New
New
Year 9

How well has digital democracy worked in other countries?

I can assess how well digital democracy has worked in other countries and consider whether we should use it in the UK.

New
New
Year 9

How well has digital democracy worked in other countries?

I can assess how well digital democracy has worked in other countries and consider whether we should use it in the UK.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Digital tools, like online petitions/consultations & social media can increase access to democratic processes in the UK.
  2. Other countries have gone further using it for public decision-making and crowdsourced policymaking.
  3. Digital democracy in Taiwan & Estonia increases participation but faces challenges like digital access & security risks.
  4. There are both opportunities and challenges to adopting digital democracy more widely in the UK.

Keywords

  • Digital democracy - the use of digital tools and technology to increase participation in democratic processes, such as voting, debating, or sharing opinions online

  • Cybersecurity - online protection against hackers and online threats, keeping devices and personal information safe

Common misconception

If digital democracy works in other countries, the UK can easily copy the same methods.

Success in other countries is dependent on specific factors like strong digital infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, and public trust in technology. For the UK to adopt similar methods, these factors must be carefully considered and adapted.


To help you plan your year 9 citizenship lesson on: How well has digital democracy worked in other countries?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage balanced discussion by prompting pupils to consider both the benefits and risks of digital democracy.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:citizen,someone who belongs to a country and has certain rights

someone who belongs to a country and has certain rights

Correct Answer:democracy,a system where people choose their leaders by voting

a system where people choose their leaders by voting

Correct Answer:participation,taking part in activities like voting or signing petitions

taking part in activities like voting or signing petitions

Correct Answer:social media,websites and apps that enable users to create or share content online

websites and apps that enable users to create or share content online

Q2.
Which option best describes digital citizenship?
learning how to vote in person
Correct answer: using the internet responsibly and understanding your rights online
building your own website
watching news videos on social media
Q3.
What does digital democracy mean?
a system where robots make political decisions
voting only with paper ballots
watching debates online without taking part
Correct answer: using technology like apps and websites to help people get involved in politics
Q4.
Which of these is a way that digital technologies are helping democracy?
making fewer people vote
replacing voting with video games
Correct answer: giving people more ways to share opinions and vote online
stopping people from reading the news
Q5.
are online or paper documents that people sign to ask for change.
Correct Answer: Petitions
Q6.
What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
misinformation is made-up stories, disinformation is always true
Correct answer: misinformation is wrong by mistake, disinformation is shared on purpose
misinformation is only about politics, disinformation is only about celebrities
misinformation and disinformation are the same

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:cybersecurity,protecting computers and online systems from attacks

protecting computers and online systems from attacks

Correct Answer:Pol.is,a tool used in Taiwan to gather public opinion on policies

a tool used in Taiwan to gather public opinion on policies

Correct Answer:vTaiwan,a digital democracy platform in Taiwan used to discuss national issues

a digital democracy platform in Taiwan used to discuss national issues

Correct Answer:i-voting,a system that lets people vote securely online

a system that lets people vote securely online

Q2.
Which of these is an example of how the UK currently uses digital democracy?
all elections are now online
Correct answer: people can sign e-petitions on the Parliament website
voters use i-voting to choose their MPs
Parliament livestreams debates only to MPs
Q3.
Digital media can help increase political by making it easier for people to learn about and join political discussions.
Correct Answer: participation, engagement, activity
Q4.
Which of the following is statements is most accurate about the UK adopting digital democracy methods from other countries?
The UK can easily copy methods from other countries.
Correct answer: Success depends on digital infrastructure and public trust.
Digital democracy only works in small countries.
The UK is guaranteed to succeed with digital democracy.
Q5.
What is one advantage of using digital tools like Pol.is?
only experts can use it
Correct answer: it helps gather opinions from a wide range of people
it stops people from asking questions
it hides disagreements
Q6.
Which of the following best explains why the UK can’t simply copy Estonia or Taiwan’s digital democracy systems?
the UK already has the same laws
the UK has too many people
Correct answer: the UK must consider its own digital systems, trust levels and security needs
people in the UK don’t like voting