=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-310/paper-4
|storemode=property
|title=Developing digital competence in Slovenian education
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-310/paper04.pdf
|volume=Vol-310
|authors=Radoslav Wechtersbach
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/ectel/Wechtersbach07
}}
==Developing digital competence in Slovenian education==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-310/paper04.pdf
Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
Developing digital competence in Slovenian
education
Radoslav Wechtersbach
The national context
The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe, where the
Alps face the Pannonian plains and the Mediterranean meets the
mysterious Karst. To the north is Austria; Hungary is to the east;
Croatia to the south and Italy to the west. It covers an area of round
20,000 square kilometres and has 2 million inhabitants.
The roots of organized education in Slovenia can be traced way back
in history. Church schools intended for training priests and other
educated clergymen first appeared in 13th century. In 1550 the first
Slovenian book was printed. Compulsory education for all children
was introduced in 1774, the first standards of knowledge were laid
down and teaching as a profession was regulated anew.
The initial one-year education was extended gradually to present
compulsory nine-year basic education. Children start schooling at
the age of six with basic education (single structure of primary and
lower secondary education). This is followed by two-, three- or four-
year middle (upper secondary) vocational, technical or general edu-
cation. Then there are three universities for graduate and postgradu-
ate students.
The competent body for planning and implementing education is the
Ministry of Education and Sport. But the charge of introducing
changes in the education system lies on The National Education In-
stitute. It has a significant role in the shaping of the Slovenian edu-
cation system at the pre-university level. Together with faculties,
pedagogical institutes, teachers and others it has devised new cur-
riculum solutions, developed methods for the successful transfer of
modifications into the education system and devised a plan for ac-
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
2
companying the curriculum or programs and new elements into
practice.
Preface
School systems round the world has seen a number of changes in re-
cent years. For us, people dealing with these changes, there are two
news ahead: good one and less good one.
Let’s make a start with a good one. In the time ahead, the price of
digital technology will sink down (Gray and Siewiorek, 1991). This
will make computers accessible to nearly everyone: be reach or
poor, a man or a woman, a boy or a girl from city downtown or rural
village, to buy and use computer as a tool to connect in learning
community - to become an active learner and learn throughout his
life.
Now, the less good one. While digital technology makes a learning
revolution possible, it certainly does not guarantee it. Research re-
sults are not encouraging (e-learning Nordic 2006). In many places
where digital technology is used in education today, it simply rein-
forces outmoded approaches of learning. (Resnick, 2002). Com-
puters are mostly used just as a new fascinate tool for transferring
information from teacher to pupil and not as a tool for new educa-
tion, where potential advantages of digital technology come to the
fore and every learner can create and express their own ideas, ex-
periment on them and create results in his or her own way (e-
learning Nordic 2006).
To take advantage of accessibility of a digital technology we need to
rethink our approaches to learning and our ideas on how this tech-
nology can support it.
When people are cogitating upon education they are usually thinking
about information like: “What information is the most important for
the learners and what are the most understandable and learnable
ways to transmit it to them. Thinking so, it is not surprising that
teachers see a natural connection between computer and education.
Computers namely enable accessing, processing, representing and
transmitting information in a many new ways. Thinking so, it seems
using computers in education make a successful marriage.
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
3
This focus on transmitting information, however, is mutilation of
digital technology and education itself. If we want to take a full ad-
vantage of a digital technology and if we want youth become better
thinkers and learners, we need to move beyond this information
transmitting view of education.
Psychologists and educational researchers, building on the work of
Jean Piaget, have come to understand that learning is not a simple
matter of information transmission. No one, even the best computer,
can put information into the head of the learner. Rather, learning is
an active process in which learner construct new understanding
trough different activities: exploring, experimenting, discussing and
reflecting. Shortly, learners do not get information, they have to
make it.
Nearly the same is the true for computers. Of course, they are won-
derful for accessing and transmitting the information. But for the
education they are, in the first place, a new medium through which
every learner can create and express their own ideas, experiment on
them and create out of them whatever results. Indeed, computers and
all digital technology connected with them are the best creating
things ever invented: we can make music with them; we can draw
our imaginations and bloging everyday life. Using this technology
so, we greatly expand what can be learned in a common learning
process.
