EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 30.9.2020 SWD(2020) 209 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

















Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions



Digital Education action Plan 2021-2027

















Resetting education and training for the digital age



































{COM(2020) 624 final}



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction 2. Progress and achievements in the area of digital education to date 2.1 Impact of the 2018 Action Plan 2.2 Challenges in the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan 3. Lessons from the COVID-19 crisis 3.1 Challenges in managing remote emergency education 4. Priorities and direction for strategic action 5. Supporting evidence 5.1 Using digital technologies for teaching and learning 5.1.1 Infrastructure and connectivity 5.1.2 Digital capacity in educational institutions across the EU 5.1.3 Educators’ digital competence 5.1.4 Quality of digital education content 5.2 Digital competence development 5.2.1 Level of digital competence across the EU 5.2.2 Addressing the gender gap 5.2.3 Advanced digital skills and emerging areas of digital competence

6. Implementation and monitoring Annex 1: Procedural Information Annex 2: Stakeholder Consultation Synopsis Report Annex 3: European Digital Competence Frameworks Annex 4: Glossary Annex 5: Literature and sources



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This staff working document accompanies the Communication on the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 and provides evidence and analysis of the opportunities and challenges that the digital transformation brings to education and training today. The EU’s first framework for digital education was launched in 2018 through the Digital Education Action Plan, with 11 actions focusing on the formal education sector. The 2018 Action Plan contributed to an emerging policy dialogue and was welcomed by Member States, but its short-term duration (2018-2020) and limited budget meant that the actions could not reach their full potential and achieve the impact needed. This staff working document outlines the lessons learnt from implementing the 2018 Action Plan and discusses the latest developments in digital education. It explains why stronger action at EU level is needed, taking into account early evidence from the COVID-19 crisis and the more structural challenges faced by digital education in Europe. It is based on data, research and policy documents published in the last two years and input received through extensive stakeholder consultations with, among others, representatives of Member States and EFTA countries, international and pan-European umbrella organisations, Members of the European Parliament and the general public. The experiences and educational implications of the COVID-19 crisis were the focus of a public consultation, which received 2,716 replies and more than 130 position papers. The COVID-19 crisis led to a sudden and large-scale use of digital learning practices. The range of solutions put in place to ensure continuity of education and training was wide, including low- and high-tech practices, with marked differences within and between countries. Higher levels of digital capacity and experience with alternative and flexible forms of learning led to faster and better responses. Evidence shows differences between levels and sectors of education and training: in most cases, higher education institutions continued their lessons virtually, while many schools and vocational and training (VET) providers lacked expertise and struggled to offer distance and online learning opportunities to all their students. On average, 9% of 15-year-old students do not have a quiet place to study in their homes, and there are significant gaps related to availability of computers and connectivity, especially for children from low-income families, disadvantaged backgrounds and remote areas. At present, there is not enough data on whether the distance and online learning practices put in place in response to the COVID-19 crisis have ensured effective and equitable access to quality learning opportunities. The rapid switch to distance and online teaching and learning saw innovative practices emerge, but also significant challenges for those educators lacking the competences and confidence to use digital technologies in an effective way. Results of the public consultation show overwhelmed parents, educators struggling to ensure a structured process while keeping students engaged, and learners lacking interaction and unable to access suitable devices and reliable internet connection. Looking beyond the crisis, the vast majority of consulted stakeholders considered that the switch to distance and online learning would accelerate the transformation of education and training systems and called for stronger support and guidance at EU level. This staff working document supports the action plan outlined in the Communication on the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027. Evidence is presented in two main sections: ·Using digital technologies for teaching and learning: while most EU Member States have developed strategies in the field of digital education, few undertake regular monitoring and evaluation to review these strategies or update them to respond, for example, to developments in technology and related learning needs. Using digital technologies effectively in teaching and learning practices is a complex process and requires planning, ongoing monitoring, and a strong focus on learner-driven pedagogy. Evidence confirms that providing students and educators with appropriate infrastructure and connectivity is essential. However, the proportion of students attending highly equipped and connected schools differs widely across Europe, ranging from 35% to 52% or 72% depending on the level of education (ISCED 1,2,3), and is higher in the Nordic countries. Evidence confirms that the older the students, the higher the likelihood that they attend a school with a fast internet connection, with large differences between and within EU countries. Research clearly shows that investment and development in infrastructure needs to be accompanied by systemic organisational change underpinned by pedagogical values. This includes measures to reinforce educators’ digital competences through flexible and sustained professional development opportunities, yet only 39% of teachers in the EU felt well or very well prepared to use digital technologies for teaching. If properly designed and planned, online learning courses and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can help meet the lifelong learning needs of an ever-growing population of learners, and yet European countries are late adopters of such opportunities, with an offer unevenly distributed across Member States and none of the EU MOOC platforms being amongst the five leading global platforms. Structural challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis and the sudden switch to digital education modes has confirmed the need to boost the digital capacity of Europe’s education and training systems and to work together to support the development of a high performing digital education ecosystem. ·Digital competence development: well before the COVID-19 crisis, evidence was clear on the need to support digital competence development of adults and young people in Europe. Today more than ever, being digitally competent is both a necessity and a right. However, digital skills levels across Europe remain unsatisfactorily low, with 44% of EU citizens having an insufficient level of digital skills. In addition, digital divides related to gender, socio-economic background and urban/rural areas persist. At present, more than a third of the EU labour force lacks the basic digital skills required in most jobs across sectors, and over half of EU companies report difficulties in filling vacancies for ICT specialists. The digital skills level of European students is higher compared to that of the overall population and labour force, but more than one third of 13-14 year olds who participated in the International Computer and Information Literacy Study did not have a high proficiency level in digital competence. At the same time, the availability of computing and informatics, as either compulsory or elective subjects is not uniform across Europe and less than 5% of graduates and students at higher education level are studying or have completed ICT-related programmes. The COVID-19 crisis is likely to have an impact on the level and future demand for digital skills. However, more research is needed to see whether the increased use of digital technologies will lead to more critical, confident, and creative usage or to greater inequalities and negative experiences with technology. To thrive in a technology-driven economy, Europe needs a digitally competent workforce and a large pool of digital talent with basic and advanced digital skills, including those related to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. This staff working document presents the challenges described above in detail and outlines how the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 will be implemented and monitored. Five annexes provide: further information on how the initiative was prepared (Annex 1); views of the consulted stakeholders (Annex 2); the European frameworks on digital competence (Annex 3); a glossary of key terms (Annex 4); references and main sources (Annex 5).





