Unlocking Digital Competences Pt. 1: How to Develop Them Without Extra Lessons

Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants – But Really?

The term digital natives is often used to describe young people who seemingly possess an innate ability to navigate digital tools. While there’s some truth to this idea, it often leads to a misconception: that students’ digital competences don’t need to be taught. After all, if a 12-year-old can edit a flawless Instagram Reel, they must already be digitally competent, right?

Not quite.

Digital competence is about more than just isolated skills. A student might know how to edit videos but not how to set up a secure Wi-Fi connection. They may masterfully scroll through TikTok but struggle with critically evaluating online sources. Without a structured approach, these gaps can persist, leaving students unprepared for the complex demands of our increasingly digital world.

Skills vs. Competence: What’s the Difference?

The term digital skills often pops up in conversations about technology in education, but it only scratches the surface. Digital competence is broader. It encompasses not just skills but also the knowledge and attitudes needed to engage effectively, responsibly, and safely in digital environments.

For example:

• Skill: A student can create an engaging slideshow.
• Competence: The student not only knows how to create an engaging slideshow (skill), but also understands the importance of protecting sensitive information during the presentation (knowledge), and takes steps to ensure that no private data is exposed or shared inappropriately (attitude).

This distinction explains why the use of professional TikTok does not clearly indicate advanced digital competences. In the next section, I present a framework that helps to understand this issue even further, in a practical way.

What Is Digital Competence, Anyway?

Many frameworks have been developed to better understand the concept of digital competences in practice - now, let’s look at the one provided by the European Commission, the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp). This framework breaks digital competence into five key areas:

1. Information and Data Literacy

Students need to be able to find, evaluate, and use information effectively. This means knowing how to search for digital content, judge whether it’s reliable, and organise it in a way that makes sense. In the classroom, this could look like guiding students through a research task where they need to find information, assess whether the sources are trustworthy, and organise their findings for a project.

2. Communication and Collaboration

Digital tools are a key part of how students communicate and collaborate today. It’s important that they know how to interact with others in a respectful, clear way online, and manage their online reputation. This includes communicating in online class discussions, working with peers on tasks, and understanding how their online presence can impact their social and professional life.

3. Digital Content Creation

Creating digital content is about more than just using technology. It’s about being able to create, edit, and share digital work in meaningful ways. Students need to understand how to produce their own content - whether that’s writing, videos, or graphics - and integrate information from other sources. They also need to be aware of the rules around using other people’s content, like respecting copyright and giving credit where it’s due.

4. Safety

Digital safety goes beyond protecting personal data. It includes understanding how to protect devices and information, while also considering physical and mental well-being in a digital space. This means teaching students how to stay safe online, manage their screen time, and understand the potential impact of digital technology on their health and the environment.

5. Problem Solving

Problem-solving in the digital world involves using technology to identify and solve challenges. Students should be able to use digital tools to come up with innovative solutions to problems. This includes everything from using apps to analyse data, to plan a trip with all details. It’s about showing them that digital tools can be a great way to experiment and find new solutions.

We can use the DigComp framework as an inspiration to bring a purposeful focus to everyday activities, ensuring students develop not just technical skills but the confidence and critical thinking needed to apply them effectively.

5 Practical Tips for Building Digital Competences Without Extra Lessons

You don’t need a separate class or curriculum to teach digital competence. Here are five simple ways to weave digital skill-building into your everyday lessons:

#1 Real-World Problem Solving

One of the best ways to teach digital competence is to have students solve real-world problems using digital tools. In subjects like science, geography, or history, there are many opportunities to integrate digital technology into problem-solving tasks. These activities help students build skills in analyzing data, interpreting information, and thinking critically.

For example, in a science class, students could use mapping software like Google Earth to track the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels or deforestation. They could then analyse the data to predict future changes and propose solutions. In geography, students might use digital tools to map the distribution of natural resources and explore how this impacts economies. History classes could incorporate interactive timelines where students explore key events, comparing different perspectives and understanding the broader impact. 

#2 Collaborative Digital Projects

Encouraging students to work together on digital platforms builds their teamwork abilities, but also teaches them how to communicate effectively in an online space. This is essential for their future careers, where remote work and digital collaboration are increasingly common.

Use collaborative tools like Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides to allow students to work together in real time. For example, students could collaborate on a task, each contributing findings to a shared document or presentation. Encourage them to comment on each other’s work, offer feedback, and make edits together. This process teaches them how to manage a shared digital workspace, develop communication skills, and learn how to work collaboratively in a virtual environment. 

#3 Safe Digital Practices In Context

Teaching digital safety shouldn’t be one separate lesson, but rather something that’s integrated into everyday activities. When students are working online - whether researching, communicating, or creating content - they should be reminded of the importance of online safety and privacy. By embedding safety lessons into their digital tasks, students understand why these skills are essential in real-world scenarios.

For example, when students are conducting research for a project, teach them how to evaluate the credibility of sources they find online. You could guide them through identifying fake news or questionable websites. Have them look for signs of phishing in emails or websites they visit. Afterward, you can discuss what they learned about the risks online and how to apply protective measures to keep their digital presence secure. This hands-on approach ensures that students not only understand the concept of online safety but also know how to apply it in their digital interactions.

#4 Digital Content Creation

Creating digital content, such as presentations, podcasts, videos, or blogs, allows students to express themselves creatively while building important digital skills. Through these assignments, students learn how to produce their own work, use digital tools to enhance their ideas, and understand the responsibilities that come with content creation, such as respecting copyright.

You can assign projects where students create their own digital content based on what they are learning. For example, students could create a podcast summarising what they’ve learned in a history unit, or a TikTok video explaining a science concept. While working on these projects, you can guide them on how to ensure their content is clear, accurate, and respectful. This process allows students to gain practical experience in content creation while also learning critical thinking and ethical practices in the digital space.

#5 Reflect on Digital Tools Used

Reflection is a key part of developing digital competence. After using digital tools in the classroom, taking time to reflect on the process helps students understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve their strategies. This encourages them to see their digital habits as skills to be honed, rather than just tools to use.

After a lesson where students use technology, hold a quick reflection session. Ask students questions like:

• What digital tools did you use?
• What worked well, and what didn’t?
• How did the tool help you achieve your goals?
• What could you do differently next time to make it work better?

This reflection also gives you insight into how they are engaging with technology, and whether any additional support or guidance is needed.

Conclusion

Digital competence isn’t about teaching students to use today’s trendy tools - it’s about preparing them for a lifetime of adapting to our digital world. The DigComp framework offers a practical way to think about these skills, but it’s up to us as teachers to integrate them meaningfully into our lessons.

So next time you’re planning a lesson, think about this: how can technology enhance the task and teach students a valuable digital skill? With a little intention, every subject can become a platform for building the digital competence your students need to thrive.

Sources:

Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S. and Punie, Y. (2022). DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens - With new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128415