Presentation from the ED-Media symposium "Teachers’ Role in the SNS-Era". Abstract: Teacher networks, i.e. communities to share and co-construct professional knowledge, are touted to be important for teachers’ continuous professional development. Especially social networks and online communities can offer opportunities anywhere, anytime and at a relatively low cost as compared to on-site training. In this paper we present a concept for comparing a set of teachers’ digital competence frameworks at international and national level with a specific focus on indicators for participation and activities in teacher networks. Furthermore, using data from Survey of Schools: ICT in education we present national differences regarding participation in teacher networks and reflect it through some national programmes focusing on teachers' digital competence building. The final aim of the paper is to reflect how teachers' participation and activities in teacher networks could better be studied as part of digital competence with a final aim to support the European level policy actions as outlined in the newly launched Communication on Opening Up Education by the European Union.

1. Teachers' Digital Competence
and
Participation in teacher
networks
ED-Media, June 24 2014
Riina Vuorikari
Barbara Neža Brečko
Teachers’ Role in the SNS-Era (ED-Media 2014 Symposium)

2. European Commission,
Joint Research Centre
European Commission's
in-house science service
Institute for Prospective
Technological Studies (IPTS)
Research institute supporting
EU policy-making on
socio-economic, scientific
and/or technological issues

3. ICT for Learning and Skills
http://essie.eun.org/
• >50 publications on IPTS eLearning website
• Principal client: DG Education & Culture
Policy
• 2013 COM on Opening up Education; E&T 2020; Digital
Agenda; New skills and Jobs; EU Recommendation on Key
Competences for LLL,…
What:
• ICT for modernising and innovating Education & Training (E&T) in
Europe
• 21st century skills for digital economy and society
Why:
• Existing evidence is fragmented and not addressing the EU
• ICT for learning and skills evolves fast
• Tackle MS differences in ICT use in E&T
• Europe is not a top performer in Education (E.g. PISA)
Research strands
• Opening up Education, OER & Science 2.0
• Innovating Learning and Teaching
• Key Competences and 21st century skills

4. Structure
I. Context of this work
II. Digital Competence Framework (DIGCOMP)
III. Focus: Current work on teacher digital competence and
teacher networks
IV. Next steps and Discussion

5. Teacher networks are online
and/or offline professional
collaboration communities to
share and co-construct
professional knowledge, e.g.
Teachers Lifelong
Learning networks
EU-funded project (2009-
2012)
www.tellnet.eun.org
IPTS was responsible for
scenarios of teaching profession
in 2025

6. JRC IPTS study on
Digital Competence
for DG EAC A3
(2010-2012)
http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/DIGCOMP.html

7. Structure
I. Context of this work
II. Digital Competence Framework (DIGCOMP)
III. Focus: Current work on teacher digital competence and
teacher networks
IV. Next steps and Discussion

8. Digital Competence framework (DIGCOMP)
Competence
areas
1.
Information
2.
Communication
3.
Content creation
4.
Safety
5.
Problem solving

9. JRC IPTS study on
Digital Competence for DG EAC A3 (2010-2012)
Competence areas
21 Competences
1.
Information
1.1 Browsing, searching, & filtering information
1.2 Evaluating Information
1.3 Storing and retrieving information
2. Communication 2.1 Interacting through technologies
2.2 Sharing information and content
2.3 Engaging in online citizenship
2.4 Collaborating through digital channels
2.5 Netiquette
2.6 Managing digital identity
3.
Content creation
3.1 Developing content
3.2 Integrating and re-elaborating
3.3 Copyright and Licences
3.4 Programming
4.
Safety
4.1 Protecting devices
4.2 Protecting data and digital identity
4.3 Protecting health
4.4 Protecting the environment
5.
Problem solving
5.1 Solving technical problems
5.2 Expressing needs & identifying technological responses
5.3 Innovating, creating and solving using digital tools
5.4 Identifying digital competence gaps
http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/DIGCOMP.html

10. What does it mean to be digitally
competent?
KNOWLEDGE
SKILLSATTITUDES
COMPETENCE
Digital competence ≠ use of ICT tools
Digital competence involves the
confident and critical use of ICT
for employment, learning, self-
development and participation in
society (EC, 2006).

11. Source: Elaborated by IPTS, based on the structure
of the eCompetence framework for ICT professionals

13. Structure
I. Context of this work
II. Digital Competence Framework (DIGCOMP)
III. Focus: Current work on teacher digital competence and
teacher networks
IV. Next steps and Discussion

14. Previous work on teacher competence
descriptions*
• In the EU, in general, they mirror concerns with the
development of the 8 European key competences
for LLL
• Digital competence is one of the 8 key competences
• They highlight the relevance of collaborative,
research and reflective competences in teachers
as adaptive experts and lifelong learners.
* European Commission (2012). Commission Staff Working Document: Supporting the Teaching Professions for
Better Learning Outcomes Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission Rethinking
Education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes

15. Our current work on teacher digital
competence
In this paper, we
• looked at 2 examples of teacher digital competence frameworks
(UNESCO and Slovenian e-competency)
• focused on how they describe teachers' professsional
collaboration in teacher networks (focus on PD)
• mapped the 2 example frameworks into DIGCOMP framework

16. OUTCOMES of 2 examples of teacher digital competence frameworks
mapped to DIGCOMP framework
Competence areas
21 Competences
1.
Information
1.1 Browsing, searching, & filtering information
1.2 Evaluating Information
1.3 Storing and retrieving information
2.
Communication
2.1 Interacting through technologies
2.2 Sharing information and content
2.3 Engaging in online citizenship
2.4 Collaborating through digital channels
2.5 Netiquette
2.6 Managing digital identity
3.
Content creation
3.1 Developing content
3.2 Integrating and re-elaborating
3.3 Copyright and Licences
3.4 Programming
4.
Safety
4.1 Protecting devices
4.2 Protecting data and digital identity
4.3 Protecting health
4.4 Protecting the environment
5.
Problem solving
5.1 Solving technical problems
5.2 Expressing needs & identifying technological
responses
5.3 Innovating, creating and solving using digital
tools
5.4 Identifying digital competence gaps

17. And what does it all mean (1)..?
The example frameworks seem to value teacher collaboration as
such
• but mostly for PD reasons (not so much as a teaching competence)
• A gap identified: when competence frameworks talked about the use of SNS to
facilitate teacher networking, not all competences needed are equally covered,
e.g. issues related to other symposium papers
• netiquette with students/ parents;
• managing digital identity as
a teacher vs. private life

18. And what does it all mean (2)..?
Current empirical studies (e.g. Survey of schools: ICT .., TALIS)
• offer too little data to study teachers' digital competence building and the role
of teacher network (and SNS) within
• do not cover all the competence areas equally
• E.g. TALIS 2014 has very few questions related to the use of ICT for education or PD

19. Structure
I. Context of this work
II. Digital Competence Framework (DIGCOMP)
III. Focus: Current work on teacher digital competence and
teacher networks
IV. Next steps

20. JRC-IPTS future work in this area
1. The DIGCOMP framework will be referenced with
the European Qualification Framework (EQF)
• Each DIGCOMP competence will be referenced using the main
three reference level descriptors (knowledge, skills,
competence) on 8 levels. Descriptors will indicate the learning
outcomes relevant to each level in any system of qualifications.
• Work most likely finished by mid-2015
2. Creation of Teachers' Digital Competence Framework using
the EQF levels
• Work will be carried out in 2014- 2015

22. Thank you!
Institute for Prospective Technological
Studies (IPTS)
Information Society
Unit http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu
JRC Science Hub: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc