Organisations, scientists and public institutions collect data and analyse the state of democracy, civil society, fundamental rights, the internet and other social developments. Their data and reports can inform and support experts in the field of democracy and human rights education in many ways. However, there is often a lack of interest and skills.
Data and data-based findings are particularly important for the promotion of democracy and human rights and for democracy-related education for four reasons in particular:
- Firstly, education addressing socio-political issues should be based on scientific findings in accordance with its professional understanding. This becomes all the more important when many others are speculative or opinion-oriented.
- Secondly, data helps us to recognise and understand the world and socio-political challenges.
- Thirdly, we gain a better understanding of the needs and concerns of our target groups and our context. This is all the more true when public discourse reports on groups in a stereotypical manner or misrepresents attitudes and needs. This is the case, for example, with regard to political attitudes towards digitalisation, but minority groups can also confirm this from their own experience.
- Fourthly, data literacy supports critical thinking. Even in a comprehensively data-driven society, whose development is increasingly based on the collection and analysis of personal data, it is an indispensable skill without which autonomy would be inconceivable.
What follows from this? One thing is to describe what is important and what should become more important. At the same time, the challenges are also considerable: as students’ ability to analyse data and read critically declines, extracurricular education cannot build on the groundwork laid by formal education. Secondly, there is more and more diverse data, data portals and reports, but relatively less classification – for example, through independent journalism, which is coming under increasing pressure as the ocean of data grows. Civil society and educators need to actively step in here. On the other hand, projects such as Wikipedia and the movement for free licences and open knowledge show us that it is possible to popularise a thirst for knowledge, a desire for evidence and participation in the knowledge society. Inspiration for political education and the expansion of the skills of the relevant professionals can also be drawn from the transfer of experience with journalists.
Opportunities of Education
- Data and recommendations from reports or public data platforms can be used directly in learning programmes as sources of information.
- In addition, they can also be considered as material that participants or organisations can continue to work with in their materials or texts.
- Participants can also use them to create visualisations such as maps or infographics.
- Teach research strategies and techniques that incorporate data.
On this page, I have compiled some links to interesting and trustworthy sources:
Data Competence from the Democracy Perspective
Nowadays, everyone needs the ability to handle data and reports, because we live in a data-driven society. This skill should not only be incorporated into the training of future data specialists. It must be taught to everyone.
Users constantly produce personal data: tracking fitness, periods or recording health data. Data literacy becomes a question of self-determination here. Only this helps us to effectively exercise our rights to privacy and data protection and to control our digital identity.
Initiatives, NGOs and educational institutions also use data for their own purposes. It helps them to measure their impact and present it in reports or to present their arguments in an evidence-based manner.
In general, the informed use and analysis of data helps us gain insight into current social developments, e.g. how discourse is evolving on social media and which groups are gaining influence in public discourse. Population statistics, traffic or environmental data inform citizens about developments and problems in their community. Data also provides evidence for socio-political issues and confirms or refutes assumptions.
DigComp: Information and Data Literacy
Data literacy is a core competency of the DigComp-Competence Framework. It encompasses the following aspects:
1.1 Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital content
- To articulate information needs,
- to search for data, information and content in digital environments,
- to access them and to navigate between them.
- To create and update personal search strategies.
1.2 Evaluating data, information and digital content
- To analyse, compare and critically evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources of data, information and digital content.
- To analyse, interpret and critically evaluate the data, information and digital content
1.3 Managing data, information and digital content
- To organise, store and retrieve data, information, and content in digital environments.
- To organise and process them in a structured environment
Source: DigComp 2.2 (Vuorikari et al., 2022)
UNESCO: Media & Information Literacy
In its approach to media and information literacy, UNESCO has clearly identified the literacy referred to here as information literacy. At the same time, aspects related to media literacy (e.g. critically examining or understanding why we need data in a democracy) or digital literacy (e.g. using digital tools) are also important.
Aspects of media and information literacy (MIL):
Source: UNESCO, 2021
Free Knowledge
Free access to knowledge is essential. Thanks to independent research data, it was possible to determine in 1986 that a nuclear meltdown had occurred in Chernobyl. Thanks to this data, it was also possible to determine in 2025 that rumours of nuclear weapons tests in early November were unfounded. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it also became clear how essential but also challenging it is, in addition to the ability to collect data and provide information, to be able to classify data and derive data-based actions.
The work of the movement promoting open and free licences, in particular the Open Knowledge Foundation, Wikipedia and those committed to Open Educational Resources (OER) or Creative Commons, has also shown us that active participation and active engagement with information and materials is essential. Contributing to society’s information resources is an important service to the community.
Elon Musk’s recent attacks on Wikipedia have made this clear: Wikipedia’s quality is outstanding because the project is participatory and open in design, thus striving to cover the breadth of social pluralism. Everyone should contribute something to Wikipedia once a year – for example, with a suggestion for improvement.
The Wikimedia Foundation is also feeling the effects of technological change. In a recent blog article, it describes the problems that can arise when users no longer have direct access to free knowledge, but instead receive it pre-processed and curated by AI.
Translated by the author from German (with AI support).
References
Schuster, C. (23. Oktober 2025). Wie KI den Zugang zu Wissen verändert – und warum Wikipedia unersetzlich bleibt.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 2021). Media and information literate citizens: think critically, click wisely! Think criticallym click wisely. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377068
Vuorikari, R.; & Kluzer, S.; Punie, Y. (2022). „DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens – With new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes,“ JRC Research Reports JRC128415, Joint Research Centre. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/115376.