What are digital skills?

DIGITAL SKILLS

Digital skills involve the critical and secure use of information technology for work, leisure and communication.

They encompass a set of skills, knowledge, attitudes and strategies required for using digital media and information and communication technology.

Digital skills involve the ability to use computers to find, evaluate, store, produce, present and exchange information and to communicate and participate in collaboration networks through the internet” (European Parliament and the Council, 2006).

Digital skills are considered to be one of the eight Key Skills that are required for Lifelong Learning.

In order to be digitally competent, it is necessary to develop a series of knowledge and skills organised within five broad areas:

  1. Information, alphabetical listing of information and data processing: identifying, locating, recovering, storing, organising and analysing digital information and assessing its relevance and purpose.
  2. Communication and collaboration: communicating in digital environments, sharing resources online, connecting and collaborating with other people using digital tools, interacting and participating in communities and networks, intercultural awareness.
  3. Creation of digital content: creating and editing new content (texts, images, videos etc.), integrating knowledge and reworking previous content, creating artistic works, multimedia content and IT programming, knowing how to apply the relevant rights
  4. Safety: personal protection, protection of data and digital identity, security, safe and sustainable use
  5. Problem solving: identifying needs and digital resources, making decisions in order to select the best digital tools according to the situation or purpose, resolving conceptual and technical problems through digital means, creative use of technology, updating one’s own skills and those of others

Digital Competence Framework for Bachelor students. DIGCOMP adaptation. September 2016.

See proposal

The European Digital Competence Framework (DIGCOMP) provides details of 21 elements (or skills) which constitute digital competence.