| 21st Century Skills

DIGITALS

As a citizen of the 21st century,
you should be able to

confidently navigate new technologies and social media; identify, select, critically read, and manage different sources of information;
combine basic knowledge with problem-solving skills to complete online tasks and develop online products;
manage cloud computing and data storage; program and understand the logic of computational thinking;
be a digital citizen who collaborates, interacts, and contributes to the collective intelligence of the online community by creating positive (non-toxic) contents and interactions;
use online banking and e-government services; buy and sell goods and services online.

Digital skills go beyond simply learning how to use computer, cellphone, or social media. They include:

Competence
Area

Skills

Have basic knowledge of information, data, and technology (browsing, searching, filtering, and managing data, information, and digital contents).
Use e-government services, online banking, online transactions; buy and sell goods and services online.
Adopt, adapt, and use digital devices, applications, and services.
Utilize digital devices for work and learning.
Collaborate online.

Develop digital contents and interact online harnessing technology.
Search and share information and integrate and rework on digital contents.
Be knowledgeable about copyrights and license issues.
Become part of online network and use social media to share information and ideas.
Read critically and produce creatively personal and professional media contents.

Program using coding language.
Understand and decompose the problem; extract and organize key elements for problem solving.
Automate effective procedures and methods to solve problem using ICT devices and computers.

Create, store, access, and manage data and information in the cloud.
Program using coding language to build, deploy, and manage applications.

Watch out for cyberbullying and be aware of netiquette, legal status of online contents, digital footprints, privacy, and safety.
Participate in civic activities harnessing technology.
Manage online identity and reputation.
Engage in safe and ethical behaviors online.

Sources: The framework is based on a review of existing digital competency frameworks
(TeachHub, 2019; European Commission, 2016; JISC, 2014; KERIS, 2019).

CERTIFICATION

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SKILLS FOR LIFE SERIES

Digital Skills

Digital skills are becoming more relevant than ever, because of the digital revolution that we are experiencing in the labor market, but also due to the accelerated needs for them that COVID-19 lockdown measures brought about. There have been efforts to help develop and assess digital skills. Yet, despite these efforts, many people still face difficulties in developing an appropriate level of digital skills. In this brief, I will discuss why digital skills are relevant in the 21st century and what it means. Then, I will explain how we can develop, train, and measure digital skills. Lastly, I will discuss the implications of training and measurement of digital skills.

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Authors

Stephanie Carretero Gomez
Science Advisor for Policy. Former Scientific Officer and Policy Analyst at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission

Digital Literacy

As the global economy and workforce are constantly being diversified with a greater emphasis on technology, 21st Century citizens are required to acquire basic digital literacy competencies. In this brief, we examine the concept of literacy and digital literacy. Then, we review the latest digital literacy studies in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Commission, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Lastly, we provide suggestions by comparing digital literacy studies, including ICT studies, in South Korea with international literacy assessment metrics. This brief aims to contribute to developing digital literacy measurements applicable to ICT in education internationally and mitigate the digital divide.

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Authors

Jinmyeon Chung
Senior Programme Officer Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS)
Jiseon Yoo
Lead Researcher
Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS)

SKILLS IN ACTION

Habilidades digitales

Digital Literacy

Digital literacy and why it matters

What is Cloud Computing?

What is Media Literacy?

Computational Thinking

The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick

RESOURCES

Chu, S. K. W., Reynolds, R. B., Tavares, N. J., Notari, M., & Lee, C. W. Y. (2017).
21st Century skills development through inquiry-based learning. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: https://doi. org/10, 1007, 978-981.
Griffin, P., McGaw, B. & Care, E. (2012).
Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills (pp. 1-15). Springer, Dordrecht.
Hecker, I., & Loprest, P. (2019).
Foundational Digital Skills for Career Progress.
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009).
21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. John Wiley & Sons.
UNESCO. Digital skills critical for jobs and social inclusion
Van Deursen, A. J., & Van Dijk, J. A. (2014).
Digital skills: Unlocking the information society. Springer.
Van Laar, E., Van Deursen, A. J., Van Dijk, J. A., & De Haan, J. (2017).
The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review.
Wilson, M. (2018).
Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills: Research and Applications. Springer.

Find out what the IDB Group has done in digital skills

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#SKILLS21

21st century skills help individuals of all ages to reinvent themselves throughout life, adapt to changing and diverse circumstances, and identify opportunities for growth amid differences.