1. Introduction Digital technologies are changing the world at an incredible speed and are reshaping how people in Europe live, work and study. Ongoing digital transformation impacts many parts of our daily life, from the ever-increasing integration of digital technologies in all sectors of the economy to the societal impact of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Connected devices and intelligent systems surround us and support activities in terms of access and exchange of information, communication and collaboration, modes of work, business operations and, finally yet critically, learning opportunities. Like other sectors, education and training is undergoing a process of change. When properly planned and designed, the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning offers many opportunities, including the possibility to open up to a more diverse cohort of learners, increase flexibility, personalisation and inclusion, and offer more interactive and engaging forms of cooperation and communication. At the same time, it brings challenges: educators need to master the digital environment to design high quality and engaging learning experiences and learners also need to be technologically savvy. Education and training systems have an essential role to play in embracing digital technologies and enabling societies to reap the benefits of the digital transformation, while avoiding the risks that may come from digital exclusion or inappropriate use of technology. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, digital technologies are supporting individuals and organisations in their daily tasks, allowing for business continuity, including in the field of education and training. However, the sudden and large-scale use of digital technologies to ensure continuity of teaching and learning has shown major discrepancies between and within Member States and has brought to the fore the benefits and risks of digitalisation. Today more than ever, ensuring inclusive and quality education and training that responds to the lifelong learning need to develop the competences necessary for future life and employment requires that education and training institutions use digital technologies in a critical, purposeful and effective way. In this staff working document, digital education covers two different but interlinked dimensions: the pedagogical use of digital technologies to support and enhance teaching, learning and assessment (including in face-to-face or blended practices, but also for remote education), and the development of digital competence. Recognised as one of the key competences for lifelong learning, being digitally competent involves the confident, critical and responsible use of and engagement with digital technologies for learning, work, and participation in society. It includes a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for any learner at any stage of their personal and professional life. The Political Guidelines of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the need for Europe to lead the green and digital transitions and announced the update of the Digital Education Action Plan as a key initiative to help unlock the potential of digital technologies for education and to address a widening digital skills gap. Education and training is called upon to contribute to a European society powered by digital solutions that are strongly rooted in our common values and respond to the lifelong needs of people and organisations . In this context, the crisis period has shown the essential role of technology for educational continuity and the need to work together to make education and training systems resilient and future-ready. Boosting the level of digital competences and capabilities to support the effective and pedagogical use of digital technologies is a key enabling factor in improving the quality, inclusivity and effectiveness of education and training. The EU framework for digital education was set in 2018 with the first Digital Education Action Plan, an integral part of the European Education Area. While limited in scope and duration to assess its overall impact, the 2018 Action Plan has received strong support, including from the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions. Considering its achievements and the COVID-19 disruptions, stakeholders and Member States are now seeking a more ambitious approach to addressing challenges and harnessing opportunities for the future. Consequently, the Communication on repairing and preparing for the next generation announced the adoption of a renewed Digital Education Action Plan in the context of the recovery plan. The aim is to address and support the increased responsibility of Europe’s education and training systems in managing the aftermath of COVID-19, in parallel with the ongoing digital transformation. In recent years, digital education policies have evolved at both European and national level. Almost all Member States now have national and/or regional strategies for digital education. Examples include the ‘INcoDe.2030 - National Digital Competences Initiative’ in Portugal, the ‘Pacte pour un Enseignement d’Excellence’ in the French Community of Belgium, and the ‘DigitalPakt Schule’ in Germany. In some cases, digital competence is part of broader strategies on lifelong learning, as in Estonia, or sustainable development, as in Poland. Many countries are currently in the process of updating their digital strategies, and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly lead to a deeper reflection on the role digital technologies can play in supporting teaching and learning to make sure that no one is left behind.