Using digital technology efficiently learners have to have compe-
tence on using it. Unfortunately, such digital competence does not
develop from books or when learners are introduced how to look up
for information on the web, how to use a word processor or how to
send an e-mail. Even they are active, they do not become competent
and fluent in using digital technology.
Developing digital competency in Slovenian Education
Using digital technology has a very long tradition in Slovenian Edu-
cation. Computer science became an optional subject in Slovenian
secondary schools in the school year 1971/72. It became compulsory
ten years later in all middle schools in Slovenia. Carrying out stu-
dents learn about computers and programming in program language
Fortran (later Pascal).
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
4
With the development of computer science and fact that more and
more computers were coming into the schools, the curriculum on
computer science was changing many times. In the year 1989 the
first curriculum for using computer integrated in primary education
subjects Art, Technology and Slovenian were made. (Wechtersbach,
1993) The main methods of the curriculum were team teaching and
pupil cooperation work on project.
Major methodological and content changes in the digital technology
curriculum have been made in the year 1995. The subject in the
middle school has been renamed to “Informatics”. Its main goal be-
came developing a higher level of information literacy. In this con-
text, information literacy was used as an intellectual framework for
recognizing the need for information, finding, evaluating and proc-
essing data needed to build this information, and finally understand-
ing and using this new information. (Krapež, 2001) The “Com-
puters” has become an optional three years subject with names
Dataprocessing, Multimedia and Computer Networks in the last
three years of basic schools
(http://www.zrss.si/default.asp?link=predmet&tip=6&pID=24&rID=
291). It becomes a major point for developing basic information lit-
eracy. Developing computer literacy move down and was integrated
in different subject of basic schools.
State of the art situation
Three digital technologies: the personal computer, the mobile phone
and internet, although unknown some years ago, have brought sig-
nificant transformations, not only in administrative and industrial
organizational structures, but also in education. These digital tech-
nologies are overcoming barriers of time and space in ways no other
technology had made possible before. As communication behaviours
evolve, as information access widens and e- culture is everywhere,
new perspectives on information and knowledge are disrupting aca-
demic perspectives.
In 2005 the Ministry of Education and Sport forward new frame-
work for developing digital competency. In this context the digital
competence was defined as (Svetlik, 2006):
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
5
• abilities to use knowledge and skills and have habits of life
needed for effective and successful use of digital technology
to make creative and critical way in the world,
• managing security and integrity issues in a secure way for
the individuals and for the society,
• understanding the need for lifelong learning, individual ini-
tiative, and personal development through the utilization
of digital resources.
Become a digital competent person is, as we believe, at least four
state long process.
At a first state learner comprehends the basic knowledge about com-
puters (what computers are, how they operate and what for we can
use them) and develops basic skills on using them (how to use a
mouse, keyboarding, to run software, write simple text, draw picture
etc.). Pupil should be taught to become familiar with digital technol-
ogy hardware and software. This is, what we call, computer literacy.
Computer literacy refers to the comfort level someone has with un-
pretentious using of computer. The focus of this state is a computer
and it can not be integrated in other instruction contents.
We start with computer literacy in Slovenia normally in the first
class of basic schools (age 5-6) but some kindergarten starts even
earlier. The first step in digital world is made by playing computer
games, using didactic programs, sending e-mails, writing text and
draw to generate their ideas, taking and printing digital photos etc.
(Mori, 2007)
In the year 2005 Faculty of Education Maribor did research about
using digital technology in Slovenian basic education (Gerliþ, 2005).
Results shows, that less then half of teachers use computers at this
level. In the web debate (http://info.edus.si/studijske) teachers had
stated that a barrier to the brighter integration of computers mostly
has been that too much teaching time is wasted and a lack of head-
master support. Teachers think, even they participate in few semi-
nars; they do not have needed knowledge and skills to teach pupils
digital technology. It is interesting that in the same time pupils hold
an opposite point of view and thinks they have great computer skills.
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
6
In the debate we recognize that the teachers need more time to be-
come fluent with digital technology and feel sure in front of a pupil.
They grew up in a time without computers and do not know what a
digital world is going on in a pupil's head: chatrooms, participating
in game clans, blogging etc.
