A Grade 8 student pauses before reposting a convincing deepfake. An Elementary classroom collaborates on a Scratch project with peers across Québec. A parent wonders whether an AI tool is safe to use for homework support. Meaningful digital literacy increasingly lives in these everyday moments, where school, home, and online life overlap constantly.
In Québec, digital literacy is supported by a strong foundation. The Ministère de l’Éducation’s Digital Competency Framework (Cadre de référence numérique) defines digital competency as a single interconnected competency composed of twelve dimensions. At its centre sit two essential ideas: exercising ethical citizenship in the digital age and developing technological skills responsibly.
The framework has also evolved alongside the growing presence of generative artificial intelligence. Québec’s 2024 guidance on the pedagogical, ethical, and legal use of generative AI connects directly to the Digital Competency Framework, encouraging students and educators to question AI-generated information, reflect on bias, verify sources, and consider the environmental and ethical impacts of these technologies. Rather than treating AI as a separate issue, Québec’s approach integrates AI literacy into broader conversations about citizenship, critical thinking, creativity, and responsible participation in digital culture.
At LEARN, the Digital Competency in Action (DCA) bilingual portal, developed by LEARN, the RÉCIT Provincial Service for the Anglophone Community and the broader RÉCIT network, curates classroom-ready activities mapped to the framework’s twelve dimensions. Resources explore topics such as social media, screen time, ethical participation online, coding, and media creation in ways that connect directly to classroom practice and family conversations at home.
LEARN’s workshops extend this work through hands-on learning experiences designed to move educators and students from passive consumption toward active creation and critical reflection. Coding activities with Scratch, ScratchJr, Octostudio, and Micro:bit help students understand how digital systems function rather than simply using them. Multimedia productions encourage educators and students to create podcasts, videos, infographics, and interactive presentations while reflecting on audience, credibility, and responsible communication online.
Addressing misinformation, algorithmic bias, and AI use remains central to this work. Pedagogical initiatives such as Tinkering with AI: Looking Under the Hood with Scratch and the Micro:Bit and S’évader de la salle de classe encourage teachers to use AI tools critically and ethically while designing collaborative escape-room challenges.
Importantly, the framework was not designed only for schools. The Digital Competency Framework (Cadre de référence numérique) was created for all citizens of Québec, recognizing that ethical digital habits extend far beyond classroom walls. Families increasingly face questions about AI, privacy, misinformation, and screen time alongside educators. Québec’s framework offers students, teachers, and parents a shared language grounded in critical thinking, ethical citizenship, and informed participation in digital culture.
Meaningful digital literacy does not emerge from tools. It develops when strong frameworks, thoughtful teaching practices, and ongoing family conversations work together to help young people navigate an increasingly complex digital world with autonomy, care, and critical awareness.
References
Gouvernement du Québec. (2026). Digital Competency Framework. https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/digital-technology/digital-competency-framework
Ministère de l’Éducation. (2026). Cadre de référence de la compétence numérique. https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/education/Numerique/Cadre-reference-competence-num.pdf
Gouvernement du Québec. (2024). Documents et outils de référence portant sur l’intelligence artificielle. https://www.quebec.ca/education/numerique/intelligence-artificielle/documents-outils-ia