Stakeholders consulted in the preparation of this initiative, through both a public consultation and targeted consultations, highlighted that the European Commission can play an important role in advancing these discussions and setting a common vision by leveraging good practices and linking European and national initiatives that promote innovation in teaching, learning and assessment. Stronger support and guidance at EU level is needed to learn from the experiences so far, including more recently from the COVID-19 crisis, and to boost the level of preparedness for the future. Common efforts and a comprehensive approach are needed to harness digital technologies for effective and inclusive education and training and to enable Europeans of all ages and backgrounds to live and thrive in the digital age. This staff working document accompanies the Communication on the renewed Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027. It provides analysis and evidence that supports its priorities and actions and addresses the challenges arising from the COVID-19 crisis and the wider digital transformation. The renewed Action Plan presents a long-term vision for digital education and covers formal (primary, secondary, tertiary, and adult education, including VET), non-formal and informal education (youth work, community-based organisations, libraries, cultural and creative spaces, etc.). It takes a lifelong learning perspective, addressing the needs of children, young people and adults, learners as well as education and training staff. 2. Progress and achievements in the area of digital education to date As part of the European Education Area, in January 2018, the European Commission adopted the first Digital Education Action Plan. It set out 11 actions for the 2018-2020 period, aiming to help Member States meet the challenges and opportunities stemming from the use of digital technologies in education and training. The 2018 Action Plan focused on formal education (i.e. primary and secondary schools, VET, and higher education) and covered three priority areas: ·Making better use of digital technology for teaching and learning; ·Developing digital competences and skills;

·Improving education through better data analysis and foresight. The first priority aimed to support the use of digital technology in education, fostering its full potential as a tool for teaching and learning. The second priority addressed the development of digital competence as a ‘life skill’, crucial for playing an active role in society, engaging in further education and training, and accessing the labour market. The third priority focused on foresight, and how improving the use of data in education can support policymaking. Welcomed by Member States, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, and stakeholders at large, the 2018 Action Plan contributed to an emerging policy dialogue and confirmed the EU's added value in this field. The implementation of its actions is ongoing until the end of 2020. The table below provides an overview of the state of implementation of each action to date.



