DGB 3: Ecology and Digitalisation

← Digital Literacy – Year 3

Digital technology appears immaterial on a screen, but it depends on devices, raw materials, electricity, networks, data centres and transport. Responsible digital action therefore includes understanding the material footprint of devices and services and choosing realistic ways to reduce avoidable impacts.

Curriculum reference

Area	Classification
Competence area	Action
Perspectives	G, I
Focus	Ecological challenges of digitalisation and responsible action
Competence	Identify ecological challenges such as energy and raw-material demand in digitalisation and derive realistic opportunities for responsible action.

Learning objectives

Students can:

explain that digitalisation depends on physical devices and infrastructure;
name important raw-material and energy demands of digital technology;
describe the role of data centres and communication networks;
recognise electronic waste and short device lifetimes as ecological issues;
compare resource-intensive and resource-saving usage patterns;
identify conflicts between digital benefits and environmental costs;
derive realistic actions for device purchase, use, repair, reuse and disposal;
reflect on responsibility shared by users, manufacturers, organisations and policy.

Learning content

Digitalisation has material foundations

Every digital service depends on physical hardware: end devices, routers, cables, base stations, servers and data centres. 'Digital' does not mean resource-free.

Raw materials in digital devices

Electronics require metals, plastics, glass and specialised materials. Extraction and processing can create environmental and social impacts. Longer use and recycling can reduce demand for new production.

Energy use of digital technology

Electricity is used by devices, displays, network equipment and computing infrastructure. Energy impact depends on device efficiency, duration of use, data volume and the electricity mix.

Data centres, networks and invisible infrastructure

Cloud services, streaming, search and synchronisation rely on remote servers and network infrastructure. The environmental impact is distributed across many locations and is therefore easy to overlook.

Electronic waste and disposal

Discarded electronics contain valuable and sometimes hazardous materials. Repair, reuse, refurbishment and proper collection are preferable to uncontrolled disposal.

Conflicts and trade-offs

Digital tools can reduce travel or material use in some contexts while increasing energy and device demand in others. Environmental evaluation needs to compare the whole situation rather than rely on slogans.

Personal action

Use devices longer where practical, repair before replacing, reduce unnecessary high-data use, manage cloud storage sensibly and switch off unused equipment where this makes a meaningful difference.

Shared responsibility

Manufacturers influence durability and repairability, schools and organisations make procurement decisions, providers design infrastructure, and policy sets rules. Sustainable digitalisation is therefore not only an individual task.

Classroom activities

Trace the material life of a device

Map raw materials, production, transport, use, repair and end-of-life.

Expected outcome: A life-cycle diagram.

Compare device choices

Evaluate replace, repair, refurbish and keep-using scenarios.

Expected outcome: A reasoned choice.

Analyse digital energy use

Sort activities by likely data and device intensity and discuss uncertainty.

Expected outcome: A usage comparison.

Investigate invisible infrastructure

Draw what is involved when a file is streamed or synchronised to the cloud.

Expected outcome: An infrastructure map.

Examine e-waste

Research approved disposal and reuse options without handling unsafe waste.

Expected outcome: A disposal guide.

Discuss digital trade-offs

Compare an online and offline solution where environmental effects are mixed.

Expected outcome: A balanced analysis.

Develop practical actions

Create a list of realistic school and home actions ranked by feasibility.

Expected outcome: An action plan.

Take stakeholder perspectives

Discuss procurement or streaming from user, school, manufacturer, repair service and environmental viewpoints.

Expected outcome: A role discussion.

Create class guidelines

Develop concise rules for longer device life, sensible data use and proper disposal.

Expected outcome: A class sustainability guide.

Reflect on responsibility

Explain which environmental actions depend on individual behaviour and which require organisational or political decisions.

Expected outcome: A shared-responsibility reflection.

Self-check

I understand that digital services depend on physical infrastructure.
I can name raw-material, energy and e-waste issues.
I can identify trade-offs rather than assume digital is always better or worse.
I can suggest realistic actions for devices and data use.
I understand that responsibility is shared across users, organisations, industry and policy.