According to the headmasters, a special computer literacy teacher in
teaching with general teacher will help to overcome this problem.
Agree with this, The National Education Institute is putting forward
in cooperation with teachers and university members
(http://info.edus.si/ studijske) a curriculum for a special “computer
literacy” hours included in different subjects. In a Moodle LMS
more than 1.000 teachers collaborate (what is almost 70 % of them).
The first impression is that the course will be very helpful. We plan
it will take 35 hours and will be leaded out with the half class in
computer lab under the lecture of a special computer literacy
teacher. It should be started in the first triad of basic schools in a
school year 2008/09.
At the second state pupils are using digital technology for their usual
school work. They do things like before but use computers instead
of other technology. They look up for data on internet, write their
project by word processor, manage digital photos, present results
with computer presentation programs etc. In this state computer is
the background but information is in the focus. Pupils learn how to
presented information in different media and how settle it there to be
most efficient. This is, what we call, developing information liter-
acy.
We focus on information literacy in Slovenia most intensive from 5th
to 9th class of basic schools (age 10 – 15) with selected subjects
“Computers” i.e. Dataprocessing, Multimedia and Computer Net-
works. Pupils select there different themes, usually from other sub-
jects but they also can choose titles from their own interest such us
football, skiing, dogs etc. Then they search and collect data in dif-
ferent sources, organize them in a report and finally presented it in
front of their classmates. During their work they become discerning
in use of digital technology, and select information, sources and me-
dia to fulfil theirs ideas. Teacher orients and helps pupils on the
work without imposing his or her own solutions. Usually pupils
42
Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
7
worked out such projects alone, but in some cases, such us making
web pages, it is disposed they cooperate in small groups with con-
stellation of one or more teachers (sometimes team teaching).
At the third state we spread information literacy into new and un-
known situations. We learn how to use new, till now unknown,
software and hardware, do things we can not do without digital
technology etc. Doing this pupils develop knowledge and skills that
include innovative searching, locating, evaluating, manipulating, and
controlling information from diverse digital sources and formats to
become a critical and analytical user of digital technology in learn-
ing and work activities. We call this digital competence.
Developing digital competence is in Slovenia focused mainly from
the first to third class of grammar schools and also in some middle
vocational schools. There we have a special subject, called Informat-
ics. The syllabus for this subject is now in renovation. New one will
be implemented in the school year 2008/09. At the beginning stu-
dents will be exposed to a wide variety of experiences like guest
speakers, demonstrations, field trips, documentaries and other re-
sources. The goal of these activities is to stimulate new interests that
small groups of students may choose to pursue through intensive
study. In these groups students will engage in research investiga-
tions, think, feel and act in an area of their personal interest. They
will conduct research, gather data, solve problems, and create a col-
lective final product so, that every student will present results in it
on media of their interest: such as art, music, writing poems etc. All
by using digital technology of course. At the end they will represent
the result to an appropriate audience. We try to do this in 10 pilot
schools in school year 2006/2007 and the results exceed all expecta-
tions.
For this project we also developed a special conceptual framework
called IKIS (Izražanje, Kakovost, Inovativnost, Sodelovanje - Ex-
pressive, Qualitative, Innovative, Collaborative) to encourage teach-
ers to adopt more creative and imaginative approaches to teaching
and learning by digital technology and a more holistic approach to
assessment. The use of IKIS is an attempt to challenge teacher views
and beliefs about learning and to link learning in the classroom more
closely to socio-cultural theory and practice. It is designed to be
43
Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
8
used alongside more traditional and analytic forms of assessment
and in a way that paints a more holistic and accurate picture of learn-
ing as it occurs using digital technology.
Its use places the emphasis on pupils exploring and finding out, be-
ing inquisitive and open-minded, and seeing purpose and meaning in
their learning. Such an approach fosters flexibility in thinking and
increases children’s agency in learning through physical engage-
ment, dialogue, interaction and collaborative inquiry. A creative
context for learning is one that offers choice and encourages chil-
dren to experiment with ideas, explore alternatives, take intellectual
risks and find innovative ways of resolving difficult situations or
solving problems.
