Interactive Media Education Model for High School Students in Croatia: Case Study of EDUbox

Abstract

Students in high schools worldwide have already been recognized as a challenging audience for various types of media education programs (Dridi, 2021; Chen & Chuang, 2020). We introduce and analyze the interactive media education teaching model for high school students – EDUbox – developed by the Flemish public broadcaster VRT. This project brought together five partners from three EU countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Croatia) with the primary goal of providing innovative new ways to teach various topics in three distinct cultural settings. In this paper, we discuss the results of implementing one of the three contextualized EDUboxes – Politics – in Croatian schools. Our research focus was on 110 high school students who participated in multiple workshops, as well as on high school teachers and librarians. We conclude that this new approach in Croatian classrooms can contribute to a better understanding of the use of interactive media education models.

Keywords

EDUbox, Media Literacy, Interactive Teaching Model, Survey, High School Students

Introduction and theoretical overview

Although in times of pandemic we have witnessed extensive usage of diverse teaching platforms within schools on a global scale, in most of the academic discussions the overall context of increased technology usage in a specific cultural setting was missing. This has also sparked discussions on the quality of teaching and the level of interactivity of the participants in one specific class intervention. Quality teaching of media literacy pedagogy, broadly speaking, is to be evaluated, in part, based on the extent to which teachers can develop activities that enhance motivation and these divergent cognitive abilities (Westbrook, 2011). But it’s not only about teachers as the main stakeholder in the educational system. We can see that students’ motivation and engagement are also of great importance for the implementation of media education programs and activities. 

For this reason, teachers at the global scale have been in search for the most efficient pedagogy model especially where curricula are focused on topics such as politics, propaganda and persuasion. Those are the topics where we have already recognized the lower level of interest within the high school population. De Abreu and Tome (2017) have even before the times of pandemic emphasized that “media literacy education provides for an active voice in the student who is most involved with digital technologies”. From their perspective “it also creates a venue for teacher and student to be exchanging ideas using various platforms” (pp. xxv–xxx). Media literacy pedagogy should enable us to implement new methods of teaching for high school students on different societal topics, even though these topics are sometimes not easily relatable.

Based on the experience from 26 countries from 5 continents as part of the Routledge Handbook on Media Education Futures Post-Pandemic we have identified a broad range of contextualized case studies with intercultural dialogue as the unifying layer for new understanding of the importance of media education. New media education ecosystem model was also introduced that acknowledges the overlapping and at the same time distinct role of the authors and various audiences between themselves, and in relation to the learners (Friesem et al., 2023, p. 512). At the very heart of this new model are educators, authors, audiences and learners, with the strong emphasis on the importance of support from five different segments: policy, institutional, professional, financial and socio-emotional. In this new framework digital technologies are seen as the important variable for effective media literacy models but with the necessity of defining the overall context and challenges in one specific educational ecosystem.

Furthermore, within the research and work of Friesem et al. in 2023 new media literacy model was suggested with a humanist framework and focusing on three key segments: 1. Modelling transformative relationships with pedagogy of care and compassion to inspire and engage learners. 2. Providing multiple perspectives to critically analyse that foster reflection and responsible participation. 3. Creating opportunities within learning settings and media instead of problem solving. (Friesem et al., 2023, p. 517). In the presented model stronger support should be given to the educators as the center of the learning setting with the need to empower them so that they could inspire and engage with learners. In this model emphasis has been given to the importance of responsible participation within society but infrastructural challenges and the presence of digital divide was also recognised at the global level. Studies have suggested that significant progress must be made to take full advantage of digital literacies and pedagogies, despite the rise of more supportive policy and institutional environments in a handful of countries, including the Nordics (Farnell et al., 2021 in Pinheiro et al., 2023, p. 10). While technology has the potential to shift the goals of learning and to make the learning process more authentic and engaging, this can only occur if the technology is focussed on enhancing the learning process itself (…) (Underwood & Farington Flint, 2015, p. 17). This calls for new pedagogical practices as conventions that include established conceptions of “good teaching”, ideas about appropriate student and teacher roles, as the roles that digital tools should play in teaching (Hermansen & Lund, 2023, p. 102). New interactive, motivating and empowering pedagogical model is to be presented.