Priority 1: Making better use of digital technology for teaching and learning 1. Connectivity in Schools Scope: high-speed internet for schools. Objective: support connectivity in schools through voucher schemes. Achievements: three calls of Wifi4EU (Free Wi-Fi for Europeans) were launched under the Connecting Europe Facility Programme. So far, 7,980 municipalities have received vouchers to install free Wi-Fi access points in public spaces, including schools. A series of newsletters and webinars helped raise awareness of the opportunities under this action. Next steps: the final call of Wifi4EU was launched in June 2020. Lessons learnt: Wifi4EU was designed for municipalities, with schools being only indirect beneficiaries. Nevertheless, experience has shown that a significant proportion of municipalities made use of the Wifi4EU funding to install free Wi-Fi access points in schools. In fact, 37.5% of all access points installed as a result of the first three Wifi4EU calls were installed in schools. 2. SELFIE Scope: online tool to help schools (upper primary, secondary and VET) to review how they use digital technologies for teaching and learning and to plan for improvements. Objective: reach one million teachers, trainers and learners and promote peer learning through a mentoring scheme for innovation in schools. Achievements: released in October 2018, the SELFIE tool is available in 32 languages and has been extended to countries beyond the EU (notably the Western Balkans). So far used by more than 650,000 students, teachers and school leaders, SELFIE has received extensive support and interest from Ministries of Education. A call for a mentoring scheme for innovation in schools was published in November 2019 and its evaluation is currently ongoing. Next steps: the SELFIE tool is regularly updated with new features, based on user feedback. The latest release included questions related to remote education. Support material to help schools use their results from SELFIE are being developed. A pilot project to extend SELFIE for work-based learning systems in VET is currently taking place. The projects funded through the mentoring scheme will start between November 2020 and January 2021. Lessons learnt: implementation has been highly successful, which shows that the action meets a direct need for schools (primary and secondary, including VET) to reflect on technology use, support teachers and plan for organisational change. Feedback from stakeholders highlights the need to further support the development of digital capacity of schools by providing more support materials. Anonymised and aggregated data from the tool could be used to support policymaking. 3. Digitally signed credentials Scope: digital authentication of qualifications. Objective: create a framework for digitally-signed credentials, i.e. proof of individual learning achievement. Achievements: the technical framework is under development and piloted by 18 Member States in 2020. Next steps: the final version of the framework will be released after the pilot and published though Europass and the certifying institutions. Lessons learnt: the action addresses the lack of digital solutions for storing and validating credentials, diplomas and certificates. Interest from Member States is high but, as the pilot is ongoing, it is too early to draw conclusions, especially regarding uptake by end users. Priority 2: Developing digital competences and skills 4 Higher Education Hub Scope: higher education institutions’ use of digital technologies. Objective: create a Europe-wide platform for digital higher education. Achievements: the OpenU project (Online Pedagogical resources for European Universities) is funded through Erasmus+ and started in April 2019. It is implemented by a consortium of 20 partners from 11 countries. Next steps: by the end of 2021, a European hub for online and blended learning, virtual mobility and exchange of best practices will be created. Lessons learnt: the action is based on one Erasmus+ project, which limits the scale of the potential outcomes to the capacity of the consortium to deliver on the objectives of the call. 5 Open Science Skills Scope: open science skills. Objective: training for students and staff on open science skills. Achievements: a call to support open science skills development was published through Erasmus+. Three proposals were received but none satisfied the minimum quality criteria. In 2020, the open science skills training will therefore be delivered through European University alliances. Next steps: the development of course material and training modules for students and staff is ongoing, supported by several European University alliances, which have committed to sharing resources, training and best practice on the effective implementation of open science. Lessons learnt: lack of demand for this action. 6 EU Code Week in schools Scope: coding and digital creativity. Objective: increase schools’ participation in EU Code Week, a grassroots initiative promoting computational thinking, coding and the creative and critical use of digital technologies. Achievements: there have been two editions, with 116,000 coding activities in more than 80 countries, involving 6.9 million people, mainly from schools (48% of participants were female). It is estimated that 10% of EU schools were involved. The action is supported by teacher training and other activities that help and support organisers. Next steps: the 2020 edition of EU Code Week will take place between 10 and 25 October 2020, combined with a European Parliament pilot project in six countries (LV, ES, IT, IE, RO, SI) and a closing event in Brussels (BE) in 2021. Lessons learnt: implementation has been successful, contributing to the development of teachers' and young people’s digital skills through activities planned in cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders from different Member States. 7 Cybersecurity in Education Scope: online safety, cyber hygiene and media literacy. Objective: an awareness campaign and a blended course for 6,000 secondary school teachers. Achievements: #SaferInternet4EU, a campaign combining actions from different stakeholders at EU and national level to improve awareness of digital challenges/opportunities for children, involved 30 million people in 2018 and 33 million people in 2019. In 2020, the EU-funded network of Safer Internet Centres in Member States carried out a Better Internet for Kids (BIK) mini-campaign in response to COVID-19; this included educational resources. Next steps: a blended learning course for teachers on cybersecurity has been piloted and will be rolled out in the second half of 2020. Lessons learnt: #SaferInternet4EU continues to reach a growing audience, which shows the clear need to deepen efforts to foster online safety. The design, implementation and delivery of the blended learning course on cybersecurity, however, has seen delays and required mitigation measures to achieve the expected results. 