As part of the new Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027, the European Commission announced that it is working on a new online tool for teachers working in primary and secondary education. ‘SELFIE for Teachers’ will offer an opportunity to teachers to reflect on their digital capacity and evaluate how well they have integrated technology within teaching and learning.
Why SELFIE for Teachers?
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 affected virtually all sectors, albeit to a different extent. The impact of the pandemic, however, transformed the education system, as schools shut down and shifted to remote learning and teaching as a result of government restrictions. At the same time, this shift has notably made teachers and educating staff more aware of the benefits digital technologies could bring to education. SELFIE for Teachers is part of the European Commission’s strategy to support digital education and training – supporting teachers’ skills is a key priority of the Digital Education Action Plan.
How does the tool work?
SELFIE for Teachers is based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The tool will be launched formally soon and made available in 24 languages.
Teachers from all over Europe (or anywhere in the world) can sign up on the platform and answer a series of questions that try to assess how far teachers have come in integrating digital tools and methods into teaching and learning practices. Questions cover different aspects, such as how well teachers can manage to stimulate interest and competence in technology, or how to encourage safe and responsible use of digital tools in-person and remotely.
The tool takes around 20 minutes to complete. It can be used either individually, or within a group. Upon successful completion, teachers receive practical suggestions for further development, so they can take their own (and their students’) digital awareness further.
What’s next?
Once they finish the assessment, teachers will receive a personalised report, which identifies strong and weak areas and offers tips on how to improve the areas where they may be lagging behind. The tool ranks users across 6 categories, from beginner to innovator.
All teachers completing their self-reflection will be able to get a digital badge for their participation.
© European Commission