EDUmake project 

In this paper, we introduce and analyse the interactive media education teaching model for high school students – EDUbox – originally developed by the Flemish public broadcaster VRT (De Vlaamse Radio en Televisieomroeporganisatie). It is an interactive educational program that literally includes “content boxes”, each designed to introduce students to key societal topics such as citizenship, critical thinking, and new technologies. This is achieved through a combination of multimedia tools, including videos, animations, quizzes, teamwork, and analytical exercises. The primary objective of EDUboxes was to engage students with complex societal issues in an interactive and motivating way.

Building upon this model, the EDUmake project (MAKE your own media-supported EDUcational material on societal themes) was founded as a two-year initiative funded by the European Commission’s Creative Europe Programme. EDUbox was further developed and improved through this international project, also led by VRT. EDUmake began in October 2022 and concluded in September 2024, with the aim of creating an adaptable and user-friendly format for translating and contextualizing EDUbox materials across various European countries, with the potential for global expansion.

The EDUmake project brought together five partners from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Croatia, each playing a key role in adapting EDUbox to their local educational environments. Based on VRT’s format and expertise, NTR from the Netherlands and FPZG from Croatia developed localized EDUboxes, validating the concept’s replicability in other countries. Meanwhile, MLA and IMEC served as expert, dissemination, and distribution partners in the consortium, actively engaging the broader European educational ecosystem. Also, one of the project’s major outputs was the creation of a common EDUbox on Politics, launched just before the European elections. Over the course of the project, innovative teaching approaches were developed, integrating high-quality audiovisual content and interactive strategies to address societal challenges on a European level. This included the development of tools and methodologies that would enable teachers and educators to create their own EDUboxes on topics relevant to their cultural and societal contexts.

Picture 1: Example of EDUbox Politics

The project successfully contextualized and translated 4 existing EDUboxes into local languages, while also developing a toolkit to assist teachers in creating their own materials in the future. The Croatian team, which includes the authors of this paper, localized 4 EDUboxes on different topics – Culture, Persuasion and Social Media – and also participated in the creation of the EDUbox on Politics, which is the focus of this paper. This process involved translating content into Croatian, adapting examples to reflect the local culture, and producing original video and multimedia materials. Additionally, the tasks were tailored to the Croatian context, ensuring the educational materials remained relevant and engaging for students.

Following this, the goal was to introduce these translated EDUboxes into Croatian schools, first through pilot projects and then through workshops. Surveys were conducted after each implementation to assess their impact and effectiveness. The methodology used in this assessment is explained in detail in the following chapter.

Methodology 

In this paper, we present the results of implementing one of the 4 contextualized EDUboxes – Politics – in Croatian schools. Our study focuses on high school students, with a sample of 110 participants involved across multiple workshops conducted in 2024 in four Croatian high schools. Additionally, we investigate the perspectives of teachers and librarians regarding this innovative teaching model. A survey was conducted to gain comprehensive insights into the use of these interactive educational materials, their applicability in everyday practice, student reactions and comprehension, and the development of their interest in the topic. The aim was to address three primary research questions, each accompanied by a corresponding hypothesis:

• To what extent do students relate to the content produced?

H1: Students prefer a multimedia, interactive approach to teaching over traditional assignments.

• Can changes in students’ understanding of politics be identified after the workshop?

H2: Students’ understanding of political processes, persuasion, and the importance of civic participation improves after participating in the EDUbox workshop.

• How do teachers and librarians perceive the didactic value of the EDUbox?

H3: Teachers and librarians recognize the didactic value of the EDUbox and its relevance to their professional development.

To address these questions, the EDUbox was tested and validated through three segments: an online questionnaire for students, a survey for librarians, and an additional evaluation for teachers in four Croatian high schools where workshops were held. Distinct questionnaires were administered online immediately following the workshops to capture feedback from these groups and quantitative survey was chosen as the main methodology to examine the attitudes and opinions of distinct groups of participants, using questionnaires (Berger, 2020, p. 321).

