Devising a Prototype Model for Assessing Digital Competencies Based on the DigComp Proficiency Levels

Abstract

The assessment of the current situation of digital skills and competencies in a given group is a fundamental issue nowadays. Hence, the purpose of the research study is to address this issue. The research methodology is quantitative, including also a case study experiment and pre and post-questionnaires. To obtain and make use of digital resources, one should own the necessary skills and digital competencies to do so. To specify the key elements of digital competence and the ways to assess it, the European Commission developed a Digital Competence Framework for Citizens – DigComp. The European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), modules back up all competencies and areas of DigComp, which facilitate the structure in the digital skills area. Based on a developed prototype model which has been evaluated by an expert group, an experiment to assess the digital skills and competencies of high school and undergraduate students was conducted in the context of the ECDL Base modules. The experts examined the procedure and the list of selected categories, skill sets, and task items included in the prototype model, and assessed if they comply with the word processing syllabus. After the experiment, we used the statistical analyses to find cross-tabulation of self-evaluation questions within the level of education from tasks devised. The experiment revealed digital literacy levels of students and pointed out the areas that require improvement. It also compared the self-evaluated levels and the actual task experiment results of the students. This comparison showed that self-evaluation is not a proper way to evaluate the digital skills and competences of individuals in general. The study proved that there is a high discrepancy between the self-evaluation and actual evaluation results of the assessment groups.