Abstract:

Continuous (self-)education and digital competences are important factors for employment, personal development and participation in a digital society. This session describes practice examples of a curriculum-integrated program for students using a self-assessment-tool in order to improve students´ digital competences, help them evaluate their own competence levels and assist them in independently closing their competence gaps.

Both the curriculum-integrated program for digital competences and the self-assessment tool are based around the "European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens". The curriculum-integrated program “DigKom Nuremberg-Tech” is an initiative that provides digital key competences for students of all disciplines at the Nuremberg Public Institute of Technology Georg-Simon-Ohm since 2017. The Digital Competence Wheel is an online self-assessment tool developed by Center for Digital Dannelse in Copenhagen, launched in 2016.

The DigKom Nuremberg-Tech program is structured as a modular concept. Students can choose a part of the program according to their interest and individual needs or they can participate in the whole program and apply for a Certificate for digital competences. It consists of two formats: interactive workshops and interdisciplinary lectures, which are integrated in module “General Studies” of curriculum and recognized with ECTS.

DigKom Nuremberg-Tech has three goals:

• Goal 1: Help students to better understand current topics and trends from different fields of digital competences
Participants acquire knowledge of digital learning, data literacy, digital ethics, industry 4.0. They get familiar and practice technologies and techniques, especially for obtaining, analyzing and evaluating information, security and handling of their own data, communication using digital media, creating digital contents like websites, apps, infographics, etc. Other relevant key competences are additionally trained within the program, especially agile work management, critical thinking and teamwork.

• Goal 2: Support the lifelong learning skills of students in the digital age
DigKom offers two courses on "Learning, Self-Organization and Motivation 4.0" as well as "OER and MOOCs - the way to expand knowledge and further education by yourselves". Participants identify their own knowledge gaps and areas of interest, try new digital tools and suitable online educational learning platforms and document their learning experiments on online learning portfolios.

• Goal 3: Promote self-reflection and assessment of competence levels
The Digital Competence Wheel helps students estimate their current competence levels. Through a series of self-assessment statements, the students reflect upon and score their own everyday practice. Upon completion, the students are presented with personal competence profiles, which visually illustrate their competence strengths and weaknesses as well as include supplementary information for upskilling. Thus, students can formulate a strategy on how best to develop their strengths in the future and how to independently close their competence gaps.

Together, the three-pronged approach to competence assessment and development provides students with hands-on experience with new technologies, first-hand insights into own strengths and weaknesses as well as theoretical knowledge of current competence demands. Focusing on the individuals’ capabilities enables students with tools to further guide their lifelong learning.

Web:
th-nuernberg.de/digkom // digital-competence.eu

Keywords:

Digital competences, program digital competences DigKom Nuremberg Tec, lifelong learning, Digital Competence Wheel, self-assessment, personal competence profile