1. Students’ survey: Conducted from March to April 2024, this survey targeted a convenience sample of students who participated in the workshops. A total of 26 students responded in Zagreb, 24 in Osijek, 39 in Đurđevac, and 21 in Kaštela. For this purpose, a questionnaire consisting of 10 questions was designed, of which 5 were rating questions (using a Likert scale), 2 were multiple-choice questions, and 3 were open-ended questions.
2. Teachers’ pilot testing feedback: In the same four high schools, four teachers were asked to provide feedback on their experiences with implementing the EDUbox and its potential integration into everyday teaching practice. This feedback was crucial for evaluating the tool’s didactic value, and some of their reflections were instrumental in refining the EDUbox.
3. Post-workshop survey with librarians: Administered by the Education and Teacher Training Agency (ETTA), this survey gathered responses from 216 librarians who attended workshops and webinars designed to evaluate the EDUbox’s relevance to professional development and its overall educational value. The Education and Teacher Training Agency (ETTA), the national public institution responsible for the professional development of teachers and librarians, conducted an evaluation based on six criteria: (1) applicability of the topic to everyday practice, (2) content relevance, (3) importance of the webinar for professional development, (4) clarity of approach, (5) quality of lecturer preparation, and (6) opportunity for personal expression and discussion.

This comprehensive evaluation, combined with piloting surveys, enabled a robust validation process, measuring both the effectiveness of the EDUbox and identifying areas for improvement. Based on the feedback from students, teachers, and librarians, we revised the initial version of the EDUbox and developed an updated version, which is now available to the general public. Furthermore, we ensured that this updated version is accessible to all teachers and librarians via open access.

Results

Students’ interest

Given that one of the key objectives of the EDUmake project was “to engage students with complex societal issues in an interactive and motivating way,” the first set of questions in the survey administered to students after utilizing the EDUbox focused specifically on students’ interest in politics and their willingness to participate in social activities following the workshop. Students were asked to rate their level of interest on a scale from 1 to 10, with the majority (61.8%) giving a rating of 7 or higher. This significant percentage indicates a positive reception to the content presented in the EDUbox, suggesting that the interactive elements effectively stimulated students’ curiosity and engagement with political topics. Notably, the highest number of students rated their interest at the maximum level (23 students) or at a score of 8 (also 23 students). Only 12 students, representing 10.9%, expressed little or no interest, rating their engagement with a score of 1, 2, or 3. 

Furthermore, the subsequent question in the same set addressed political participation, specifically how students, after the workshop, perceive their ability to influence political activities within the country through their participation. Again, similar results were obtained, with 62% indicating a score greater than 5. This time, the highest rating was also given by 25 students, followed closely by those who rated their belief at 7 (22 of them). However, the majority of students ultimately stated that they could not envision themselves as politicians, with some having not considered this question at all until now, while only a minority answered positively to this question. The primary reasons cited for their limited engagement in public life and politics included feeling insufficiently informed and lacking interest. Many students expressed a sense of disconnection from political processes, indicating that they did not receive adequate information about political issues, current events, or the significance of civic participation. This lack of information can create a barrier to engagement, as students may feel unprepared or overwhelmed when considering how to participate effectively in public discourse or political activities. The next most common reasons were a lack of time, followed by fear and negative perceptions of politics as many students reported feeling overwhelmed by their academic workload and personal commitments. Also, fear and negative perceptions of politics also emerged as significant deterrents. Some students expressed concerns about the contentious nature of political discourse, feeling apprehensive about participating in discussions or activities that could lead to conflict or disagreement.

Overall, the first set of questions already indicate a high level of interactivity and effectiveness of the materials, including a newly acquired interest in the topic and an increased perception of its societal importance. Students’ responses indicate a strong engagement with the educational materials and suggest that the students have developed a heightened awareness of the political landscape and their potential role within it. The first part of the EDUbox on politics gave students a comparative understanding of the importance of the political process, relating it to decision-making in everyday life, and demonstrated that politics does not necessarily have a negative connotation; rather, it invites everyone to participate. Fundamental concepts such as the separation of powers, the electoral process, and European institutions were then explained through interactive applications, games, and multimedia materials.

As a result, when asked which part of the EDUbox they found most interesting, the majority of students highlighted the examples provided, with 44 out of 110 respondents giving the highest rating to the multimedia examples. An additional 51 rated the multimedia examples a score of 6 or higher, while only a minority expressed dissatisfaction with them. When students were questioned about specific examples, the most favorable reaction was elicited by an animated video illustrating how one person’s action can lead to significant change, giving example of introduction of a universal charger for mobile phones in the European Union. More than half of the students noted that they fully received the message from this video and recognized how individual engagement can lead to change.

