Ukrainian Students Tested Educational Materials of the International EnCycLEd Cybersecurity Platform

Ukrainian secondary school students tested the educational materials of the international EnCycLEd Educational Platform, designed to promote cybersecurity literacy and digital readiness. The pilot testing was conducted as part of the Erasmus+ KA2 “Enhancing Cyber Literacy in Education” (EnCycLEd) project, in which SET University is a project partner.

EnCycLEd is a three-year international project aimed at promoting cybersecurity literacy, digital resilience, and the readiness of educational institutions to address today’s cybersecurity challenges. As part of the project, the international consortium is developing an educational platform with interactive learning resources for students, teachers, and future educators that can be used in secondary, vocational, and higher education institutions across Europe.

Last year, SET University invited Velykomytnytskyi Lyceum of Khmilnyk City Council to participate in the pilot testing. Before the testing began, the school’s teacher, Liudmyla Buzivska, completed a series of professional training sessions, including an international training organized by the project partner Ascend Consulting in Malta.

The educational modules were tested in March 2026 with Grade 10 and Grade 11 students. The lessons focused on cyberspace, safe Internet use, and included a simulation of an Internet Governance Forum (IGF) session.

According to the teacher, this learning format encouraged students to move beyond the role of passive users of digital services and become active participants in the discussion by analyzing challenges in cyberspace, presenting and defending their own viewpoints, and critically reflecting on online safety.

Students highlighted the practical format of the lessons, real-life examples, interactive activities, and teamwork as the most valuable aspects of the experience. The Internet Governance Forum simulation proved to be the most engaging part of the lessons, allowing students to discuss current digital challenges and collaboratively develop recommendations.

The pilot also provided valuable insights into how the platform materials can be further improved. Key recommendations included expanding the availability of Ukrainian-language content, providing more detailed teaching guidelines, and adding more interactive activities, practical examples, and visual explanations. The feedback also emphasized the importance of additional training sessions for educators who will use the EnCycLEd materials in their teaching.

One of the practical observations from the pilot was the use of artificial intelligence tools during the simulation. AI helped some students formulate their initial discussion points, which they then refined and expanded with their own arguments. As a result, the discussion became more structured and meaningful.

The feedback collected during the pilot testing will support the further refinement of the EnCycLEd Educational Platform and its learning resources.

The EnCycLEd Erasmus+ project (No. 2023-1-AT01-KA220-SCH-000166888) is co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.