Digital Competence Development In Higher Education

This book seeks to foster the successful incorporation of digital competence in Bologna-adapted language degrees. It pools the insights of international practitioners who report on classroom- and research-based experiences which have integrated ICT for specific and generic competence development within the Higher Education language context.

Digital technologies are transforming economies and societies around the world. As such, markets demand new types of skills and competences that students must learn in order to be successful. IT and emerging technologies can be integrated into educational institutions to improve teaching methods and academic results as well as digital literacy. IT and the Development of Digital Skills and Competences in Education compiles critical research into one comprehensive reference source that explores the new demands of labor markets in the digital economy, how educational institutions can respond to these new opportunities and threats, the development of new teaching and learning methods, and the development of digital skills and competences. Through new theories, research findings, and case studies, the book seeks to incite new perspectives to understandings of the challenges and opportunities of the utilization of IT in the education sector around the world. Due to innovative topics that include digital competence, disruptive technologies, and digital transformation, this book is an ideal reference for academicians, directors of schools, vice-chancellors, education and IT experts, CEOs, policymakers in the field of education and IT, researchers, and students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to examine our understanding of the opportunities and challenges that ICTs offer to support the functioning of all aspects of education. The closure of educational institutions has forced a radical change in the practices of teachers and societies regarding the use of ICT to support teaching, learning, social relations and work in many sectors. In the training of digital skills, the instrumental mastery of ICT continues to outweigh the preparation of citizens to make constructive and safe use of technologies. After two decades of educational policies, we continue to reduce digital literacy to instrumental skills. That is, you do not learn why to use educational technologies and how, or to be critical of their use. Education 4.0 seeks to develop and enhance the digital skills of students and teachers in digital teaching environments, through the creation of a line of academic training programs for undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education. This article collection welcomes contributions to improve training policies and practices in Educational Digital Transformation for educational development (strategies, activities, proposals for assessment and certification of skills).

This book presents research on the effects and effectiveness of ICT applications in lifelong learning in relation to digital competences of educators. It sketches recent and future evolutions in higher education, explores whether universities have adjusted policies and business models in line with the rapid development of ICT technologies, and analyses whether the adjustments made are merely cosmetic or truly future-proof. The book specifically deals with such topics as digital competencies of teaching staff, the development and implementation of MOOCs and other E-learning tools, virtual classrooms, online tutoring, and collaborative learning. It presents case studies of innovative master’s programmes, projects and methods, and processes of standardization and validation used in various countries as illustrations. The book explains the rapid transition of the knowledge society to the "society of global competence" and shows the necessity of an active implementation of innovative forms and effective methods of education, and above all, distance learning at all levels of education.

This book provides a basis for designing frameworks and for identifying indicators, existing data sources and areas needing further research related to the use of technology in education.

This is an open access book. It draws from relevant theories and approaches to teachers’ professional development (TPD) and innovative and inspiring TPD practices in higher education. It first lays a solid foundation for the rest of the book, through critiquing prevalent theories, approaches, and teaching competency frameworks guiding TPD in higher education, and defining the key concepts related to TPD. The book then develops a standard framework and assessment instrument of teaching competencies as well as ways of using this framework by institutions, departments at different levels, and individual teachers. It also proposes strategies for improving teachers’ teaching competencies by reviewing what has been achieved to date in TPD in terms of national-level policies and strategies, institutional-level interventions, and teachers’ self-directed professional development. Finally, it also presents case studies of typical practices in TPD in different countries.

The last decade has seen radical changes in higher education. Long held assumptions about university and academic autonomy have been shattered as public and political interest in quality, standards, and accountability have intensified efforts for reform. The increased influence of the state and employers in the curriculum of higher education is exemplified by the increasing emphasis on so-called core or transferable skills; an emphasis supported by the Dearing Report which identified what is called key skills as necessary outcomes of all higher education programmes. However, there is little research evidence to support such assertions, or to underpin the identificaiton of good practice in skill development in higher education or employment settings. Further, prescription has outrun the conceptualisation of such skills; little attention has been paid to their theoretical underpinning and definitions, or to assumptions concerning their transfer.