Another video in EDUbox included an interview with Kira Peter-Hansen from Denmark, the youngest Member of the European Parliament, which was also rated positively by the majority of respondents. Moreover, when asked what they would like to see added to the workshop, students suggested including a greater number of examples, particularly from their own environments. These underscore the effectiveness of multimedia tools in enhancing student engagement and comprehension. The high ratings for the multimedia examples indicate that such content not only captures students’ attention but also facilitates deeper understanding of complex societal issues. By leveraging visual storytelling, educators can create more relatable and memorable learning experiences that resonate with students on a personal level.

In conclusion, 60% of students assessed that the workshop broadened their perspective on politics, while 14.5% felt otherwise, and 25.5% found it impossible to evaluate at the time of responding to the question. These results indicate a generally positive reception of the workshop’s content and its effectiveness in stimulating interest and engagement with political topics. The fact that a significant majority of students reported an expanded understanding of political issues suggests that the interactive elements of the EDUbox, such as multimedia presentations and discussions, successfully resonated with the participants.

On the other hand, the 14.5% of students who felt their perspectives had not expanded prompts a deeper examination of the factors contributing to this viewpoint. Understanding these reasons could provide valuable insights for developing future workshops that better cater to the needs of all students. Additionally, the 25.5% of students who were unable to evaluate their experiences at the time of the survey also indicates a potential area for further exploration. It suggests that some students may need more time to process and reflect on the information presented during the workshop. This highlights the importance of incorporating follow-up activities or assessments that allow for deeper engagement and reflection on the topics discussed. And the evaluation of the used EDUbox by teachers and librarians is presented in the results in the following chapter.

Perception of teachers and librarians

This section discusses the results of the survey conducted with high school teachers and librarians, emphasizing their perceptions of the methodological and didactic efficiency of the EDUbox. In particular, the feedback collected from teachers and librarians highlights the effectiveness of the tool in fostering student engagement and enhancing their understanding of political topics. As key actors in the educational process, teachers and librarians are essential for the successful adoption and integration of innovative teaching tools. Their input is valuable in refining such tools to ensure their relevance and applicability in daily teaching practice. The feedback from teachers and librarians provided a valuable perspective on how the EDUbox could be adapted to meet the educational needs of students more effectively.

First, we have asked for the detailed insight four teachers (respondents 1-4) that participated in our pilot study in four different Croatian high schools. Their feedback was instrumental in refining the EDUbox. One teacher emphasized the importance of engaging students with politics early on, stating: “The workshops showed that it is always a good time to engage in politics, because politics is not just about voting. This also being active activity in society – volunteering, petitions, letters of support, letters to members of parliament” (R1). This teacher underscores the broader definition of political engagement, extending beyond voting to include various forms of civic participation. The inclusion of video examples, as noted by this teacher, helped illustrate how individuals, even those without political power, can effect change in specific areas, such as consumer rights. By drawing from relatable examples, students were able to connect abstract political concepts to real-world scenarios. This type of experiential learning appears to have had a lasting effect on students, with the teacher reflecting that the workshop succeeded in altering students’ attitudes towards politics: “The students thought about all this, discussed it, and, I am sure, changed their attitude towards politics during the workshop” (R1).

The insight provided by a teacher from another high school offers additional evidence of the EDUbox’s impact on student awareness and engagement: “The EDUbox workshop was very instructive for our students and opened up a number of questions that they mostly do not think about or at least do not bother with in relation to politics. The most important problem that has opened up for them is the issue of social responsibility” (R2). This comment highlights the ability of the EDUbox to provoke critical thinking, particularly around themes that students may typically overlook, such as social responsibility and the broader implications of political participation. The teacher also commended the accessible nature of the EDUbox, suggesting that its simplicity and clarity allowed for deeper student engagement, regardless of age or prior political knowledge. Furthermore, this teacher’s perspective reinforces the value of making such educational tools more widely available: “EDUbox content should really be available more often to students and citizens” (R2).

