Today, the Digital Competence Framework/Fframwaith Cymhwysedd Digidol has been made available to all schools in Wales. The publication of this first full version of the DCF is the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of work by the Digital Pioneers — including the input of a number of stakeholder and steering groups, as well as public consultation in the summer — announced as the first recommendation from Professor Graham Donaldson’s independent review of the curriculum in Wales in 2015.
Digital competence is now one of three cross-curricular responsibilities in the new curriculum, alongside literacy and numeracy. It focuses on developing digital skills which can be applied to a wide range of subjects and scenarios; essentially: the Framework encapsulates the skills that will help learners thrive in an increasingly digital world.
As has been discussed in previous DCF posts, the Framework has been developed by leading practitioners from Pioneer Schools in Wales, supported by external experts, including myself. It has four strands of equal importance, each with a number of elements:
- Citizenship — which includes:
- Identity, image and reputation;
- Health and well-being;
- Digital rights, licensing and ownership;
- Online behaviour and cyberbullying.
- Interacting and Collaborating — which includes:
- Communication;
- Collaboration;
- Storing and sharing.
- Producing — which includes:
- Planning, sourcing and searching;
- Creating;
- Evaluating and improving.
- Data and Computational Thinking — which includes:
- Problem solving and modelling;
- Data and information literacy.
The development of the DCF has been underpinned by emerging research and practice and is ultimately driven by pedagogy, providing an adaptable and flexible structure for practitioners to rethink cross-curricular digital skills (especially as we transition from “ICT” as it is currently delivered, into the new areas of learning and experience) and support the delivery of the four purposes of the new curriculum.
Going forward from this September, schools and settings should familiarise themselves with the Framework (especially the wide range of resources and exemplification materials, including a guidance document, presentation, Q&As and mapping tools for both primary and secondary), agreeing their strategic vision for cross-curricular digital competence and consider how to translate this into practice.
All DCF resources and materials are available via Learning Wales in both Welsh and English; further information can be also found on the Welsh Government’s main curriculum reform site, as well as the Curriculum for Wales blog.
Digital, Data & Policy 
One thought