This document outlines a project examining digital competencies for students, academics, and libraries in partnership. The objectives are to: 1) Examine digital competency policies in Ireland, Greece, and the UK; 2) Assess students' digital competencies through a survey; and 3) Explore the role of academic librarians in developing students' digital competencies. The methods include a policy review and student survey on digital skills. The survey covers themes like information literacy, digital creation, and communication. It assesses competency levels from novice to expert. The goals are to share knowledge on teaching digital competencies and collaborate on further research.

1. Digital Competencies for
digital citizenship
An emerging agenda for students, academics
and libraries in partnership
Dr Konstantina Martzoukou
Teaching Excellence Fellow
School of Creative & Cultural Business
Robert Gordon University, Scotland
k.martzoukou@rgu.ac.uk
Dr Crystal Fulton
Associate Professor
School of Information & Communication
Studies
University College Dublin, Ireland
crystal.fulton@ucd.ie

2. Plan
• The Digital Society
• JISC Digital Literacies
• DigComp: Digital
Competence Framework 2.0
• Objectives
• Methods
• Survey Themes
• Levels of Digital
Competencies
• Sample Survey Questions

3. https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org
/
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/sites/jrcsh/files/DIGCOMP
-FINAL-%20UPDATED%2002-06-2016.pdf

4. JISC Digital capabilities framework
http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6611/1/JFL0066F_DIGIGAP_MOD_IND_FRAME.PDF

5. DigComp: Digital Competence Framework 2.0
Information and
data literacy
Communication &
Collaboration
Digital Content
creation
Safety
Problem solving
DigComp
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/digcomp/digital-competence-framework

6. Objectives
To examine the direction of government and education-based digital competencies initiatives
and policies in Ireland, Greece, and the UK, addressing students’ digital skills gaps.
To assess students’ digital competences as they transition into the university context by means
of developing a self-assessed digital competencies survey, which can be used as a tool for
gauging baseline digital competencies.
To explore the meaning and significance of developing digital competencies for education,
everyday life, and work for students.
To examine academic librarians’ role and contribution to the development of students’ digital
competences as a synergistic endeavour, working with academics in partnership..
To share cross-institutional knowledge, expertise, practices for the teaching of digital
competences at university level (e.g., via a summer school & common agenda for further
collaborative research in this domain).

7. Method
 Policy review: how digital competencies are framed and discussed in
different policy documents and in research studies (U.K., Ireland , &
Greece)
 Survey of students’ digital competencies
 Interviews with selected survey students and librarians in three institutions.

8. Survey Themes
 Everyday participation as digital
citizen
 ICT proficiency
 ICT productivity
 Information literacy skills
 Digital creation skills
 Digital research skills
 Digital communication skills
 Digital innovation
 Digital learning and development
 Digital identity management
 Digital wellbeing

9. Survey Response Options: Levels of
Digital Competencies
 Level 1: Novice The digital task is new to me. I am currently developing basic
knowledge and skills in this area, but I need help either to complete or to learn
how to complete this sort of task.
 Level 2: Basic I have foundational knowledge in this area. I can perform
simple digital tasks with help from others.
 Level 3: Intermediate I have more than foundational knowledge, but I am not
yet advanced in this area. I can usually complete complex digital tasks
independently, although I sometimes need help from someone more advanced
than I am.
 Level 4: Advanced I have advanced knowledge in this area, though I am not
an expert. I can perform complex digital tasks without assistance. I adapt easily
to learning new knowledge and skills. Others sometimes ask me for help.
 Level 5: Expert I have mastered the knowledge and skills for this area. I apply
my knowledge and skills to create and redesign processes, tools, and/or
technologies appropriately and effectively. As an expert in this area, I frequently
show others how to complete these tasks.

10. Sample Survey Questions

14. Dr Konstantina Martzoukou
Teaching Excellence Fellow
School of Creative & Cultural Business
Robert Gordon University, Scotland
k.martzoukou@rgu.ac.uk
Dr Crystal Fulton
Associate Professor
School of Information & Communication
Studies
University College Dublin, Ireland
crystal.fulton@ucd.ie
Please DO contact us
with questions or to get involved!
Survey link: https://robertgordonuniversity.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/digital-competencies-for-digital-citizenship-survey

15. References
 Balog, K.P. and Siber, L. (2014), “Students of Law and E-Democracy”, Information Literacy:
Lifelong Learning and Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century, 492, pp. 663-672, Available
from: http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-14136-7_69
 Carretero Gomez, S., Vuorikari, R., & Punie, Y. (2017). DigComp 2.1: The digital
competence framework for citizens with eight proficiency levels and examples of
use. European Commission, EU Science Hub.
 IFLA International Federation of Library Associations. (18 August 2017). IFLA statement on
digital literacy. Available from https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11586
 Karnad, A. 2013. Embedding digital and information literacy into undergraduate teaching.
Centre for Learning Technology (CLT), London, UK. Available from
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/51221/
 Bertot, J.C., Sarin, L., & Jaeger, P. (6 Jan 2016). Re-envisioning the MLS: The future of
librarian education. Public Libraries. Available from
http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/01/re-envisioning-the-mls-the-future-of-librarian-
education/