lesson: Digital Drama: Risks, Responses and Reporting Topics Covered:
• Reportable online behaviours
• Online Harm and the Law
• Barriers to speaking up
• Incident assessment and support
• eSafety’s Toolkit for Schools
• Mandatory Reporting and Child Safety
Primary / Secondary Lesson: Keeping Up Online: Risks & Trends
Primary / Secondary Lesson: Implementing Digital Citizenship (Pt 2)
Topics Covered (pt2):
• Integrating Digital Citizenship
• Identifying cross-curricular connections
• Creating a whole school approach
• Developing a scope and sequence
• Digital dilemmas and thinking routines
• Community engagement tools
Primary / Secondary Lesson: Digital Wellbeing: The Balancing Act
Topics Covered:
• Defining Digital Wellbeing
• Balancing a Digital Diet
• Managing Media Choices
• Supporting Positive Online Behaviours
• Fostering Online Consent
• Integrating Research-Backed Resources
Parent Program
Table 5: Parent Program
Toddler and Preschool
Prep – Year 2
Lesson: Raising Tech-Safe Tots
Topics Covered:
• Online risks for 2-5 year olds
• Modelling safe and healthy practices
• Screentime limits and ‘tech tantrums’
• Family media agreements
• Supervision and parental controls
• Quality media choices
Lesson: Connected Kids, Confident Carers
Topics Covered:
• Online risks 5-7 year olds
• Modelling safe and healthy practices
• Risky games and unsafe contact
• Avoiding accidental exposure
• Switching off
• Setting healthy limits
Year 3 - 6 Lesson: Digital Explorers: Risks and Rewards
Topics Covered:
• Online risks 7-12 year olds
• Popular platforms and what to watch for
• Unsafe/unwanted contact
• Responding to cyberbullying
• Minimising exposure to unsafe content
• Digital wellbeing and setting limits
Prep – Year 6 Lesson: Digital Parenting: Safety and Screentime
Topics Covered:
• Risks and rewards of connected devices
• Popular platforms and what to watch for
• Modelling safe and healthy practices
• Unsafe/unwanted contact
• Responding to cyberbullying
• Minimising exposure to unsafe content
Year 7 - 12
Lesson: Digital Parenting: Regulate and Respond
Topics Covered:
• Identify common types of online harm
• Reporting online abuse
• Barriers to speaking up
• Encourage help-seeking
• Popular platforms and their risks
• Organisations to help
Tailored
Lesson: Digital Safety & Wellbeing
Topics Covered:
• Model safe online practices
• Participate in their online world
• Communicate openly
• Supervise and support
References
Centre of Theory of Change. (2025). Setting Standards for Theory of Change. Available from https://www. theoryofchange.org/what-is-theory-of-change/
Connell, J., & Kubisch, A. (1998). Applying a Theory of Change Approach to the Evaluation of Comprehensive Community Initiatives: Progress, Prospects, and Problems.
The Centre for Excellence in Media Practice. (2025). Evaluating Media Literacy with a Theory of Change. Faculty of Media and Communication: Bournemouth University
Dezuanni, M., & Corser, K. (2023). Adapting Common Sense’s Digital Citizenship Curriculum for use in Australian primary schools and early education settings. Final Report. Queensland University of Technology.
Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. (2007). Gradations in digital inclusion: Children, young people and the digital divide. New media & society, 9(4), 671-696.
Ofcom. (2021). Ofcom’s approach to online media literacy, Making Sense of Media. Available from https:// www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/ making-sense-of-media/approach-to-online-media-literacy/approach-to-online-media-literacy. pdf?v=327258
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know. International Society for technology in Education.
Third, A., Bellerose, D., Dawkins, U., Keltie, E., & Pihl, K. (2014). Children’s rights in the digital age: A download from children around the world. Young and Well CRC.
Third, A, Collin, P., Walsh, L., & Black, R. (2019). Young People in Digital Society: Control Shift. Singapore: Springer Nature
