The Digital Competence Framework 2.0

The European Commission (EC) has a research center dedicated to digital competencies, the purpose of which is to show the specific areas and skills that are essential for a person to be an active European citizen and how to work with them. The document, entitled The Digital Competence Framework 2.0, is a continually updated and supplementary text that can be used not only in developing civic competencies but also in corporate education, lifelong learning, or elsewhere.    

Digital competencies can be accessed in two primary ways. We can see some specific skills in them, for example,  the ability to write code or bake delicious cakes. So as something useful, it is thematically limited, but there may be people who do not have such skills, and yet they are not seriously limited or threatened. The second possibility is to see a core competence in them, which is undoubtedly necessary for active citizenship, as well as social, cultural, or economic adaptability. It being something that needs to be developed, but at the same time, is impossible to do without it.

So if one wants to be a truly active and literate citizen, one does not have the opportunity to avoid digital competencies. On the contrary, what can be disputed is what exactly literacy is and to what extent it should be part of such a competence concept. For example, the Digcomp includes knowledge of programming, which is probably the most frequently discussed competence. Does every citizen need it? 

What exactly are those digital competencies?. The EC research center itself does not define or delimit the word competence in any way. Etymologically, it includes two crucial dimensions - first of all, it is, of course, the skill and knowledge to do something, in our case, to use technology. Secondly, it is the ability or power to enter the world and actively change it.   

In terms of general remarks, three more important things need to be mentioned. First of all, Digcomp (The Digital Competence Framework 2.0) is not the only standard that tries to codify digital competencies in a certain way. There are countless concepts and models. The most well-known in many countries is undoubtedly the ECDL, i.e. “computer driver's license„, which was based on the fact that digital competencies are concentrated primarily in working with office programs and computer work in general. Digcomp, on the other hand, emphasizes the level of use of technology in all aspects of human life, in the creation of new objects, cooperation, or their impact on a specific environment. 

Our structured course aims are to develop all competencies at levels 5-6. As the model is constructed, it assumes that one does not reach levels 7-8 globally, but only in certain crucial areas. However, we believe that levels 5-6 are a specific good foundation for the digital world.

However, it should be emphasized that digital literacy is not something that one can have permanently - it can be said that in the current state of technology and society, one has such and such digital literacy. However, without its development and constant learning, it is gradually lost. Thus, digital competencies are also competencies for learning - they open up space for one's learning and equip a person with the skills to learn in an online environment.    

Digcomp currently works with five areas in which digital competence occur:  

From the above, it is clear how the creators of Digcomp think about digital competencies. It includes ​​working with information, both at the consumer level (for example, discussions surrounding fake news or manipulation) and information producers. Emphasis is placed on the ability to find, orientate oneself in, and evaluate information. For producers, this includes understanding the ethical framework of their creation.      

Technology also fundamentally changes the methods of cooperation and communication, which, on the one hand, reflects human interactions, while at the same time bringing completely new possibilities, but also problems with online cooperation. This area, therefore, has both a social and an economic dimension.  

Point three, the creation of content, can be considered essential. Here it is necessary to emphasize the existence of a particular anthropological turn - the citizen is not only a consumer of state services or a world administrator but also a creator. Full active citizenship belongs to dimension formation. At the same time, the promotion and development of creativity are one of the strong themes of many of the various competence models for the 21st century. 

The issue of security here is not conceived technically. However, more practically - for people to be willing to use technology, they must work with it safely. Also, from the point of view of other European digital policies, security is one of the fundamental topics both at the level of technical and normative regulations and education. However, this also includes international environmental protection, or everyone’s living and information environment.  

The last area draws attention to how technology can help a person solve specific problems and any resulting situations. The purpose of digital competencies is not the senseless use of any technology anywhere, but the ability to solve problems, meet challenges, and complete tasks with technological help.  

With this framing, we could imagine a digitally literate citizen as a person that can use secure technologies to solve problems, work critically with information, and create digital content to be shared with others.    

In addition to general digital competencies, the same research team also publishes a framework for educators and educational institutions. Though it may be said that they are essential documents for teachers, they are not the focus of our course... The civic package we will build on is something that everyone needs to live actively in the information society.    

In addition to general digital competence, the same research team also publishes a framework for educators and educational institutions. We will not pay attention to them, however, it may be said that, for example, they are essential documents for teachers to whom they should pay notice and attention. But the civic package we are going to build on is really something that everyone needs to live actively in the information society.