Competence

On one hand, lifelong learning, and e-learning as part of it, requires certain “e-skills”, such as digital literacy skills, in order to benefit fully from education. Necessary skills vary depending on one’s role: a tutor needs different kinds of skills to a student or a course designer. For example, the issue of teachers’ ICT skills and the necessary competence to teach digital literacy to pupils is being evaluated and discussed widely.

On the other hand, lifelong learning enables the possibility of achieving competencies that are needed in personal, public and professional spheres. A Recommendation prepared by the European Parliament notes that people and their competencies are Europe’s most important asset for growth and employment. Therefore, access to all eight competencies can be ensured through lifelong learning.

Among the eight key competencies presented in the Recommendation are “digital competence” and “learning to learn”. Digital competence is defined as “the confident and critical use of Information Society Technology (IST) for work, leisure and communication”. Besides the basic ICT skills, it involves being aware of the nature, role and opportunities of IST in everyday contexts. Learning to learn involves the whole process of learning from organising one’s own learning and recognising learning needs through processing and assimilating new information and skills to applying the gained knowledge and learned skills in different contexts.

If you want to know more, you can read these selected articles published earlier on the elearningeuropa.info about competencies, e-skills and e-learning.

Michelle Selinger, Education Strategist at Cisco Systems, writes in her article about workforce development involving both private and education sectors. Blended and e-learning can be part of the solution when training needs to be more targeted and focused. She writes: “e-Learning implies a degree of digital literacy, and it is the duty of every employer to ensure that employees have the necessary skills to undertake e-learning”. Read the whole article, entitled “Workforce Development and Access to e-Learning” (de es en fr it pl). Original publication date 5 January 2005.

Tapio Varis, Professor in Media Education and UNESCO Chair in Global e-Learning, states in his article that “the new learning possibilities require new literacies and e-learning competencies, which are central challenges”. He introduces different components for teachers, students, employees and citizens to enhance their knowledge and critical thinking skills. Read the whole article, entitled “New Literacies and e-Learning Competencies” (de en es fr it). Original publication date: 30 April 2005.

The Education Department of Flanders (Belgium) has identified some 70 competencies to be achieved by primary education students. According to the department, the competencies “…enable pupils to use the possibilities of ICT in a functional way so that their own learning process is backed up and reinforced.” Apart from the learning process competencies, which are the core of the ICT competencies in primary education, “technical and operating skills” and “social and ethical competencies” are presented. Read the whole article, entitled “ICT Competencies for Children in Primary Education” (en de es fr). Original publication date: 28 June 2004.

Kathy Kikis-Papadakis, researcher at IACM, Greece, presents in the article a guide for secondary school teachers about the skills required to achieve a number of basic e-competencies. Read the whole article, entitled “A Practical Guide to Implement e-Competencies at School” (en de es fr it pl) Original publication date: 25 February 2005.

Anja Balanskat, Policy Analyst at European Schoolnet (EUN), summarises in her article the main findings of EUN’s report concerning ICT related training and assessment for teachers in sixteen European countries. Read the whole article, entitled “Assessment schemes for teaching ICT competence - a policy analysis”. Original publication date: 16 September 2005.To read more about e-Skills and e-Competences, we recommend to visit the Cedefop's e-Skills portal.