Digital Competences for VET Professionals: Selecting, Creating and Managing Digital Resources for Teaching & Education Partner: Knolyx.

At the end of this module you will be able to:

Optimize VET Digital Resource Management 

Effectively select, create, and manage digital resources tailored to VET settings, enhancing teaching and learning experiences.

Enhance Digital Content Proficiency

Gain understanding of digital content types, selection criteria, and resource management and protection best practices.

Foster a Proactive Approach to Digital Resource Competence

Embrace a proactive approach to cultivate digital competence in digital resource creation.

Unit 1: Selecting Digital Resources

• Introduction to Selecting Digital Resources
• Types of Digital Resources
• Key Considerations to Keep in Mind when Selecting Digital Resources

Unit 2: Focus on Main Digital Competences

• Essential Digital Competences to Leverage Digital Resources
• Building Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for Creating Digital Resources

Unit 3: Managing, Protecting and Sharing Digital Resources

• Digital Resource Management
• Security and Data Privacy
• Sharing Digital Resources in the VET Ecosystem

Section 1: Introduction to Selecting Digital Resources

In VET, the careful selection of digital resources is vital. It directly influences the quality of teaching and learning experiences, and it drives engagement and skill development.

Also, digital resources offer a transformative edge to the educational experience at the level of VET settings, as they provide a series of assets, such as: 

• Accessibility, enabling remote and flexible learning experiences;
• Personalisation, allowing for content that is adapted to individual learning needs;
• Resource variety, offering a diverse range of formats, from videos to eBooks;
• 24/7 availability, fostering self-paced learning among VET students;
• Flexible learning paths, as digital resources enable VET learners to explore topics at their own pace and depth;
• Global collaboration, facilitating knowledge-sharing among VET learners worldwide. 

Section 2: Types of Digital Resources

Before selecting digital resources for VET, it’s essential to be aware of the available formats you can choose from. These formats align with different learning styles and objectives, allowing trainers and instructors to tailor the teaching approach to best suit the learners’ needs and goals. There are various types of digital resources, such as:

• Online websites, which provide comprehensive information;
• Multimedia content, such as videos and animations, which engage learners visually and audibly,
• eBooks, which offer portable textbooks for easy reference;
• Online games and quizzes, which promote active participation across the VET ecosystem;
• Educational apps, designed for specific subjects or skills, enhancing understanding.

Section 3: Key Considerations to Keep in Mind when Selecting Digital Resources

When selecting digital resources for teaching and education, several considerations should be considered to ensure their effectiveness in the VET setting: 

• Alignment with learning objectives and goals of the VET program;
• Accessibility and inclusivity, keeping in mind the needs of each and every learner;
• Quality and relevance, which can be ensured by looking for resources that are up-to-date, accurate, and applicable to the VET program’s industry;
• Industry relevance, making sure that the content and skills thought through these resources correspond to the skills and knowledge required in the job market;
• Customizations and adaptability, highlighting the importance of digital resources to meet various learning pathways. 

Section 1: Essential Digital Competences Areas to Leverage Digital Resources

As stated in the DigComp framework, VET instructors require specific competences to effectively create digital resources. They are grouped into five areas of competences:

• Information and data literacy, referring to the ability to collect, analyze and interpret data to inform the creation of digital resources;
• Communication and collaboration, referring to the competences needed to collaborate with others during the digital resource creation process;
• Digital content creation, which refers to the ability of developing digital resources to support teaching and learning;
• Safety, ensuring the secure creation of digital resources;
• Problem solving, referring to the ability to identify and address challenges, in this case, in the creation of digital resources.

Section 2: Building Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for Creating Digital Resources

According to the previously mentioned DigComp4VET framework, these competences are categorized as knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Here are a few examples of how they apply to the creation of digital resources:

• Knowledge
• Recognizing the importance of digitizing data for digital resource creation;
• Awareness of open data repositories useful for creating digital resources;
• Skills
• Collecting digital data using online forms for resource content;
• Interacting with dynamic data visualizations relevant to digital content;
• Attitudes
• Valuing transparency in data handling and presentation within digital resources.

Section 1: Digital Resource Management

Managing digital resources in the VET ecosystem refers to the strategic and practical actions taken by instructors and institutions to effectively organize various digital materials. These actions include:

• Resource Selection: Choosing digital resources that align with the specific objectives and vocational competencies of the VET program;
• Centralized Storage: Establishing a centralized digital repository or using a Learning Management System to store and organize digital resources;
• Quality Assurance: Regularly reviewing and updating digital resources to ensure their relevance;
• Accessibility: Ensuring that the digital resources are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities;
• Assessment: Monitoring the effectiveness of digital resources through analytics and learner feedback.

Section 2: Security and Data Privacy

Protecting digital content and understanding risks in digital environments are key competences under the DigComp framework. 

Instructors responsible for creating digital resources undergo a progression of digital competences, ranging from basic awareness to advanced problem-solving, in terms of protecting devices, content, and privacy, with the aim of reaching the highest possible level. These can include:

• Identifying simple ways to protect digital content and choosing simple safety and security measures (Basic Level);
• Indicating well-defined ways to protect devices and digital resources (Intermediate Level);
• Creating solutions to complex problems related to content protection, safety measures and reliability and privacy (Highly Specialized Level). 

Section 3: Sharing Digital Resources in the VET Ecosystem

Sharing digital resources in the VET ecosystem is a process that evolves over time, requiring instructors to develop competences at different levels to effectively facilitate the exchange of knowledge. 

According to the DigComp 2.2. framework, there are several levels of competencies for sharing digital resources, such as: 

• Recognize simple digital technologies for sharing information and digital resources;
• Select well-defined and routine digital technologies for sharing;
• Assess the most suitable digital technologies for sharing. 

In the VET ecosystem, it is imperative to provide comprehensive training programs aimed at enhancing these competences among teachers. 

Summing up

• Heine, S., Krepf, M. & König, J. Digital resources as an aspect of teacher professional digital competence: One term, different definitions – a systematic review. Educ Inf Technol 28, 3711–3738 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11321-z 
• Montes, E. The Advantages of Digital Education. D2L Website. April 1, 2022. 
• Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S. and Punie, Y., DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, EUR 31006 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2022, ISBN 978-92-76-48882-8, doi:10.2760/115376, JRC128415.
• Gallego-Arrufat, M.J., Torres-Hernández, N., & Pessoa, T. (2019). Competence of future teachers in the digital security area. Comunicar https://doi.org/10.3916/C61-2019-05