Learning ecology theory as a tool to support student digital competences in higher education

Abstract

[EN] The need for digitally competent graduates is well established and articulated in the New Skills Agenda for Europe (European Commission, 2016) and the European Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 (European Commission, 2021). The Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning (EDTL) project seeks to enhance graduate digital attributes by providing professional development to academics to embed digital technologies across the curriculum (Flynn et al., 2020). Two key challenges to this work are: a lack of data on the specific digital competences required in the workplace; and a lack of clarity on the contexts in which students develop digital competences. This paper examines these challenges by reflecting on the results of a small-scale research study on the competences required in the workplace in Ireland, through the lens of learning ecology theory. The paper proposes that learning ecology theory can be a useful tool to support student digital competences in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).