The first 4 weeks with Getting Started, Connecting and the editing of Topic 1 Digital literacie and online participation are over.

For my first reflection in my blog, I came up with several theories which might have been used as a basis. The five-stage model by Gilly Salmon would have been interesting, the problem-based learning according to Barrows & Temblyn (1980) or the topic on digital competence.

I opted for digital literacy.

When I registered for the course, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. As the start approached, unpleasant feelings flew over me. I was curious to see how I would feel and whether I really had the skills to get access to the course. I had learned through the development of my own blended learning course how to get started, specifically after Gilly Salmon, but the hurdle in this course was bigger for me. An international online course in English and above all the uncertainty that there would be people with much more experience in online learning than me made me feel nervous. The question of where I stood in my digital competence was suddenly a big hole, let alone knowing what digital competence meant at all. Moreover, I was confronted with Google+, Google drive, Google docs etc and my uncertainty about my privacy increased enormously.

The definition by the European Commission in 2017 of digital competence as one of the nine Key Competences for lifelong learning made it much clearer to me. They define digital competence as follows.

„The Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of Information Society Technology (IST) for work, leisure and communication. It is underpinned by basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve, assess, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the Internet.“ (EC, 2017)

I also moved into two other key competence areas (EC, 2017), such as „Communication in foreign languages“ and „Learning to learn“ by constantly reflecting on my learning and actions. Perfectly, I said to myself, I am in the right place to learn something new and to learn to speak English! Please forgive me if my English doesn’t sound perfect and polite.

However, digital competence is still divided into five dimensional areas such as (1) Information (2) Communication (3) Content creation (4) Safety (5) Problem solving. However, the description of the skills formulated below still means a lot of work for me. So I find the point saftey one of the most important points. The associated criteria „protection of my personal data, my hardware and my health“, I have put in the first place. Through the differentiated described skills one can imagine very well what all is behind it and turn more and more to it in order to increase his digital competence. But a lot of patience is required from me! The best way, however, is to stay with it and continue learning.

Barrows, H.C. & Tamblyn, R.M. (1980). Problem-based Learning. An approach to Medical Education. New York: Springe.

Fox, T., MacLeod, S., Chandler, M. & Kwaw, E. (2017). Report on a literature review of reforms related tot he 2006 European Framework of Key Competences for lifelong learning and the role oft he Framework in these reforms. https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/bf6739aa-04a8-11e8-b8f5-01aa75ed71a1/language-en (Retrieved Oct 2018).

https://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html (Retrieved Oct 2018).