8 Training for girls Scope: overcoming the digital gender gap. Objective: workshops on digital and entrepreneurship skills for 20,000 female students (aged 12-18). Achievements: a series of workshops were organised and reached 4,104 girls in 16 countries (10 Member States, 6 candidate and other European countries). Next steps: additional workshops will take place for 12,275 girls in 2020-2021. Lessons learnt: the objective of this action remains highly relevant; however, the delivery mechanisms of the workshops were not efficient due to public procurement rules and needed mitigation measures to achieve the expected results. Priority 3: Improving education through better data analysis and foresight 9 Studies on ICT in education Scope: use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in schools. Objective: publish a study on the use of ICT in schools, revise the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) questionnaire on use of ICT and explore the feasibility of benchmarks on digital and entrepreneurship competences. Achievements: a report on the use of ICT in schools was published in March 2019. Two technical notes explaining the feasibility of new benchmarks on digital and entrepreneurship competences were also published. Next steps: the new optional PISA questionnaire on ICT use is in a pilot phase and will be included in PISA 2022. Lessons learnt: the publication of studies providing recent data on digital education and competence was a good initial step, but more efforts are needed to improve the availability of comparable, cross-national data and ensure continuous monitoring of the level of digital competence across the EU. 10 Artificial Intelligence and analytics Scope: artificial intelligence and learning analytics in education. Objective: launch artificial intelligence and analytics pilot projects to predict future skills and skills shortages. Achievements: two pilots took place: the first focused on a skills gap analysis in the energy storage sector and resulted in an online system to match people with jobs and available courses or training. The other led to the development of two proofs of concept to predict future skills shortages. Next steps: both pilot projects will be further tested and developed in late 2020 and recommendations on how to use them in the future will be produced. Lessons learnt: the action was limited to two pilot projects with limited scope; these are still ongoing and so it is too early to draw conclusions. 11 Strategic foresight Scope: exploring trends in digital education. Objective: publish foresight papers, launch an education hackathon. Achievements: a foresight paper on AI in education was published in 2018; a second on makerspaces was published in 2019 and a third one on teachers in the digital age is under development. The Digital Education Hackathon was piloted in November 2019; 1,700 people from 21 countries joined the event, identifying and presenting solutions to 60 challenges in 24 hours. The event gathered 130 solutions in total and resulted in 33 winners at local level, 10 finalists and three global winners who each received a 5,000-euro award to implement their ideas. Next steps: the third foresight paper on teachers in the digital age will be published in autumn 2020, along with a report on future assessment in primary and secondary education. The second edition of the Digital Education Hackathon will take place in November 2020. Lessons learnt: the foresight papers helped increase the body of prospective work available in Europe. Further work on the topic is needed and should be better communicated, disseminated and discussed with practitioners. The Digital Education Hackathon was highly successful. Feedback from stakeholders highlighted the need to continue and expand this initiative. Table 1: State of play of the 2018 Digital Education Action Plan As Table 1 shows, a full evaluation of the outcomes of the 2018 Action Plan will only be possible in early 2021. To date, most actions have been delivered as planned. Six calls for funding were published, as well as two reports and one study. In terms of outreach, SELFIE, EU Code Week, and the #SaferInternet4EU campaign have reached more than 37.5 million students, teachers and parents in Europe. 2.1 Impact of the 2018 Action Plan The 2018 Action Plan was the European Commission's first policy initiative on digital education since the 2013 Communication on Opening up Education. It played an important role in bringing together existing and new EU initiatives within one framework and coordinating the overall approach to technology in education and digital competence development. The 2018 Action Plan had an impact beyond its 11 actions as it triggered discussion and influenced policy more widely across Europe. Its implementation boosted cooperation and dialogue on digital education. Several high-level events brought education stakeholders and policy makers together to discuss innovative teaching and learning practices, including the Bulgarian and Romanian Presidency events organised in 2018 and 2019. Additional activities were carried out in response to stakeholder requests and feedback, as for instance, the development of a new dimension on digital transformation and capability in the HEInnovate framework. The 2018 Action Plan also influenced national policies and initiatives on digital education in a number of Member States, including Belgium, Bulgaria and France. The Erasmus+ programme supports a wide range of projects focusing on different topics connected to innovative teaching and learning practices and the effective use of digital technologies. The 2018 Action Plan adoption gave more recognition and prominence to the topic of digital education in various Erasmus+ calls for proposals, giving it greater visibility during its implementation period. For instance, in the 2019 Erasmus+ call for policy experimentation in the field of education and training led by high-level public authorities, digital education and competence was the first priority area. Overall, the number of projects on digital education funded annually has tripled since the adoption of the 2018 Action Plan. For instance, in 2018-2019, only considering the Erasmus+ centralised actions, more than 35 projects addressing the development of digital competence and the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning have been funded. These projects are cross-sectoral and involve organisations from all fields of education and training in more than 50 different countries. Those with the highest evaluation score focused on the use of digital technologies as a means to build innovative practices (e.g. in teacher professional development, work-based learning, assessment, etc.) and increase the digital capacity of schools, initial and continuing VET, or higher education. In almost all projects, the focus was on using digital technologies to make education more inclusive and to respond to changing labour market needs. Digital education and related topics have also been included in the work of online platforms and communities, including eTwinning, the School Education Gateway, EPALE and the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange. These bring together educational stakeholders to exchange views and discuss the use of digital education content and practice. The European Commission published an additional report on the status of digital education in schools in Europe in 2019, providing updated and comparative information on strategic approaches to digital education and policies supporting schools, school curricula and teachers’ professional development, students' digital competences evaluation and the use of technology for assessment. 2.2 Challenges in the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan Systemic results in education and training take time and require sustained efforts at different levels. Consequently, the main challenges in implementing the 2018 Action Plan relate to its short-term duration and the subsequent sustainability of its actions in the longer term. Even though the 2018 Action Plan should be seen in complementarity with policies and initiatives developed at the national level in line with the principle of subsidiarity, stakeholders consulted to prepare this initiative highlighted the importance of more guidance, cooperation and funding at the EU level. Feedback from consulted stakeholders highlighted that the Action Plan's outreach activities and international dimension could be strengthened to increase visibility. More specifically, opportunities and challenges for digital education should be better explained to build a common understanding of key problems and how to address them. In general, consulted stakeholders highlighted the need to further support education and training to adapt to the digital transformation, including a more inclusive approach to digital competence development and looking beyond formal education in a lifelong learning perspective. Experience gathered over the last two years and input received from stakeholders show that the renewed Action Plan needs to ensure stronger cooperation and closer collaboration with other European Institutions, Member States and related stakeholders. Results of the public consultation confirm that the COVID-19 crisis has increased the need for a more coordinated and structured EU-level approach to digital education, based on continuous dialogue and exchange.

