Find out about the competences of teachers and students
Digital competences must be available for learners as well as for the teachers.
Apart from the use of Moodle (or any other Learning Management System of their choice), both trainers and learners will need some digital competences in order to succeed in a blended learning environment. The higher levels of digital competences, the easier it will be for both groups to bring the distance learning process to its maximum potential.
Hint: The European Commission has assigned the development of a “Digital Competence Framework” in Europe to bear in mind as a reference. Two frameworks should be considered: The DigComp Framework for Citizens (addressing the learners/students) and the DigCompEdu (the Digital Competence Framework for Educators).
Digital competences of students (learners)
Students must master the digital challenge as well. Digital Competences are necessary on various levels.
Software and use of the Learning platform:
- This covers content creation (mainly texts, but also trainings with technical software or simulations)
- Another item is communication which is done with the trainers as well as with the peers. Group based training in the frame of distance learning also may be an issue.
Hardware
This means the use of the devices. The students must be able to fulfil their assignments with the available equipment.
Hint: Students must be instructed which devices are suitable for the learning process and should test them within a special session supported by the teacher (or – if available – by the technical support of the school).
Digital competences for teachers
In School Educations teachers – in most cases – must create, administrate, and implement the courses on their own (In some European countries the necessary support is available at the school). This enforces the teachers to provide a high level of competences in communication and collaboration (This is item 2 in the DigComp report).
These competencies are necessary because the trainers must interact with the trainees (especially in the Distance Learning phases). They must provide the technical knowledge as well as the pedagogical competence to care for the trainees, assist them in their training in an appropriate and motivating way).
If trainers are also involved in the content creation of the course, they should provide the competences of content creation and use of multimedia.