Educational Areas Cooperation Transformation within BRICS

Teachers’ digital competence is essential in contemporary education due to the growing role of technology in society, schools, and classrooms. This study examines teachers’ digital competence in the context of the Iberian Peninsula, covering 170,603 in-service teachers in Spain (Andalusia) and Portugal. Its main objective is to analyze the differences in teachers’ digital competence between these two countries and explore the factors that could influence this competence. The study methodology is based on a large sample of teachers who completed the validated DigCompEdu Check-In. Descriptive, contrast and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that, in general, Portuguese teachers showed a slightly higher level of digital competence compared to their Spanish counterparts in all competence areas assessed. The competence area “Facilitating Learner's Digital Competence” obtained lower scores in both countries, which stresses the need to improve teachers’ ability to foster the digital competences of their students in digital safety, critical literacy or problem solving. Results further show that gender, age, educational level and teaching experience are significant factors in explaining teachers’ digital competence. This study underscores the importance of implementing personalized training programs adapted to the individual needs and characteristics of teachers. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the significance of fostering collaboration among teachers, promoting spaces and opportunities for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices. This collaboration not only helps bridge the gap in digital competence among educators but also drives updated and relevant education in the digital age.

This article is devoted to issues associated with developing a digital economy in the Russian Federation, given a context where digital technologies are finding their way into the work process. The current discussions on “digitalization” increasingly emphasize there not being any alternative to mastering these technologies. With it being a condition of employment, the use of various digital products demands that workers immerse themselves into the digital environment, which, in turn, sets the course for developing digital competencies. For starters, based on the authors examining a sample of job openings, the digital competencies that are currently in demand on the labor market were determined, with them having to correspond with workplace equipment status. All devices and technologies currently used by Russian enterprises and organizations are presented as digital means of labor, while being divided into classes and groups. Together they constitute certain parameters which the authors used as a foundation for their research on the digital competencies of workers or their digital career capital. Then analysis was conducted of data from a telephone survey of working residents of Saint-Petersburg, in order to determine their motivations and priorities when it comes to developing digital competencies. The results attained from the study suggest that building digital capital is demanded by the labor market, and that it can (and should) be focused on the needs of Russia’s economy. In the meantime digital competencies among the working population mostly depend on workers’ qualification, their age and abundance of digital technology in their everyday life. The latter is just as critical a factor as the work environment when it comes to defining the algorithms of familiarizing oneself with the products of the digital revolution. However, the population does not have a clear understanding on what digital knowledge and skills need to be acquired, while lacking the motivation to improve their skill set in this field. Employees often fail to see the opportunities offered by developing digital capital in the workplace. Regardless, most of them rightfully understand that changes in technology are inevitable and desirable, and that they need to be able to keep up. Hence this article analyzes, on one hand, the demand for digital competencies, shaped by the current situation on the labor market, and on the other hand – the motivations and expectations of the employees themselves in terms of possibilities for their use and further development. The results of the study allowed its authors to paint a comprehensive picture of the processes which bring the working population to enhance their digital competencies.

This article contributes results of a longitudinal field study of SkillsIdentifier, an employment tool originally designed and assessed in the United States (U.S.), to support “underrepresented” job seekers in identifying and articulating their employment skills. To understand whether the tool could support the needs of job seekers outside the U.S., we assessed it among 16 job seekers with limited education and language resources in Switzerland. While many of our results mirrored those of the U.S., we found that the tool was especially beneficial for non-French speaking immigrants who needed support describing their skills outside of their native language. We also found that listing skills like “active listening” without important context was insufficient and risked hiding key skills and meaning behind those skills to employers. Taking these factors into account, we illustrate the design implications of our findings and directions for practitioners who wish to design employment tools in support of job seekers, especially those who have traditionally been excluded from the labor market. We then provide insight into the potential for unintended consequences as a result of focusing solely on skills in a post-COVID labor market and contribute ways to mitigate them.

Education and human resource development have an important role in the progress of a country. In the era of globalisation and the information technology revolution, rapid changes in technology have created a variety of new opportunities and challenges in the education and human resource development sectors. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of technology in improving the quality of education and human resource development. This research uses a qualitative methodology in the form of a literature review, which implies that the research will examine and explain data by utilising information and textual content from various sources. The study results show that the influence of technology in improving the quality of education and human resource development has considerable weight. Changes in learning methods have sparked various developments in the education domain, including distance learning, online learning platforms, and entertainment-oriented learning models that encourage learning to be more engaging and collaborative.

