UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

02/09/2024 | News release | Archived content

EducoNetImpact: Laureate of the UNESCO ICT in Education Prize

This edition of the Prize, under the theme "Digital learning for greening education", recognizes EducoNetImpact as one of two winning projects that create synergies between the twin digital and greening transitions of education.

Born from a PhD research project, EducoNetImpact is an educational initiative aimed at raising awareness of "digital sobriety" -a concept promoting eco-friendly and sustainable use of technology. Empowering teachers to educate students about the environmental impact of digital technology, EducoNetImpact has developed a comprehensive pedagogical guide, featuring a self-training course, ready-to-use learning materials, age-appropriate games, and other interactive resources, all accessible through an online platform.

Key achievements and impact

Conceptualized as part of a doctoral research project in 2020, EducoNetImpact has embraced a collaborative approach by working with educators to co-create and test its materials in Belgian classrooms. This iterative process has resulted in a diverse range of open-source licensed resources that are continually updated to remain current and relevant. Notably, the project has recently expanded its content to address the environmental impact of Artificial Intelligence, a pressing issue brought to the forefront by the rapid rise of Generative AI technologies.

EducoNetImpact has been instrumental in raising awareness among teachers through interactive and creative workshops. One notable example is an escape game designed to introduce participants to both the platform's resources and the concept of 'digital sobriety'.

The learning and teaching materials developed through the project are aligned with the European Commission's Digital Competence Framework, ensuring that they meet established standards for digital literacy and environmental responsibility. Utilized by approximately 1,000 teachers and their students, the project has documented positive outcomes, including heightened awareness of digital sustainability and the adoption of more eco-responsible behaviors. These include more sustainable use of digital platforms and enhanced recycling practices for digital devices.

The EducoNetImpact initiative aims to "walk the talk" by actively minimizing the carbon footprint of its digital platform. Its website incorporates eco-design principles and was validated by an eco-socio-design audit conducted by Kastor Green, which awarded the project an overall score of 77% for its eco-design and an impressive 94% for accessibility.

© Sarah Descamps

Recognition and future prospects

At the root of the project lies a critical question: while digital technologies are often celebrated for their potential to foster a greener future-by monitoring climate change, optimizing energy efficiency, supporting a circular economy, and alleviating eco-anxiety through demonstrating visible solutions-they also have significant environmental drawbacks. It is increasingly evident that the production and use of these technologies consume substantial amounts of energy and resources, contribute to carbon emissions, and exacerbate the growing problem of electronic waste.

Therefore, as an education initiative, EducoNetImpact seeks to address the knowledge gap on this issue, by raising awareness among teachers and students about the often-overlooked negative impacts of digital technologies on the environment, while encouraging more eco-friendly actions whilst interacting with technologies.

Winning the UNESCO ICT in Education Prize enables the initiative to enhance its digital learning resources platform, introducing new materials and expanding its reach, particularly among older students and those in higher education. Additionally, the prize will support the translation of EducoNetImpact into more languages, broadening its impact beyond the current French version and fostering responsible digital use on a global scale.

The evolution of EducoNetImpact from a doctoral research project to an internationally recognized initiative underlines the crucial role of the research community in addressing contemporary challenges. As Ms Sarah Descamps, lead of EducoNetImpact, puts it: "Receiving this award for EducoNetImpact is an incredible honor and a powerful motivation for the entire research community."

Receiving this award for EducoNetImpact is an incredible honor and a powerful motivation to the entire research community.

Sarah Descamps, Research Assistant and Doctoral student at the University of Mons in Belgium

About the ICT in Education Prize

Established in 2005 and supported by the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Prize rewards every year individuals and organizations that enhance teaching, learning and overall education performance. It recognizes innovative approaches in leveraging new technologies to expand educational and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Each prizewinner receives US$ 25,000, a medal and a diploma during a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.