The importance of digital citizenship lies in the fact that it is the best way to prepare individuals for full involvement in society and active participation in the service of the nation through the optimal use of modern technology data. It is a culture that helps technology leaders and parents understand what students and young technology users need to deal with technology in an appropriate manner.

Digital citizenship aims to find the right way to guide and protect all users, especially children and young people. It promotes desired behavior and fights unacceptable behavior in digital transactions in order to have digital citizens who love their country and strive for its progress. Within this framework and under the auspices of His Excellency Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail, the President of Umm Al-Qura University, the Digital Citizenship Forum has been organized under the title "Towards a Secure Electronic Community" in King Abdul Aziz Historical Hall in Al-Abdiyyah and Al-Jawhara Hall in Al-Zahir. The event will take place on Thursday 18 Jumada Al-Awwal 1440 A.H., corresponding to 24 January 2019, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The forum will be organized by Umm Al-Qura University, represented by the Deanship of E-Learning and Distance Education. The forum will include discussion and training sessions where the opinions of researchers and the experiences of experts and participants will be presented. Important courses on digital citizenship will be provided to benefit society members.

Vision:

To highlight the importance and role of digital citizenship in the habilitation of Saudi society in order to create effective digital citizens and a secure electronic community.

Mission:

To present discussion sessions that contribute to raising the awareness of students, employees, and academic staff in order to develop the concept of digital citizenship. Interactive training courses will also be provided during the forum to raise the ability of participants to face challenges and difficulties so they can enjoy digital safety and security.

Objectives:

• To promote digital citizenship and provide new opportunities for effective collaboration.
• To spread the culture of digital citizenship in our society through home education and educational curricula in schools and universities.
• To reduce the digital divide, work on localization of education technology, set up systems commensurate with the needs of students, teachers, school leaders, and all segments of society, and provide access to digital systems and other educational technology services.
• To define the criteria on which educators rely in the development of digital citizenship.
• To monitor the risks of the Internet and its negative impacts on children.
• To determine the guidelines used by educational institutions in the formulation of policies and the development of activities to address the negative aspects of Internet use and ensure that students follow proper digital citizenship practices.
• To present future proposals and solutions that are included in the proposed vision to benefit education policymakers, those interested in digital technology, and those who prepare educational curricula and programs.
• To spread security awareness and citizenship among citizens through training courses in the forum.

The first training course: Secure digital educational objects and repositories: Towards a conscious digital generation

Learners in the 21st century are heavily exposed to powerful online platforms such as social networking tools. These platforms can provide effective knowledge, information, and visions on the related rights, responsibilities, citizenship, and duties of the 21st century. In light of this, education can be the most effective way to protect students from the risks associated with online participation. The increasing level of Internet use by students, both inside and outside the school, poses a very important question: Who will take up the challenge of guiding students towards a productive and secure technological community? The development of digital citizenship requires effective collaboration between teachers, students, and the entire educational system in order to formulate effective rules of conduct and facilitate culturally appropriate behavior throughout the Internet.

One of the most important tasks of teachers in the 21st century is to teach current learners about cyber security to address and prevent the misuse of technology. It is so important to educate young people about the risks of inappropriate or immoral use of technology. To achieve this, it is possible to use the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which disseminate these courses across large areas. They are not limited to geographical, political, or cultural boundaries, but are available to anyone, anywhere, at any time, through free sites.

The second training course: Safe use of electronic applications and protection against risks

Statistics and studies indicate increasing numbers of children, adolescents, and adults using technology through computers, tablets, or mobile devices. As the use of technology increases, the risks threatening users increases, which brought about the need to hold the Digital Citizenship Forum and provide a training course on the safe use of electronic applications and protection against risks.

The training course is based on clarifying the whole range of safe and dangerous applications on the individual, especially children and adolescents, and how to protect them, as well as making the parents aware of what their children do without interfering with their privacy. The course includes some statistics on the number of users of these programs and social communication networks in Saudi Arabia. It provides training for citizens on the correct and safe use of smart phones, tablets, and computer systems, as well as the regulations used in Saudi Arabia for electronic crimes to increase the awareness, knowledge, and safety of citizens.

The first discussion session: Cyber Security and Electronic Protection for Citizen and Community Security

Themes:

• The first theme: Cyber security and information protection
• The second theme: Electronic crimes
• The third theme: Information awareness and the risks of information flow
• The fourth theme: Digital intellectual security
• The fifth theme: Security of social networks
• The sixth theme: Digital citizenship and economic vision

Opinion poll:

An opinion poll on cyber security and security awareness will be posted on the main screen via a barcode for the participation of visitors and attendees.

The second discussion session: The digital revolution and the prospects for digital citizenship between freedom and moderation

Themes:

• The first theme: Digital educational content
• The second theme: Vision 2030 and the prospects for digital citizenship
• The third theme: Digital sources and electronic libraries
• The fourth theme: The role of educational institutions in instilling the values of digital citizenship in children
• The fifth theme: Social rights and intellectual responsibilities in digital citizenship
• Scientific research and its impact on the formation of a conscious digital generation.

Opinion poll:

An opinion poll on cyber bullying will be posted on the main screen via a barcode for the participation of visitors and attendees.

For registration, please click here. You can also register directly on the day of the forum, starting from 8:30 a.m.