Common Teaching Activities
Digital Constitutionalism Teaching Partnership
In response to growing global challenges in digital governance, the transnational Digital Constitutionalism Teaching Partnership (DCTP) emerged in 2020 as a flagship initiative of the DCN to prepare future scholars and advocates to approach the challenges of digital governance critically and creatively. The partnership has aimed to further the connection between research and education by engaging students across disciplines and national borders on key issues of digital constitutionalism. The DCTP seeks to equip a new generation of scholars and advocates with the knowledge and skills to advance the field of digital constitutionalism and to advocate protections for human rights through digital governance. Promoting participatory and action-based learning that leads to the development of transversal skills by participating students, DCTP programs have not only enriched the academic experience of students in the field but have also equipped them with the skills needed to actively engage in digital rights advocacy.
Pilot Program (2020)
In the spring semester of 2020, Claudia Padovani (Università degli Studi di Padova), Mauro Santaniello (Università degli Studi di Salerno), Edoardo Celeste (Dublin City University) and Dennis Redeker (Universität Bremen) cooperated to convene students from three universities and from diverse disciplinary backgrounds with the goal of creating a diverse, digitally-connected learning space centered around digital constitutionalism. The Network designed this collective experience as a pilot that could guide and inform broader partnerships in the future.
The goals of this pilot were manifold:
- Providing students with a truly transnational experience – partly mediated by digital technologies – learning about the rights-based global governance of the Internet as entailed in the study of digital constitutionalism.
- Fostering a conversation among students from different fields and backgrounds so as to articulate a common understanding of digital constitutionalism as a necessarily trans-disciplinary area of knowledge and practice.
- For students at the University of Padua and the University of Salerno: Engaging in a common practical task between the two groups (contribution to the Italian translation of the Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet).
- Developing a new toolkit for teachers interested in the field of digital constitutionalism, potentially aiming to establish an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership.
- Investigating the possibility of a massive open online course (MOOC) as a future format to accompany common on-site teaching activities.
ERASMUS Blended-Intensive Program (BIP)
Building on the pilot’s success, the DCN developed the Blended-Intensive Program (BIP), an Erasmus+-funded initiative that integrates virtual and in-person learning components. Each iteration has explored new intersections of digital constitutionalism, platform governance, and global policy processes.
Past Editions
The 2023 Blended-Intensive Program, hosted by the University of Padova, brought together an expanded network of universities, including Maastricht University, Complutense University of Madrid, WZB Berlin, and the University of Klagenfurt, alongside the host institution. The program combined online lectures and an in-person workshop, offering participants a comprehensive and collaborative learning experience on key issues in digital governance.
The program began with six online lectures from May to June 2023, totaling 15 hours, which explored topics such as Fundamental Rights in the Digital Age and The Content Governance Dilemma. In September, participants convened at the University of Padova for an intensive workshop, where they examined themes including the UN Global Digital Compact and pan-African digital rights movements.
Focusing on values and fundamental rights, digital and green transitions, and platform governance, the program encouraged participants to address pressing global challenges. Working in inter-university teams, students developed policy briefs that applied principle-based digital governance frameworks to diverse contexts, demonstrating the program’s emphasis on practical, collaborative outcomes.
The 2024 Blended-Intensive Program, hosted by ZeMKI at the University of Bremen, focused on Digital Constitutionalism and the UN Global Digital Compact. Building on the success of previous iterations, this program provided participants with both theoretical foundations and practical tools for critically engaging with global digital governance frameworks.
The program was, again, structured in two phases. The first phase prepared participants through collaborative research tasks and guided discussions, laying the groundwork for an intensive exploration of digital governance. The second phase took the form of a week-long workshop in Bremen, where students focused on the Global Digital Compact and critically examined its implications through the zero-draft document released on 1 April 2024.
A key feature of the 2024 edition was the integration of remote participation in the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG), which provided participants with valuable insights into ongoing global discussions on digital policy. The program culminated in the development of six policy briefs authored by participants. These briefs critically engage with the Global Digital Compact zero-draft, offering actionable insights and recommendations for refining its content.
Pedagogical Approaches and Methodologies
The DCTP employs an innovative mix of pedagogical approaches that include project-based learning, research-based learning, action-oriented teaching, and problem-solving exercises. These methodologies are designed to foster critical thinking, intercultural communication, and digital literacy among students.
- Interdisciplinary Learning: Interdisciplinarity lies at the heart of the DCTP’s teaching philosophy. By bringing together students and instructors from diverse academic backgrounds—including law, political science, media studies, and computer science—the partnership enables a holistic understanding of digital constitutionalism. This interdisciplinary approach not only broadens students’ perspectives but also encourages innovative solutions to complex digital governance issues.
- Blended Learning Environment: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of blended learning formats within the DCTP. Initially conducted entirely online, the partnership later evolved to incorporate in-person components, with the help of Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programs. The blended format includes synchronous online seminars, asynchronous learning modules, and physical workshops, offering students a flexible and comprehensive learning experience. BIPs took place at the University of Padua in September 2023 and at the University of Bremen in April 2024. The next BIP is planned for May 2025 and will be held at the University of Salerno.
- Participatory and Action-Based Learning: Participatory action learning has been a cornerstone of the DCTP’s methodology. Students are encouraged to actively contribute to the learning process through collaborative projects, peer-to-peer interactions, and real-world advocacy exercises. Notable examples include the translation of key digital rights documents, the creation of Wikipedia entries on digital constitutionalism, and the participation in EuroDIG, the pan-European regional Internet Governance Forum initiative.
Impact on Students and Teachers
The DCTP has had a profound impact on both students and teachers, enhancing their academic and professional development in several ways.
- Development of Digital Skills: Through participation in the partnership’s activities, students have developed a wide range of digital skills, including online research, data analysis, virtual collaboration, and digital rights advocacy. Teachers, on the other hand, have benefited from sharing best practices and co-developing teaching materials with their peers.
- Increased Intercultural Competence: By engaging with peers from different cultural and academic backgrounds, students have improved their intercultural communication skills and gained a deeper appreciation of global digital governance issues.
- Enhanced Motivation and Engagement: Survey feedback from participating students indicates high levels of motivation and engagement, largely attributed to the partnership’s interactive and action-oriented approach. The opportunity to contribute to real-world advocacy initiatives has been particularly rewarding for students.
In short, the Digital Constitutionalism Teaching Partnership represents a pioneering effort in internationalizing education through interdisciplinary and advocacy-oriented research. By fostering transnational collaboration and equipping students with critical skills, the partnership has not only advanced the study of digital constitutionalism but also contributed to shaping a new generation of digitally literate and socially engaged global citizens.