Vol. 16 No. 31 (2023): Digital and 21st Century Skills: New Challenges in Higher Education

The advance of digital technologies in society in recent decades, and further driven more strongly in education due to the physical closure of schools, has highlighted a new dimension in pedagogical skills and competences, specific and necessary. They have resulted in new challenges for high-quality teaching practice adapted to the changing needs of students. In this context, researchers around the world have begun to take a closer look at the digital competences of teachers, as well as the importance they assume in promoting them in their students.

Among the skills for the 21st century different areas are indicated such as: digital skills; information management/organisation; research skills; planning and problem solving; reflexivity; critical thinking, communication skills; collaboration; social responsibility; (multi)literacy, innovation; creativity; productivity and e-business, highlighting the practical, technical, pedagogical and ethical aspects associated with them.

The physical closure of educational institutions worldwide due to COVID-19 affected almost 1.6 billion young children, of which 220 million in higher education, promoting the adoption of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), where there was mainly a mere digitalisation process of analogue practices, i.e. conversion from atom to bit.

Launched in 2006 and updated by the Council of the European Union in 2018, the eight key competences for lifelong learning (Council of the European Union, 2018; European Parliament & Council of the European Union, 2006). Of these, some competences have been developed through specific frameworks: (a) digital competences: digital competences for citizens and educators; (b) personal, social and "learning to learn" competences: LifeComp; and (c) entrepreneurship competences: EntreComp, thus materialising the European Union's concern with such areas.

This monograph brings together research works that address the themes of digital skills, interconnecting them to 21st century skills with a focus on con vences education that can contribute to the understanding, enhancement, discussion, and the generation of new knowledge around the theme.

Research lines:

* Assessments of digital competencies in basic and higher education, in distance education and in organisations;
* Literature reviews on assessment and development of digital competencies in the teaching and learning process in higher education;
* Analysis and comparison between frameworks for assessment and development of digital competencies in higher education teaching;
* Elaboration and validation of instruments for the assessment of digital competences in the process of teaching and learning in higher education;
* Activities and training programs for the development of digital skills;
* Relations between digital competences and learning styles.