Box 1: cooperation and stakeholder engagement during the 2018 Action Plan During the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan, cooperation and stakeholder engagement were supported mainly through two initiatives: the Education and Training 2020 (ET2020) Working Group on Digital Education and the Digital Education Hackathon. The ET2020 Working Group on Digital Education (2018-2020) is a dynamic forum for exchange of views and experiences on using technology in education and training and digital competence development. The group brings together public authorities (mainly digital education experts from Ministries of Education), social partners and civil society working on formal and non-formal education. Through regular online and face-to-face meetings, the group explores how digital technology can and is impacting on teaching, learning and assessment and shares good practice from systems which are using these tools to implement real change. Experts and guest speakers take part in the meetings and members share their own perspectives and experiences. The group has provided Member States with a platform that gathers information that can feed into their strategic approaches to digital education and digital competence development across all sectors of society. Over the years, the group has worked in synergy with other ET2020 working groups and has been highly effective, including in supporting the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan with regular discussions and progress reports on its 11 actions, in particular the SELFIE tool for schools. The group produced key policy messages from their discussions, for example on AI in education, teacher professional development, game-based learning and digital content and resources. Feedback from meetings has been highly positive and the many peer-learning activities hosted by Member States highlighted the willingness to deepen discussions and engage with a wider group of stakeholders. The Digital Education Hackathon is a 24-hour contest that engages organisations working in education and training in the EU and globally to identify challenges and co-create solutions for the future of education in the digital age. Piloted in the framework of the 2018 Action Plan and implemented by the EIT Climate-KIC and Aalto University, the Digital Education Hackathon proved to be a highly successful concept for user-driven innovation and collaboration. The first edition involved 1,700 people from 21 countries globally (Figure 1); the second will take place in November 2020.



