Learner Digital Skills are the hot topic in vocational education and workplace training right now, and for good reason! Digital Skills have been identified as a barrier for many learners seeking to engage with learning opportunities. This isn’t an online versus on-campus discussion. Regardless the format being delivered, digital skills are necessary for participation in education today.

Not only are aspiring learners impacted, but so are educators and trainers. Dr Deniese Cox has been researching this issue for two years, and found that up to 87% of teaching workload in some weeks is being spent on providing remedial digital skill support. Educators reported that support provision is outside their job role, their expertise, and the scope of content assigned for them to deliver.

To address learner and educator challenges, aGood Practice Guide has been published for vocational education and workplace training providers and other interested parties. It contains 10 guidelines to inform the selection and implementation of digital skills support systems.

These insights are driven by research that was conducted within the Australian VET sector and workplace training contexts during 2021-23. This research included focus groups and interviews with educators and learners, field testing of intervention strategies, and a review of several leading digital testing and teaching tools in consultation with expert advisors.

Helpfully, pages 2-3 of this document present a summary of our 10 guidelines. Then, additional detail is provided for each guideline, along with a quick-reference action list.

This guide is being provided free to all educators and providers. Download your copy at https://www.teachingonline.com.au/digital-skills-gpg

All the best,
Deniese