The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizations around the world to make full use of a variety of emerging online communication platform technologies. Universities are among the organizations that have asked students, tutors, and lecturers to use a number of different online communication platforms to ensure the education process remains uninterrupted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated considerable challenges for the global higher education community while using such emerging technologies. This research has two main goals. First, this paper will begin by investigating whether the online learning platforms used by university students during the COVID-19 period have presented any challenges to their learning. Second, the paper will then go on to address proposed solutions by developing a conceptual model to reduce the impact of such challenges. This research uses an exploratory qualitative research approach, supported by literature content analysis techniques. The data set for this study was collected during the first peak of the pandemic period in Malaysia, between the 16th of May 2020 and the 5th of June 2020. We used SPSS to conduct a descriptive analysis and NVivo12 to analyse data collected from 486 students from different universities in Malaysia. These students disclosed various obstacles they encountered when they used IT platform applications for online learning. These obstacles include (a) work and information overload received from instructors, (b) inadaptability and unfamiliarity of the new online learning environment, and (c) personal health challenges related to stress and anxiety. Based on previous relevant research, this study introduced a set of motivational factors and developed a conceptual motivational model for sustainable and healthy online learning.

Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students’ Learning Life: An Integrated Conceptual Motivational Model for Sustainable and Healthy Online Learning

El presente articulo brinda un analisis de las competencias digitales en el contexto actual. La creciente expectativa de las nuevas tecnologias y sus multiples aplicaciones han producido trascendentes repercusiones en todas las esferas de la sociedad, y que, en concreto, en el aspecto de la educacion superior donde las demandas son mas que significativas buscando que cubrir sus implicancias. En primer lugar, se da a conocer el panorama teorico sobre las diferentes acepciones y conceptos en relacion con las competencias digitales. Dicho enfoque brinda informacion sobre aspectos que atanen a lo relacionado a las competencias digitales. Seguidamente, se presentan algunos datos que permiten dar nuevas perspectivas, tales como la importancia y repercusiones, asi como cuales deberian ser las competencias digitales en los docentes universitarios en funcion de la demanda actual en la educacion superior. Finalmente se dan a conocer una variedad de expectativas con relacion a las vertientes que podrian desarrollarse en funcion de tan relevante tema.

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Competencias digitales y educación

Globalization, digitalization, and the permanent alteration of information have led to important changes in the world of work. This demands a realignment of essential skills in order to access job positions in the coming years. In order to face up to the digitalization process, education is one of the ambits that has most come to a tipping point. This adds an urgency to the need to bring skills in line with the new demands of the job market and the challenges posed in the 21st Century. The methodology was based on a systematic review of the most commonly-used databases. It analyzed and synthesized the existing information on the skills required for the future job market and educational proposals to facilitate their acquisition. At the beginning of the search, 2045 records were selected. However, following the application of the exclusion criteria, a total of 63 records were included. From this in-depth analysis, it was uncovered that the most in-demand skill for the job market relates to the management of technology. Different proposals were located which targeted these skills in educational settings. The majority of these pertained to innovative projects emanating from digital and technological phenomena.

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Skills for a Working Future: How to Bring about Professional Success from the Educational Setting

Concept of expert system for creation of personalized, digital skills learning pathway.

The continual growth of antenna-based technologies has created an exponential demand for well-qualified workforce of antenna engineer/researchers, but the expertise for a smooth transition into job

Efficacy of antenna engineering research orientation among graduate students at Mekelle University Ethiopian Institute of Technology

Digital skills are key enablers in a wide spectrum of jobs that require the use of digital tools for information search, communication and problem-solving. The interest on digital skills training has resulted in frameworks and offerings at different educational levels. However, there is a limited understanding on the relative importance of these skills for different stakeholders, and on the instructional methods that may better facilitate their acquisition in the Higher Education (HE) context as a preparation for the workplace. Here we report the results of a trans-national study on the perceptions of different stakeholder groups (namely students, employers, instructors and civic institutions) about the relative importance of digital competences, the effectiveness of current offerings and the best approaches for their acquisition. The European DigComp 2.1 framework for digital skills was used as a way of structuring the inquiry process based on surveys and focus groups. Results showed some differences in perception across groups and a clear focus on information search and communication abilities as priorities, but also to a perceived gap between the needs and the actual abilities of students. Results also point out to situated and problem-based learning approaches as adequate instructional methods.

Digital skills training in Higher Education: insights about the perceptions of different stakeholders

Network for integrating Virtual Mobility and European Qualification Framework in HE and CE Institutions: The VIRQUAL Project

We live in a highly digitally connected Europe where people of all ages use the internet to connect, communicate, explore and learn through digital media, however a recent JISC study reported that educators in Higher Education institutions are concerned about the wellbeing of their students in digital settings. In addition, the Opening Up education report shows that 70% educators in the EU understand the importance of digital literacy but only 20-25% students are taught by digitally confident educators. Improving the digital literacy of educators is required particularly in the area of digital wellbeing. Higher Education institutions are becoming increasingly aware of the consequences of digital overload on mental health of individual students, the societal impacts on relationships such as cyberbullying, technical issues such as cybersecurity and the addictive design of technology, fake news and the controversies surrounding radicalisation and challenges to democracy. The Digital Wellbeing Educators Project (funded by ERASMUS+ programme of the European Union) aims to increase the capacity of educators in Higher Education institutions to integrate digital education to promote the wellbeing of their students. The first step towards this has been to publish a Compendium of good practices that collects a number of materials showing how the challenges of the digital era are addressed by others so teachers are inspired and find solutions that can be transferred to their students. During the presentation we want to show the main points of this compendium and present the next steps that the project has prepared, which includes the development of an app and teacher’s digital pedagogy toolkit to support educators in developing their own digital competences and making their teaching more digital.

Digital Wellbeing Educators:A compendium of best practices

The MODERN project aims to help you teach more effectively through incorporating new digital learning tools into your day to day teaching delivery. It is expected MODERN will be a key resource in teacher and trainers ́ professional development. It has been identified, assessed and categorised the latest and best digital learning tools. This is a project with a website that has actually had real educators looking at and rating every tool. Want to find the best tools for creating courses? Done! Want to find the best tool for testing students? Done! Want to find the best tools for project work? Done! In fact, the unique 10 category classification system makes it easy for anyone to find the best tool for the learning objective that anyone wants to achieve.

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Carme Royo

Papers

Concept of expert system for creation of personalized, digital skills learning pathway.

Digital skills training in Higher Education: insights about the perceptions of different stakeholders

Network for integrating Virtual Mobility and European Qualification Framework in HE and CE Institutions: The VIRQUAL Project

Digital Wellbeing Educators:A compendium of best practices

Practical outputs to apply digital tools in life long learning: modern project