Pixel International Conferences

The recent Covid19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of speeding up and improving qualitatively the digital and technological development process in Europe in the educational field [1]. Remote digital education showed various advantages and opportunities both for students and for teachers [2], but it also revealed the need for strengthening teachers/trainers’ interpersonal competences and soft skills used in the digital teaching process. Indeed, in the context of distance/blended learning, there is a need for people who not only transmit information and knowledge to students, but also who are able to motivate, guide, and inspire them even through a computer screen. Therefore, an essential role is played by tutors in promoting motivation and inclusion among students, particularly those with special needs.  Having this in mind, the article will present unified definition and the role of “digital tutors”, explaining importance of them and the main skills and competences they should have. Firstly, the article will show the challenges and the opportunities that distance and blended learning is presenting in the educational field, dedicating particular attention to the theme of inclusion. Secondly, the results of the transnational study carried out by the partners of the Erasmus+ project “Digital Tutor” on the definition, the role and the skills of digital tutors will be described and integrated with the analysis of transnational, i.e. Lithuanian, Spanish, Netherlands, analysis of VET institutes and experts’ questionnaires, distributed during project activities. Finally, the digital competences framework of digital tutors (DigiCompEdu [3]) will be compared to already existing ones at international level, highlighting the former’s innovative aspects and the latter’s need of improvement. In conclusion, the article will reassert the importance and usefulness of professional figures like digital tutors in the evolving technological environment.

Keywords: Digital skills, Digital tutor, VET, inclusion, distance learning, blended learning, online learning, education.

References:

1. Iivari N., Sharma S., Venta-Olkkonen L., Digital transformation of everyday life – How Covid-19 pandemic transformed the basic education of the young generation and why information management research should care?, International Journal of Information Management vol.55 pp.1-6 (2020), DOI 102183
2. European Commission, Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027), https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/digital-education-action-plan_en">https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/digital-education-action-plan_en
3. Punie Y., Redecker C., European Framework for the digital competence of educators, Publication Office of the European Union, Luxembourg (2017), DOI 10.2760/159770