The scopes of digital competences
Authors:   Silesian University of Technology, Osika Grażyna 
Published: February 2025

Purpose: The main purpose of this article is to describe the scopes of digital competences as
a key type of skills from the point of view of satisfactory functioning in the professional and
private domain in the technological environment of human life, characteristic of modern times.
Design/methodology/approach: From the invention of the computer, the Internet and the
smartphone as foundational digital technologies to the emergence of their intensification such
as cloud solutions, Iot, blockchains, and cognitive technologies, we know that the effective
exploitation of these solutions requires the acquisition of competences to use them.
As bibliometric research shows, issues of digital competence continue to gain importance.
The main aim of this paper is to describe existing competences and models to conceptualise
research related to them, identify possible gaps, and attempt to fill them. It is assumed that the
models that already exist should be supplemented with a meta-level to ensure that they are
constantly updated in accordance with the digital ontology. Due to the anticipatory nature of
the investigation, a conceptual analysis was used in the study.
Findings: In this research, the two main concepts 'digital literacy' and ‘digital competence’
were defined, the notion of ‘digital capital’ is included, referring to Pierre Bourdieu's concept
of capital, helping to realise the role of digital competences as a factor in building social status.
Selected competence models are described, possible deficits are recognised, and a possible way
of filling them is proposed.
Research limitations/implications: These considerations are merely a conceptual sketch and,
as such, call for more in-depth theoretical analyses, which will then be subjected to empirical
verification, for example, a pilot study of experts and users' views on the role of a critical
attitude towards one's own and digital competences and the need for their further development.
Practical implications: The research carried out in this article has a very practical dimension,
as the theoretical analysis undertaken was aimed at producing very concrete results related to
education in both individual and systemic terms, as it can provide indications of the scope for
self-improvement and the expansion of curricula to include specific competence dimensions.
Social implications: The article is conceptual in nature, which, in line with the research method
used, allows for the development of theoretical reflection (basic research), in this case
concerning digital competences, their scopes, and areas of development, and as such can
provide indications on the substantive content of digital competence subjects recommended for
educational systems.
Originality/value: The most significant achievement of the present reflections is the
identification of a potential competence gap in existing digital competence models and the
attempt to fill this gap by extending the model to include a meta-level, critical attitude towards
scope of digital competence, constant updating of competencies.
Keywords: digital competences, digital literacy, data literacy, AI literacy, digital capital, meta-
digital competences DigComp 2.0.
Category of the paper: Conceptual paper.