Understanding and Teaching Digital Competency

With the rise of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and automation in recent years, digital technology has played an increasingly important role in the lives of all Quebecers. And the education sector is no exception. In 2018, the Ministère de l’Éducation adopted a Digital Action Plan for Education and Higher Education to prepare learners for tomorrow’s challenges. Its first orientation is to support the development of digital skills among young people and adults. 

Zooming in more closely, the Digital Competency Framework breaks down digital competency into 12 dimensions, each focusing on different skills and abilities: 

• Exercising ethical citizenship in the digital age (inclure les liens vers les articles spécifiques)

• Developing and mobilizing technological skills 

• Harnessing the potential of digital resources for learning 

• Developing and mobilizing information literacy 

• Collaborating via digital technology 

• Communicating via digital technology 

• Producing content via digital technology 

• Using digital tools to foster inclusion and address diverse needs 

• Mobilizing digital technology for personal and professional empowerment 

• Solving diverse problems via digital technology 

• Developing critical thinking with regard to the use of digital technology 

• Adopting an innovative and creative approach to the use of digital technology

Here is a graphic representation of the 12 dimensions of the reference framework: 

It is also worth noting a few important elements: 

• Dimension 1 (Exercising ethical citizenship in the digital age) and Dimension 2 (Developing and mobilizing technological skills), shown in the centre of the graphic, are considered central dimensions, around which the other 10 dimensions are articulated. 

• The dimensions do not operate in isolation; one learning activity can address several dimensions simultaneously.

• Dimensions are not discipline-specific and should be integrated into a multitude of contexts.

One of the aims of the Digital Action Plan for Education and Higher Education is to encourage the development of digital skills in children and adults alike. In other words, as a teacher or education professional, developing your own digital skills is as important as developing the skills of your students. In fact, it’s one of the professional competencies required by teachers (competency 12: Mobilize digital technologies).

Ultimately, the hope is that by developing their digital competency, students, teachers, and all individuals will be able to: 

• Acquire greater autonomy in their use of digital technology, so that they can make smart choices at school, at work, and in their everyday lives, for instance.

• Adapt to technological innovations in the years to come, including advances in artificial intelligence, and be able to assess them critically.

• Use digital resources for personal and professional development. Work, as well as public and community spaces will increasingly demand strong digital literacy. By preparing the next generation in your class for this reality, you’ll be giving them an incredible gift.

The Ministère de l’Éducation has a number of resources to help teachers integrate and teach digital competency. Here are a few examples:

• The Digital Competency Development Continuum breaks down each dimension into three levels of development: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. This can help you assess the level at which you or your students are currently situated and plan the next learning stage. 

• Not sure where to start? The Ministère’s pedagogical guide lays out the nine steps for planning an activity that integrates digital skills.

• The pedagogical guide also contains a blank template to help you plan an activity that integrates digital skills.

• Finally, the pedagogical advisors at RÉCIT in Montreal designed 12 interactive and printable posters, one for each of the digital competency dimensions. They make great memory aids for the classroom.

Finally, our digital competency collection features an article for each of the competency dimensions, and is an invaluable tool for teachers looking for support in teaching digital literacy.