A New Generation of Learning: Holocaust Education and the Internet

Colleagues in Europe share their perspectives in post-workshop survey

In May, the USC Shoah Foundation Institute convened a workshop entitled “A New Generation of Learning:  Holocaust Education and the Internet,” at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.  The workshop brought together participants engaged in Holocaust education from across Europe to discuss the educational and social implications of placing video testimony and other materials related to sensitive subjects on the Internet.

Read more about the workshop

While workshop participants are from 14 countries, hold various positions in non-profit organizations and in education, and have different levels of professional experience, some common themes emerged during these 2½ days.  In a post-workshop evaluation survey, participants underscored the importance of examining the Internet’s role in Holocaust education, and expressed widespread interest in applying what they learned to their ongoing work.  However, even though they are interested in the topic and deem themselves savvy Internet users, they do not have the same level of confidence in their ability to apply online media and new media literacy skills in teaching.  Participants therefore valued the opportunity to gather with colleagues from the field and discuss the ways in which they can use these skills in education.  The intersection of Holocaust education and new media literacies, which forms the foundation of the Institute’s pedagogical point of view, is an area of focus with which our colleagues in Europe are also engaged.  Above all, the workshop provided a forum for participants to talk through this pressing topic, so that together, the Institute and our partners can find ways to move sound pedagogy and Holocaust education into the online space.

Read the participant evaluation report: Budapest_Workshop_Evaluation_Report_2010.pdf