Abstract:

This article presents a preliminary study to construct an instrument for evaluating digital competencies. The goal is to incorporate it into the learning objects recommendation system based on competencies (RecOAComp), which is being developed by an interdisciplinary team with support from the Department of Distance Learning at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in southern Brazil.

The goal of integrating an assessment tool for digital competencies into this system is to:
1) use the evaluation in educational contexts in distance learning to improve teaching practices that rely on digital technologies; and
2) to collaborate in the recommendation of learning objects (LOs) based on the student's profile from their self-assessments.

In both cases, the purpose is to contribute to the students’ learning processes, especially in building digital competencies in the first phase of the study. The students’ self-assessments were conducted through a recommendation system using the following scale:
0. I did not develop;
1. I developed at an initial level;
2. I developed at a basic level;
3. I developed at an intermediate level and;
4. I developed at an advanced level.

Although the choice to use the term "construction" is based on the genetic epistemology of Jean Piaget’s theory, in order to address competencies we used the word "developed" to facilitate the general public’s understanding, without the need for further explanation. However, this system’s configuration does not address all aspects of a competency evaluation, because it is a very complex process.

There are a number of devices for assessing student learning through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Yet, assessing competencies through a tool is a process that should be as interactive as possible and composed of contextualized tasks and daily problem solving, which was done to create the instrument in question. In this proposal, Digital Competencies (DCs) are understood as a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) in relation to digital media. Thus, the work begins with DCs, understanding that Distance Learning uses ICT a great deal and requires subjects to continually learn about different resources.

Therefore, the evaluation instrument was created by:
a) identifying the DCs which appear necessary for distance learning;
b) developing common problematic situations;
c) validation of results by experts.

As a next step, we intend to validate it when it is already integrated into the recommender. The hope is that this proposal will support students and teachers in building digital competencies in distance learning. For the student, advance their learning process by monitoring the construction of their digital skills and recommending materials based on the results of their evaluation. It also allows teachers to contribute to the choice of elements in their pedagogical model and apply them. Therefore, the instrument can be a valuable ally in the educational proposal of building digital competencies.

Keywords:

Recommendation system, competencies, Assessment.