The Digital Competence Framework 2.0
The European Commission has its research centre dedicated to digital competences. Its purpose is to identify the specific areas and skills that are important for individuals who wish to be active Europeans, and to determine how their proficiency levels can be structured and developed. The first DigComp framework was published in 2013 and defined five areas of competence. The second generation (2.0 and 2.1), published in 2016–2017, introduced a model conceptualised according to proficiency levels, whilst version 2.2 from 2022 further refined the model with an emphasis on learning outcomes.
In December 2025, the current version, DigComp 3.0, was published, focusing primarily on how traditional digital competences intersect with the topic of artificial intelligence. At the same time, it revises the framework’s learning outcomes and certain other formal requirements. However, the basic structure of the competences remains the same, although the approaches and emphases have changed – the number of levels has once again been reduced from 8 to 4 (albeit in a more complex manner), it emphasises the aforementioned work with artificial intelligence and digital wellbeing, and places greater emphasis on security. In a sense, it strikes a balance between the complexity of horizontal approaches and competences on the one hand, whilst on the other hand seeking to offer a simpler path to standardisation and certification, for example by reducing the number of levels.
Version 2.2 retains the learning outcomes, which are, however, elaborated in great detail here and can serve as a basis for course design, for example in civic education. In this course, we do not adhere strictly to these outcomes, but rather examine the competences and their changes, as well as the conceptual emphases, whilst adapting them to the university environment. The final form of the text is based to some extent on version 2.1, which was revised to version 2.2 and has now been updated to a format compatible with 3.0. It thus captures, in some cases, a certain historical development where we perceive it to be important for understanding the whole or the current situation.
What exactly are digital competences? Up until now, we have been talking about digital competences without actually defining what they are. The term ‘competence’ itself is neither defined nor delimited by the framework. Etymologically, it encompasses two important dimensions – first and foremost, of course, the skill and knowledge of how to do something, in our case, how to use technology. But the second dimension is no less essential – it is the ability or power to actively engage with the world and change it.
In light of the general remarks in the introduction, three further important points should be mentioned. Firstly, Digcomp is not the only standard that seeks to codify digital competence in a certain way. There are countless concepts and models. In the Czech Republic, the best-known for a long time was the ECDL, or ‘computer driving licence’, which was based on the assumption that digital competence is centred primarily on working with office software and, more generally, on working on a computer.
DigComp, by contrast, emphasises the use of technology in all aspects of human life, including the creation of new objects, collaboration, and the impact of technology on one’s personal environment. The Czech educational environment is interesting and distinctive in that, whilst its curriculum documents draw on DigComp, they simultaneously emphasise the importance of employability and economic adaptability – an approach that is, to a certain extent, nonsensical. However, this framework is reflected in the Framework Educational Programmes (RVP) for primary and secondary schools; DigCompEdu is based on it, and in fact a large part of the educational perspective in the Czech context is already guided by this more modern approach.
This shift in thinking is, however, a long-term process – for example, most courses focused on working with AI still adhere conceptually to the ECDL (ICDL) framework rather than the DigComp framework.
The course we have structured will aim to develop all competences to levels 5–6, or the third level according to the new framework. As the model is structured, it assumes that levels 7–8 (or the fourth, highly expert level) are not achieved across the board, but only in those areas that are truly important and essential to the individual. We believe, however, that the advanced user level provides a sound foundation on which one should build.
It must be emphasised, however, that digital literacy is not something one can possess permanently – it could be said that, given the current state of technology and society, a person possesses a certain level of digital literacy, but without developing it and engaging in continuous learning, they will gradually lose it. Digital competences are therefore also learning competences – they open up opportunities for self-directed learning and equip people with the skills to learn independently in an online environment.
Digcomp currently works with five areas in which digital competences are found:
From the above, it is clear how the creators of Digcomp view digital competences. It encompasses the area of working with information, both from the perspective of the consumer (typically discussed issues today such as fake news or manipulation) and that of the producer of information. The emphasis is on the ability to find, navigate and evaluate information, as well as on the ethical framework for its creation.
Technology is also fundamentally changing the nature and form of collaboration and communication, which, on the one hand, reflect the presence of real people in interactions, but at the same time bring entirely new possibilities and challenges to online collaboration. This area therefore has both a social and an economic dimension.
Point three – content creation – can be regarded as fundamental. Here, it is important to highlight the existence of a certain anthropological shift: the citizen is not merely a consumer of state services or a steward of the world, but a creator. Full active citizenship includes a creative dimension. The promotion and development of creativity is also one of the key themes in a range of different competency models for the 21st century.
The issue of security is not approached here from a technical perspective, but rather a practical one – for people to be willing to use technology, they must be able to work with it safely. From the perspective of other European digital policies, too, security is one of the key themes, both in terms of technical regulation and legislative frameworks, as well as education. This also encompasses the protection of the global environment, or the living and information environment of each individual – in other words, their wellbeing.
The final area then turns our attention to what technology is actually good for – it helps people to solve specific problems and deal with situations they find themselves in. The purpose of digital competences is not the mindless use of any technology anywhere, but the ability to solve problems, meet challenges and carry out tasks with the appropriate assistance of such technology.
Within this framework, we might therefore envisage a digitally literate citizen as someone who can use technology safely to solve problems, engage critically with information, and create their own digital content to share with others.