Figure 1: The first edition of the Digital Education Hackathon in numbers Source: DigiEduHack (2019) Feedback from stakeholders was highly positive: participants perceived their involvement in the first Digital Education Hackathon very useful (94%) and confirmed their intention to take part in the next edition (77%); more than half of the hosting organisations (54%) expressed their willingness to further work on implementing the most innovative ideas. The Hackathon generated policy and technical solutions to problems identified by educational stakeholders on the ground. During the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan, the EU Code Week was also a successful action boosting cooperation. The initiative is supported by the European Commission and Ministries of Education in EU and Western Balkan countries. At the heart of EU Code Week is the community of volunteer activity organisers who are teachers, mentors, coding clubs, libraries, private companies, parents and non-governmental organisations. They dedicate their time, energy and skills to bring computational thinking, coding, robotics, tinkering with hardware, computer science and digital skills at large to as many people as possible in Europe and around the world. In 2019, more than 4.2 million people participated in over 80 countries around the world. Overall, these very different examples highlight the potential to work together and engage with a wide range of stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges of digital education. 3. Lessons from the COVID-19 crisis In 2020, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other parts of the world, Europe faced an unprecedented crisis and urgent need to respond to immediate public health challenges and consequent economic and social issues. In March 2020, most EU countries restricted or prohibited access to buildings and campuses of schools, universities and other centres of education and training, as part of their measures to slow down the spread of the virus (Figure 2).