Child population, economic development and regional inequality of education resources in China

Introduction: There is a recent growth in the development of mental health applications (MHAPPs) to reduce stigma, improve knowledge and facilitate access to care especially in the area of common mood disorders. Yet, it remains unclear whether such interventions can address the access to care gap equitably in the global North and South. Such understanding could provide insights for mental health innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic as well. Methods: Using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodical framework, a scoping review was conducted on academic and grey literature published during 2015 and 2019. The countries of India and China were selected as exemplar for the global South and Canada and US for the global North. The reviewed literature was synthesized through thematic analysis and employed the social determinants of health lens. Results: 20 articles were selected for full-text review. The results reveal that MHAPPs for depression and anxiety are efficacious in improving symptoms across the examined regions. Outcome scores (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, flourishing scale, social interaction anxiety scale) improved in 13 studies. Yet, public awareness in the global North and logistical barriers (mental health stigma/discrimination, financial and social challenges, usability of apps, and cultural barriers to self-care) in the global South inhibit uptake. Conclusion: Awareness of MHAPPs and logistical barriers must be addressed to make MHAPPs more accessible. Policy makers should be cautious in implementing MHAPPs in disadvantaged communities given several challenges. A broader policy level emphasis is needed to address the logistical capabilities and cultural sensitivity of MHAPPs. The findings are also discussed in relation to the digital innovations for mental health in the pandemic. Given the focus of the presented review on specific regions, the transferability of findings warrant caution.

The potential of DTIC has brought new and emerging challenges to teachers, making it essential to acquire digital competences, especially in virtual learning environments and online technologies. In this sense, based on the <i>DigCompEdu CheckIn</i> self-assessment questionnaire, validated for the Portuguese population by earlier studies, this research aims to identify the most fragile and robust areas of digital competences of Portuguese and Spanish university teachers. The quantitative methodological approach emphasizes teachers’ perception of their digital competences in three dimensions: teachers’ professional competences, teachers’ pedagogical competences and students’ competences and involved 347 teachers from Portugal and Spain. The results show that teachers of the two institutions have an overall moderate level of digital proficiency–level B1 and B2–and that the differences encountered between Portuguese and Spanish teachers (for example, Portuguese teachers have level A2 in area 4–assessment–, while Spanish teachers are already at level B2) highlight the need to invest in specific training that may address specific frailties, and therefore allow for the promotion of their digital competences. Results relating to teaching experience and age show that there is no direct relation between either factor or being digitally competent. Regarding gender, results reveal that men had slightly better results than women. Overall, what the results show is the need for teachers to increase the level of digital competence through specific training, prepared according to the specificities of each institution, and the importance of developing public policies that prepare teachers for a more digital education.

This article discusses which knowledge areas of digital competence are vital for Norwegian social work education today basing on EU Digital Competence framework (DigComp) and expectation from frontline practice. The research adopted diverse methods for data collection, including a case study of Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), a document analysis of Norwegian social work education guideline and curricula, and a semi-structured interview with social work educators . The results reveal that the integration of digital competence knowledge areas across Norwegian social work education is still highly limited. There is a significant gap between the EU’s digital competence requirement and the Norwegian social work curricula, although the DigComp framework demonstrates its limitation in conceptualizing digital competence that is relevant social work domain. There is also the gap between the practice in NAV and Norwegian social work curricula regarding digital competence. We need further research to develop a consensus in respect of defining digital competence and its core knowledge areas in social work to prepare future professionals to harness technology advance for every-changing needs in digitalized society.

This article constructs a multidimensional logistic model for predicting the employment of graduates of higher educational institutions trained under the program of academic mobility, using the example of Kazakh universities. The purpose of the research is to identify the relationship between academic mobility and the employment of university graduates, as well as the necessary skills and competencies that can promote academic mobility in higher education institutions. This paper presents the results of calculating correlation coefficients and conducting a chi-square test, which demonstrated a relationship between the dependent variable and other questions in the graduate questionnaire. After the discovery of pairwise relationships, a multivariate logistic model was built that included statistically significant categories of responses. As a result, it was determined that the usefulness of participation in the academic mobility program is influenced by foreign language proficiency, an increase in academic mobility, the development of educational programs based on the needs of the labor market, as well as an increase in the weight of those methods that form practical skills in information analysis and the creation of public spaces in the labor market. The model demonstrated good predictive properties, which can be used to predict those individuals who were helped by academic mobility in finding employment.

Digital competence is one of the eight key competences, defined in the European qualification framework for lifelong learning, and it is a universal asset in the current computerized reality because it provides good educational perspectives and social prosperity. Digital competence is defined as skillful and correct use of electronic resources at work, for leisure and communication and is based on a high level of ICT literacy. Amongst the priority directions within the programs of Europe 2020 Strategy is the improvement and actualization of digital skills of all EU citizens regardless of their age, residence or economic status, so that they may participate fully in the digital society and the labor market. A key factor for promoting digital competence, which meets the requirements for information society as early as school age, is the role of teachers, their university formation and continuous postgraduate qualification. The present study focuses on specifying the conceptual meaning of “digital competence” for students in pedagogy, formed in the process of their education. The debatable character and different interpretations of the more general term “competence” invite different definitions of “digital competence”. The complex character of teachers’ integral professional competence complicates the creation of a universal content framework of digital competence. In this sense the present study is limited to determining the fundamental meaning of digital competence, and it serves as a basis for further analysis of different ICT education models in the training of students in education.

