2.2. Review of relevant literature

2.2. Review of relevant literature

Creativity, entrepreneurship, learning-to-learn, digital competences and other 21st century skills and competences are emerging as more and more important for innovation, growth and participation in a digital society and economy. Educators are at this time confronted with a great number of digital educational resources they can use for teaching. One of the key competences any educator needs to improve is to identify effectively this variety and to choose the best one that fits their learning objectives, learner group and teaching style, to structure the wealth of materials, establish connections and to modify, add on to and develop themselves digital resources to support their teaching (Redecker, 2017). The majority of the authors acknowledge that digital competences are not limited to those which enable the development of tasks for personal benefit, but that mastering these skills can also contribute to achieving collective goals, and teachers have to be conscious of this reality (Erstad, 2006; Gansmø, 2009; Ilomäki et al., 2016; From, 2017; Ferrari, 2012; Claro et al., 2012). In the area of education, teachers’ digital competences must inevitably demonstrate not only their own work capacity. They must also prove their ability to use digital competences to facilitate and advance learning by their students, helping them to enhance development of their digital competences. Ranieri, Bruni & Xivry (2017) explicitly describe that the concept of teachers’ digital competences includes different sorts of knowledge: - Didactic transposition of disciplinary contents through the use of media and digital technologies – the ability to use the media to teach a specific subject matter (p. 11). - Didactic transposition of digital and media knowledge and competences – the capacity to teach the media, applying pedagogical and didactic knowledge to digital technologies. - Digital and media knowledge and competences – being able to use effectively media languages and digital tools with the awareness of socio-ethical implications.

Digital Pedagogy is a problematic term to define. It can be defined as: “Digital Pedagogy is precisely not about using digital technologies for teaching and, rather, about approaching those tools from a critical pedagogical perspective. So, it is as much about using digital tools thoughtfully as it is about deciding when not to use digital tools, and about paying attention to the impact of digital tools on learning” (The Digital Padagogy Lab, 2021). Brian

Croxall (2013), in his introduction to the MLA defines it very generally, stating that it “is the use of electronic elements to enhance or to change the experience of education.” Different examples exist that these “electronic elements” can vary from a PowerPoint presentation, to full on MOOCs, to flipped classrooms. They can include blogging assignments, use of social media in the classroom, forking syllabi with Github, or getting students to use digital tools to test out ideas. In brief, it is an attempt to change teaching and learning in a variety of ways through the thoughtful use of technology and using technology for working different competences or types of thinking (e. g. critical and creative thinking). Returning to the idea of the digital competence of teachers in Europe, the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators describe what it means for educators to be digitally competent (Redecker, 2017). The framework is based on work carried out by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), on behalf of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC). The framework can support the implementation of correct eLearning methodologies based on six areas focusing on different aspects of educators’ professional activities: - Area 1: Professional Engagement § Using digital technologies for communication, collaboration and professional development. - Area 2: Digital Resources § Sourcing, creating and sharing digital resources. - Area 3: Teaching and Learning § Managing and orchestrating the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning. - Area 4: Assessment § Using digital technologies and strategies to enhance assessment. - Area 5: Empowering Learners § Using digital technologies to enhance inclusion, personalisation and learners’ active engagement. - Area 6: Facilitating Learners’ Digital Competence § Enabling learners to creatively and responsibly use digital technologies for information, communication, content creation, wellbeing and problemsolving.

The 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report – Teaching and Learning Edition identifies trends, technologies, and practices shaping the future of teaching and learning. The report highlights that one of the main trends in education are eLearning methods: - Social § Remote Work/Learning § Widening of the Digital Divide § Mental Health Issues - Technological § Widespread Adoption of Hybrid Learning Models § Increased Use of Learning Technologies § Online Faculty Development - Economic § Decreasing Higher Education Funding § Demand for New/Different Workforce Skills § Uncertainty in Economic Models - Environmental § Climate Change § Reduction in Work Travel § Sustainable Development - Political § Increase in Online Globalization § Rise of Nationalism § Public Funding for Higher Education

It is evident that the inclusion of students with disabilities has been affected during the pandemic (the experience of students with disabilities is discussed in more detail in Chapter 4). Due to the lectures taking place remotely, students were unable to obtain printed learning materials or other user-friendly materials. This loss of educational resources had an especially negative impact on students with disabilities, who were unable to access their learning materials in alternative formats and they no longer had access to the assistive technologies used at their onsite lessons. The Article 24 and General Comment No4 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) defends the right of inclusive education for all. However, despite the ratification of the CRPD by the EU and all EU Member States still persist in Europe

the inequalities in education and the global Covid-19 pandemic. The global Covid-19 pandemic is affecting more to the pre-existing inequalities, exposing the scope of exclusion and highlighting that it is imperative to work on disability inclusion. The European Disability Forum reports extent of the access to inclusive education for students with disabilities before and after the Covid-19 outbreak in the European countries (Drakopoulou, 2020).

Figure 2.1. The degree of inclusion of disadvantaged studnets in selected European countries

Source: Drakopoulou, E (2020). Inclusive Education and the Impact of COVID-19 on learners with disabilities

The main results, according to testimonials of parents, highlight that the online platforms used for online education are not properly adapted for students with disabilities. In addition, it was not clear to parents, how the distance learning should be implemented. Parents also noted that even though their children were disadvantaged compared to other students, their deadlines to submit work were not flexible. Students were often not provided with feedback and evaluation of their submitted work.

The main goal of this study has been to identify in detail and with sufficient specificity the needs of the target groups (students and the academic staff) for the enhanced effectiveness of digital teaching in terms of methodologies used and related aspects. The results allow us to