Digital Competences
Capabilities to unwrap with effectiveness in digital environments
The digital competences are the set of capabilities that allow people use digital technologies in a safe, critic and effective way in different life contexts: educational, professional, social and personal. These competences do not limit to the technic use of tools, but also they involve understand the digital environment, interact with information and communicate in a responsible manner in contexts mediated by technology.
In a more and more digitalised society, the digital competences have become in a basic requirement por full participation, access to knowledge, to empleability and to lifelong learning.
What do linguistic competences include?
Digital competences cover a broad set of abilities, knowledge and attitudes linked to the conscious use of technology. Among the most relevant they are found:
Digital literacy Capacity of using devices, applications and basic digital services, understanding their operation and purpose.
Digital information management: Search, selection, assessment and organisation of information in digital environments, avoiding misinformation and the acritic use of sources.
Digital communication and collaboration: Use of digital tools for communicating, work in team, share information and participate in virtual environments.
Creation of digital contents: Capacity to elaborate and edit simple digital contents, respecting the copyright, licences and the ethic use of information.
Digital security and privacy: Responsible use of technology, protection of personal data, management of digital identity and risk prevention in digital environments.
Resolution of technological problems: Capacity of facing basic incidents, adapting to new tools and learning how to use them in an autonomous way.
These competences are developed in a progressive manner, adapting to different levels of techonological complexity and to different contexts of use.
Importance of digital competences
Digital competences are essential because:
They facilitate information access and knowledge.
They allow active participation in digital educational and professional environments.
They improve autonomy and efficience in daily tasks.
They favour digital and social inclusion.
They contribute to a more safe, ethic and responsible use of technology.
An adequate development of these competences helps to reduce digital bridges and to guarantee that people can unwrap with confidence in techonological environments in constant evolution.
Digital competences and labour environment
In the current laboral market, the digital competences are cross-cutting practically to all sectors and professional levels. They allow:
Use digital tools in the daily performance of work.
Communicate and collaborate in virtual or hybrid environments.
Adapt to technological changes and new job systems.
Improve productivity and quality of the performance.
Facilitate continuous training and professional update.
Therefore, digital competences are considered a key factor of employability and adaptation to new organisational models of job.
Digital competences for daily life
Beyond professional context, digital competences influence in multiple aspects of daily life: access to services, personal communication, administrative management, leisure, informal learning and social participation.
In set, digital competences constitute a basic pillar for unwraping in current society, allowing people to interact with technology in a conscious, critic and safe way, taking advantage of its oportunities and mitigate its risks in all life contexts.
Expand information with the European digital skills framework (DIGCOMP).DIGCOMP).
