Digital competence assessment of teachers: a key concept

Developing an activity based on the use of ICT, a blog for transcending the participation of the students from the physical class or a course in an e-learning platform; sharing information and/or documentation with the students through a collaborative tool or knowing how to assure the security and integrity of personal information are some examples of the ability that a teacher needs in an increasingly digitalized academic environment.

The more or less digital approach used by teacher in the classes has a big influence in the way the students acquire this kind of competences. 

This new paradigm in the relationship between teachers and students through ICT goes forward every day in the educational centres of the Basque Country although it is true that nowadays there is not a way of knowing the real scope, a scope based on the interest and the changing capability. This is why the capability of assessing the progress in digital competences of teachers is so important.

Aiming this goal, the “Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Information Society Area” of the Basque Government, as part of the Ikanos project, has designed a tool, able to do a generic diagnostic of the competence level in digital competence scope. This tool is known as “Ikanos self-diagnosis test”.

The first pilot experience in the use of this test has been done with the collaboration of the Basque Institute for the Professional Qualification and Training (KEI-IVAC). The test, mildly adapted, has been used to assess teachers of Vocational Training.

The pilot, that had a very satisfactory participation, has performed on a sample of 654 teachers distributed in 9 Vocational Training centres, located in the three historical territories and assigned to 10 different types of professional families.