The article examines the essence of the concept of "digital competence" and establishes that it is an important component of the general professional competence of a modern teacher. Its components and content are outlined, it is stated that digital competence includes interaction with digital devices and modern technologies for learning, work and social activities. Particular attention is paid to the conditions for future elementary school teachers to acquire digital competence in the modern digital informational educational environment. The main advantages of the modern digital information educational environment are: ensuring wide access to learning at a convenient time and, accordingly, increasing the speed of passing the educational program by individual students; creation of conditions for implementation of differentiated and complex training; changing the main role of designing educational tasks from the role of the teacher; transformation of the organization, management and evaluation of education, presentation of educational materials and management of the educational process. It has been proven that digital competence requires constant development for effective professional activity in today's changing environment. Acquiring digital competence contributes to the general development of the competencies of the future primary school teacher, increases his professional skills, ensures competitiveness in the labor market, promotes personal development, continuous education, develops the ability to apply acquired knowledge and integrate it into existing knowledge, actively use digital technologies in the educational process, increases the quality of education. The formation and development of digital competence is considered as a process of acquiring stable, integrated and systematized knowledge in pedagogy, psychology, informatics, computer technologies, teaching methods, the ability to apply them in new situations, personal qualities and the ability to achieve significant results in professional activities. It can be concluded that the implementation of digital technologies in education is not only the use of new digital tools, but above all the creation of an environment that offers innovative learning opportunities, designing individual educational routes and creating unique educational electronic/digital products.

This study investigates the digital competence levels of Lebanese preservice and in-service teachers using the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu). The research aims to explore the existing gap in digital competence between these two groups through a cross-sectional descriptive survey, involving 170 in-service teachers and 194 preservice teachers from various undergraduate teacher training programs in Lebanon. The findings reveal significant differences between in-service and preservice teachers in all six competence areas and no significant difference per subject areas, with in-service teachers demonstrating higher overall digital competence compared to preservice teachers. The study draws attention to the need for improved practical training and targeted interventions in teacher education programs to better prepare preservice teachers for the digital demands of modern classrooms. The findings have implications for policy and practice, particularly in enhancing teacher training programs to meet the evolving digital needs of education.

This article presents a ten-item short scale for measuring digital competence. The scale is based on the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, DigComp2.1 (Carretero et al., 2017). For our surveys, we used five items from the DigCompSat study (Clifford et al., 2020) and created five new ones to address the competence areas defined by DigCom2.1. We tested the scale on a sample of 1416 students from four countries (Germany, Lithuania, Austria, UK), using the questionnaire in two languages (English, German). The scale proved to be reliable (Cronbach’s α of 0.87 and McDonald’s ωt of 0.88) and valid (construct and content validity). Using the scale, we replicated findings from previous studies on differences in digital literacy by gender, study subject, and level of study. Despite the inhomogeneous structure of items from five different competence areas (according to DigComp2.1) and of two different types (specific, general), the scale does not seem to be multifactorial. A detailed analysis of digital competence and undergraduate research in the context of the pandemic shows: digital competence seems to support research competence and may even support inclusion.

This article examines the levels of competence of students who begin training related to preparing for digital learning activities. The skills of active participation in the digital environment were taken into account from the point of view of the educational process. The main areas of competence in the field of information and communication technologies are indicated. Differentiated areas of competence are the basis for proper functioning and lifelong learning in the world of new media. Information and digital competencies are considered as Information culture, and information awareness is a relationship that supports the need for information literacy and generates behavior typical of the accessible use of information, an area of information activity resulting from the interaction of cultural components. The role of digital technologies in the modern educational process is increasing, and there is a need to use them in order to increase the effectiveness of educational activities. The purpose of the study is to analyze methods for identifying, developing and evaluating students' digital competencies.

Digital competence is listed as one of the key competences for lifelong learning and is increasing in importance not only in private life but also in professional life. There is consensus within the health care sector that digital competence (or digital literacy) is needed in various professional fields. However, it is still unclear what exactly the digital competence of health professionals should include and how it can be measured. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the common definitions of digital literacy in scientific literature in the field of health care and the existing measurement instruments. Peer-reviewed scientific papers from the last 10 years (2013-2023) in English or German that deal with the digital competence of health care workers in both outpatient and inpatient care were included. The databases ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, OpenAIRE, ERIC, OAIster, Cochrane Library, CAMbase, APA PsycNet, and Psyndex were searched for literature. The review follows the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, and the description of the results is based on the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. The initial search identified 1682 papers, of which 46 (2.73%) were included in the synthesis. The review results show that there is a strong focus on technical skills and knowledge with regard to both the definitions of digital competence and the measurement tools. A wide range of competences were identified within the analyzed works and integrated into a validated competence model in the areas of technical, methodological, social, and personal competences. The measurement instruments mainly used self-assessment of skills and knowledge as an indicator of competence and differed greatly in their statistical quality. The identified multitude of subcompetences illustrates the complexity of digital competence in health care, and existing measuring instruments are not yet able to reflect this complexity.