In other schools, EDUbox also garnered positive responses from teachers. One participant expressed enthusiasm for the educational materials provided, which were praised for their relevance to current political events and for being available in Croatian: “I am thrilled with the educational materials that are available in Croatian (activities, videos, links…). The students were really interested” (R3). The reference to the 2024 election year, which included European, presidential, and parliamentary elections, underscores the timeliness of the workshop. The feedback suggests that students not only gained a broader understanding of politics but also recognized the importance of their involvement in political decision-making. Also, one of the respondents concluded that materials would be useful in everyday activities: “For me, the materials will be useful in weekly meetings with my students, but also in the subject of Politics and Economy, as an added value” (R4). 

The feedback from teachers demonstrates the effectiveness of the EDUbox in fostering student engagement with political topics, promoting critical thinking, and providing educators with valuable teaching materials. In addition to these insights gathered during the workshops, similar positive results were observed in the online survey conducted with librarians (N=216), which was administered by the Education and Teacher Training Agency (ETTA). Librarians were asked to evaluate the quality of the EDUbox workshops based on six key criteria, each rated on a scale from 1 to 5:

These high scores reflect the respondents’ strong endorsement of the EDUbox’s relevance, not only for its content but also for its methodological clarity and the high standard of preparation demonstrated by the lecturers. The feedback from librarians highlights the practical applicability and relevance of the EDUbox in fostering student engagement with political topics. Comments such as “new knowledge, new perspectives” and “concrete examples we can put into practice” underscore the value of providing accessible, real-world materials that can be seamlessly integrated into school curricula. Moreover, the emphasis on the “importance of expressing one’s opinion” and the “initiative for youth engagement in politics” reflects the EDUbox’s role in promoting not just political awareness, but active civic participation, essential for fostering a more engaged and informed generation.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback, both in qualitative reflections and quantitative evaluations, further supports the conclusion that the EDUbox is a highly effective educational tool. This validation affirms its potential for broader application in civic and political education, providing both students and educators with the necessary resources to engage with complex political issues in an accessible and impactful way.

5. Discussion 

Without a doubt, there is a clear recognition that the immersion in digital technology can shift the goals of education and require students to acquire a new contemporary skill set and it is only when students, teachers and institutions work together that any notable learning gains can be identified (Underwood & Farrington-Flint 2015: 161). In this research paper we have introduced the results of the implementation of the interactive multimedia teaching model for high school students built at the European level from the media literacy perspective. Based upon the results of our research, a significant majority of students reported after the workshop that their understanding of politics and political participation has improved. As the most valuable part, students have identified interactive elements of the EDUbox, such as multimedia presentations and discussions, that successfully resonated with the participants. But the usage of digital technology and media literacy approach has offered many additional interesting insights. Students have also reported that video examples were relatable and have changed their perspective of the political institutions.

Similar results were recorded within the teachers and librarians population. Their feedback was focused on the effectiveness of the EDUbox in fostering student engagement with political topics, promoting critical thinking, and providing educators with valuable teaching materials. Although implemented workshops have covered four different topics, the most challenging part was the EDUbox about politics due to the overall low level of interest for this topic. The research has confirmed that EDUbox teaching model for high school students has enabled a change in their perception and understanding of the importance of political participation. This was also confirmed by the national Teacher and Training Agency through their external evaluation.

As the original EDUbox model was introduced by public television VRT, as a media literacy program, we believe that it can provide more significant evidence that the presented model is effective. Media literacy education can be seen as a civic responsibility where contributions from public officials and public librarians are important (Mihailidis & Diggs, 2010, in Hobbs et al., 2022). The authors have also recognized that for effective integration of media literacy across the curriculum, a conceptual understanding of the school environment as a complex adaptive system is needed (Hobbs et al., 2022). New, interactive multimedia pedagogical models such as EDUbox that originated as media literacy programs can provide possibilities for more engaging, effective and efficient teaching models in high schools. In the future research we see a great possibility for contextualizing and adjustment of EDUbox in more complex teaching environments on the global scale. It would be of great importance to provide a more complex comparable longitudinal research approach and to provide more feedback on the work of teachers and librarians that have continued to use EDUbox in their everyday practice. 

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Note: Authors have received support for the project from CREATIVE EUROPE programme.