The final state of developing digital competence is intensive use of
knowledge. Within academic circles, knowledge is seen as the result
of understanding data, building information and then integrating it
meaningfully with pre-existent knowledge in a human mind. How-
ever, this educational conception of knowledge does not account for
a widening notion of knowledge used to designate strategic informa-
tion selected and processed within specific contexts, such as indus-
trial operations or global marketplace behaviours. Knowledge socie-
ties base their development mainly on scientific knowledge and
measurable or quantitative data. It is this strategic conception that is
referred to when companies talk of knowledge management, knowl-
edge sharing and knowledge production. In this situation the rela-
tionship to information and knowledge is changing and it is this
evolving relationship that needs to be mastered through education.
Schools need to develop in learners’ not only cognitive and critical
thinking skills, but also a discerning capacity to interact with differ-
ent types of knowledge. (Rosado, 2006)
Digital knowledge refers to a new condition of knowledge that can
be processed, managed and transformed by digital technology. Un-
derstanding knowledge so, we introduce in education an organiza-
tional decision processes that combine a data processing capacity of
digital technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of hu-
man beings. With solving practical problems we show students
the importance and usage of digital technology, for also con-
trolling everyday problems. Within this context we particularly
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
9
deal with decision process and real live decision problems.
(Rajkoviþ and Krapež, 2005)
With this, we hope, an opportunity to increase human mental capability is
uncorked. Using knowledge technology we show students the applicability
of digital technology on managing decision problems. In real life the de-
cision process practically cannot be avoided. There is a variety of
decision problems that can be found in everyday lives as well as in
education and businesses. In the decision making process we do not
know all the facts, which influence the decision, the alternatives
among which we choose are not accurately defined for the accurate
study of the decision problem and we may not have enough time and
also data may not be available and the goals of the decision makers
may differ. Nowadays, many different decision methods can help us
to think systematically about the problem. Digital technology offers
us sufficient support in the decision making and also in searching for
the relevant data. Teaching decision knowledge management as a
part of general education encourages creative use of digital technol-
ogy. (Rajkoviþ and Krapež, 2005)
The project “Teaching knowledge technology” started in Slovenia in
the year 2000 in fourth class of grammar schools. The project was
running according to the program of The National Education Insti-
tute in collaboration with the Faculty of Organizational Sciences and
the Josef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana. In the framework students
learn about good decision making with the suitable digital technol-
ogy. Doing so, their knowledge is cemented by building their own
multi-attribute model and validating and analyzing the variants with
which they are met in a concrete decision problem. During the lec-
ture every student builds their own decision model for chosen case
and at the end she or he presents and interprets decision results to-
gether with the whole process in front of their classmates.
Conclusion
It looks that every country has a plan for educational reform. But, in
most cases, they are thinking about new content and not about re-
thinking goals, they are counting hours and subjects and no one ask
what pupils are interested on, they are discussing about new forms
of testing and assessment, but leave in place existing teaching strate-
gies. Much of what children learn in schools today was designed for
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Proceedings of the 3rd International workshop on Digital Literacy
10
the era of paper or even earlier. We need to update curricula for the
digital age. Schools have to prepare pupils with the new skills and
ideas of digital competence that are needed for living and working in
a digital society.
If we want youth come to school with interest and pleasure to learn,
we need to reform such educational reforms fundamentally. Instead
of a teacher centralized education, where she or he delivers informa-
tion to a roomful of students, we should take a more entrepreneurial
approach to learning. Students should become more active and inde-
pendent learners, with the teacher serving as consultant, not chief
executive. Instead of dividing the curriculum into subjects, we
should focus on problems and projects that spread out of school in
reality, Instead of competition with one another we should encour-
age pupils to work together on projects, enabling them to learn from
one another and to learn by teaching one another.
But digital technology is not a magic wand to solve all educational
problems. It just gives us a chance. It is as creative as the people us-
ing it. And, as we know, childhood is one of the most creative peri-
ods of our lives. So let give pupils an opportunity to be creative and
help them to be enthusiastic to learn how to extend and refine their
creative abilities, so that the creativity of childhood persists and
grows throughout their life. Let give them this and all other prob-
lems will be lost to sight.
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