Shaping the Future of Digital Skills

As the principal of School of Gaming, I recently had the unique opportunity to participate in a European Union workshop aimed at crafting policy recommendations for Eu Council for education and training in digital skills across all age groups. This experience not only broadened my perspective on digital literacy but also reaffirmed the crucial role that organizations like ours play in shaping the future of digital education.

A Glimpse into EU's Digital Proficiency

Before taking a dive into the workshop's achievements, it's important to understand the current landscape of digital skills in the EU. Recent statistics reveal that in 2023, 56% of people in the EU aged 16 to 74 had at least basic overall digital skills​. This is a slight increase from 2021, where the figure was 54%​​. While these numbers are promising, they also highlight the significant room for improvement, especially considering the EU's ambitious goal to have 80% of its citizens with at least basic digital skills by 2030.

Key Achievements of the EU Workshop

1. Highlighting the Importance of Digital Skills: The policy recommendations highlight the crucial role of digital competencies in today's world. Digital competencies go beyond mere proficiency in using a smartphone, browsing social media or playing games.
2. Strategic and Inclusive Education Policies: Emphasis is placed on creating strategic, inclusive education policies that cater to all age groups, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital divide.
3. Focus on Teacher and Trainer Development: Recognizing that educators are at the forefront of this transformation, the policy recommendations stress the need for their continuous professional development in digital competencies.
4. Integrating Digital Skills in Curriculum: The integration of digital skills into educational curriculum is highlighted in the recommendations, promoting not only informatics but also computational thinking and problem-solving.
5. Promoting Gender and Diversity Inclusion: Addressing the digital gender gap and fostering diversity in digital education is identified as a key area of focus.
6. Fostering Multi-stakeholder Collaboration: The recommendations advocate for collaboration between education sectors, industry, and government in developing digital skills.
7. Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusion: A significant emphasis is placed on ensuring equal access to digital resources for all learners, particularly those from vulnerable or disadvantaged backgrounds.

Aligning with School of Gaming's Vision

The outcomes of this EU workshop align seamlessly with the vision and mission of the School of Gaming. Our focus on using popular games as educational tools caters to the digital literacy needs of our primary demographic - children aged 7-15 years. By integrating digital skills into our gaming-based curriculum, we are not only engaging our learners in a medium they are passionate about but also equipping them with the necessary competencies for the digital era.

Furthermore, our commitment to inclusivity and diversity in our programs echoes the workshop's focus on gender inclusion and addressing digital divides. As we continue to employ trained game educators (gedus), their ongoing professional development is in line with the EU's recommendations for teacher and trainer development. Our expertise in training the trainers will be useful in improving the opportunities for continuous professional development of teachers in digital competencies across the member states.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my participation in the EU workshop was not just an opportunity to contribute to shaping Europe's digital education policy but also a reaffirmation of the School of Gaming's path forward. As we continue to innovate and adapt, our efforts in game-based learning are more vital than ever in preparing the younger generation for a digitally proficient future.