Week 4 - Reflective Essay

    During this week's lecture, Dr. Lina introduced us to the "European Framework for Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu)." As educators proficient in digital skills, our focus should be on enhancing our professional competence, pedagogic skills, and our ability to empower learners. We delved into the six key components of DigCompEdu: professional engagement, digital resource utilisation, teaching and learning methods, assessment techniques, empowering learners, and facilitating learners' digital competence. 

    We had the opportunity to share our perspectives on what it means to be a digitally competent and empowering learner. Later, we conducted a collective vote to determine how we, as future educators, can empower our students in the realm of digital learning, and surprisingly, all options were deemed correct. Dr. Lina emphasised the importance of treating all our students with equality, equity, and inclusion. In our tutorial session, we had the chance to experiment with DaVinci Resolve and try our hands at video composition.

    In the lecture, I was amazed when I discovered that DigCompEdu outlines 22 competencies organised within six domains. It is important to note that these competencies do not solely revolve around technical skills. Instead, the framework focuses on elucidating how digital technologies can be harnessed to improve and innovate education and training.

    Furthermore, I was intrigued by some of my classmates' responses, as their definitions of being a "digitally competent empowered learner" bore similarities in certain aspects. I was amazed to realise that addressing personal needs is also a means of empowering our learners in the context of digital learning.

    Another surprising aspect was when Dr. Lina granted us an hour to create our own video with the assistance of our technology leader.

    The DigCompEdu brings back memories of my high school days when we had the privilege of having our phones and iPads during class. We could use them to conduct online research and then present our findings to the class. 

    The responses from my classmates also remind me of Dr. Too's teaching methods, where he encourages us to use resources like Google, Chrome, and ChatGPT to find information. However, he emphasises the importance of connecting this online information to the literature. 

    During the tutorial session, I tried downloading the recommended application, but it consumed too much space on my laptop. As a result, I searched for an alternative application that better suited my video editing style! 

    During our tutorial session, we had the privilege of employing the project-based approach in teaching literacy and social studies, which research has demonstrated to be highly effective. Extensive studies on project-based learning have consistently shown encouraging outcomes in terms of students' learning and engagement, spanning a wide array of subjects and student demographics (MacArthur et al., 2002; Rivet & Krajcik, 2004; Hertzog, 2007; Parker et al., 2013).

    This collaborative tutorial setting allowed us to work together, aligning with Vygotsky's (1978) notion that students tend to reach higher academic levels when they engage in collaborative endeavours, compared to working in isolation. Collaboration provided us with opportunities to engage in discussions, take control of our learning, and consequently nurture our critical thinking abilities.

    Bruner (1985) stated that cooperative learning strategies could boost our problem-solving capabilities, as they necessitate the internalisation of external knowledge and critical thinking skills, alongside the interpretation of this internalised knowledge for our peers.

    In this context, we had the chance to practise self-regulated learning by creating our own videos, which entails students actively participating in the learning process through metacognition, motivation, and behavioural management (Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1986). Within social cognitive models, self-regulated learning underscores the importance of students proactively engaging in the learning process and managing their own motivations (Zimmerman, 2013).

    When we encountered uncertainty, our technology leader was readily available for guidance, exemplifying how scaffolding is intricately linked with Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory, particularly the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD is shaped through collaborative interactions facilitated by verbal communication. It's in these interactions that a student's existing comprehension is advanced toward their potential understanding. Scaffolding can be visualised as the support a teacher provides to guide students towards their potential understanding (Wood et al., 1976).

    We also explored the concept of reciprocal teaching, where our technology leader stepped in to assist when needed. This acted as a scaffolding strategy, injecting elements of challenge to elevate our learning experiences (Mafarja et al., 2022).

    This session equipped us with the skills to effectively use and create with digital technology and a deeper comprehension of how digitalization impacts both individuals and society (Spante et al., 2018).

    I am eager to incorporate the DigCompEdu framework into my future educational pursuits, as I see it as a valuable reference point for nurturing digital competencies specific to educators. This framework offers essential guidance in honing the digital skills required in the modern educational landscape.

    Moreover, I aspire to conduct practical, hands-on sessions that empower my students to become proficient in utilising technology. This approach is fundamental in preparing them to navigate the digital realm with confidence and competence as they progress in their learning journey. By providing such opportunities, I aim to foster a generation of tech-savvy learners who can harness digital tools effectively in their education and beyond.

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