What is Digital Competency and why is it important?

Digital Competency is the set of knowledge and skills that are required when using ICT and digital media to perform tasks, solve problem and communicate for work, leisure, learning and socializing.

Almost half of the EU population have insufficient digital skills to participate in society and the economy. In the active labour force (employed and unemployed), this figure is almost 40%. Work, employability, education, leisure, inclusion and participation in society – all of these areas and many others in our society are being transformed by digitalisation. Consequently, digital competence – or the confident and critical use of ICT tools in these areas – is vital for participation in today’s society and economy.

What is DigComp?

The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, also known by its acronym DigComp, was first published in 2013 by the European Commission. It aimed to be a tool to improve citizens’ digital competence, to help policy-makers to formulate policies and to plan education and training initiatives to improve digital competence. DigComp also provided a common language on how to identify and describe the key areas of digital competence.

DigComp identifies the key components of digital competence in 5 areas which can be summarised as below:

1) Information and data literacy: To articulate information needs, to locate and retrieve digital data, information and content. To judge the relevance of the source and its content. To store, manage, and organise digital data, information and content.

2) Communication and collaboration: To interact, communicate and collaborate through digital technologies while being aware of cultural and generational diversity. To participate in society through public and private digital services and participatory citizenship. To manage one’s digital identity and reputation.

3) Digital content creation: To create and edit digital content To improve and integrate information and content into an existing body of knowledge while understanding how copyright and licences are to be applied. To know how to give understandable instructions for a computer system.

4) Safety: To protect devices, content, personal data and privacy in digital environments. To protect physical and psychological health, and to be aware of digital technologies for social well-being and social inclusion. To be aware of the environmental impact of digital technologies and their use.

5) Problem solving: To identify needs and problems, and to resolve conceptual problems and problem situations in digital environments. To use digital tools to innovate processes and products. To keep up-to-date with the digital evolution.

You can learn more about the DigComp and digital competences here

About our Self Assessment Tool

Our Self Assessment Tool will provide you with an overview of your own digital competences in line with the DigComp Framework. It will highlight the competences in which you are strong and motivate you to work to improve the digital skills in which you are weaker!

The tool is closely aligned to the major EU research project, DIGCOMP, deriving from the European Parliament’s inclusion of digital competence, as one of the eight core competences for lifelong learning.

Benefits of taking it

Personalised Radar Chart
Get your personal digital “radar chart” providing you with an overview of your strengths and weaknesses

Compare
Compare your results with other students

Training Recommendations
Get recommendations on which modules of our Training Course to focus on to best strengthen your digital skills

How to take the self assessment

1. START YOUR SELF ASSESSMENT
2. Accept Cookies
3. Read each competence then rate yourself from 1 to 6 for each competence based on the guidance provided.
4. It will take about 30 minutes to read and complete the self assessment
5. Receive your Radar Chart in seconds with guidance on which modules of our training course you should concentrate on.