Figure 2: Schools and higher education closure in Europe in April 2020

Source: EURYDICE (2020) Within weeks, the global education landscape was upended, affecting 100 million pupils and students in the EU and over 1.3 billion children around the world. Some education systems announced exceptional ‘holiday’ periods at the beginning of the closure to better prepare their response, but within a short period of time, learning started to take place through experiences of remote emergency education in most parts of Europe. Results of the public consultation show that a large part of those respondents reporting not to have used distance and online learning before the crisis, but they actually did so during the lockdown period. The range of solutions put in place to ensure continuity of education and training was wide. They included low- and high-tech practices (e.g. using digital platforms, radio and TV channels, or other electronic resources) and varied from country to country, and within countries, depending on the level and sector of education and training . Experiences during the period of lockdown showed that a higher level of pre-existing digital capacity led to faster and better responses. Where this was not the case, the efficiency and quality of the measures suffered: for instance a study in Germany from June 2020 showed that the amount of time children devoted to school activities halved during the COVID-19 crisis, falling from 7.4 hours to 3.6 hours daily. Research shows that closure of education and training institutions, even if temporary, can have significant consequences for learners. Reduction in instructional time can impact negatively on learning outcomes. They can increase existing inequalities, with economically advantaged families having more resources to fill learning gaps and provide stimulating activities to their children. Across Member States, having already in place options for alternative and flexible forms of learning, interaction and communication allowed a faster and more efficient response, with the emergence of some good examples of innovation. However, access to and quality of the learning experience varied a lot depending on the availability of infrastructure and devices, the presence of digitally competent educators, including capacity to adapt pedagogical methods, and the existence or not of usable and accessible digital content, tools, services and platforms. All these elements, at national or local level, helped create the conditions for learning to continue. For instance, higher education institutions were somewhat better prepared than other education sectors, due to their prior experience with providing blended learning options and online digital content in their courses and programmes. In most cases, their lessons continued virtually through streaming and use of existing learning management systems but this happened with a wide degree of quality regarding the learning design. On the other end, schools and VET providers had to pivot rapidly, under similarly difficult circumstances and in most cases for the first time, to remote emergency education. In this rushed and unplanned situation, the production of new online learning content was rarely an option, especially because of time constraints. Most educators and students were confined in their homes at short notice and, as long as they had internet access and digital devices, in most cases a synchronous technology-mediated virtual classroom was considered the most practical and feasible approach. This is confirmed by the results of the public consultation where it is possible to observe an increase in the use of distance and online learning both ‘in real time’ (e.g. live online classes) and ‘in own time’ (e.g. watching videos of recorded lectures, consulting online learning materials, etc.); however, according to respondents, the former increased more than the latter. Due to unexpected closure of education and training institutions, most educators replaced face to face teaching and learning with synchronous online classes and this happened despite the use of distance and online learning ‘in own time’ done before the crisis was higher than the one ‘in real time’. Innovative instructional approaches, which stimulate learner autonomy, motivation and engagement were lacking. As practice and research on the topic shows, high-quality and inclusive digital education requires time, skills and appropriate resources for planning and design. 3.1 Challenges in managing remote emergency education Results from the public consultation confirm the manifold challenges in managing the sudden and large-scale shift to distance and online teaching and learning. Institutions and educators in Europe and around the world showed creativity and resilience, but many struggled to adapt to the needs and context of the learners, including their access, or not, to devices and connectivity. Individual perceptions of the solutions put in place varied considerably, with education and training staff having more positive views than learners and their parents. Overall, stakeholders highlighted that, in most cases, the transition to distance and online teaching and learning happened in a rush and unplanned manner. For younger students and pupils, education and training institutions relied heavily on parents and carers’ collaboration. Many publishers and technology providers opened up their resources and platforms. In a number of countries, new public-private partnerships were quickly established to expand national and local capacities in deploying distance and online learning solutions. The transition was also supported by rapidly developed television and radio programmes and by many educators who shared resources and practices to help colleagues, particularly those less experienced with online instructions. Although remote education has been present in education and training for many decades, the situation generated by the COVID-19 crisis saw a shift at an unprecedented scale, with millions of learners and educators moving simultaneously to distance and online teaching and learning. Given the emergency context, re-organising courses and lessons online was not the result of a well-planned instructional design process inspired by the opportunities offered by digital education and rooted in a thorough needs analysis. Evidence from the OECD’s Programme in International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018 showed that education systems were unprepared for this shift online. On average, 9% of 15-year-old students did not have a quiet place to study in their homes and access to computers and connectivity was a concern. Evidence confirms that the availability and use of digital solutions to enhance teaching and learning depends largely on national and local policies and practices. For instance a study from 2018 shows that the availability of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) varies across Member States, with primary schools using them less than lower and upper secondary schools (37%, 50% and 59% respectively). Platforms for school-home communication are less available than VLEs and educators use of technology for providing feedback and creating digital resources are even less prevalent than for other activities. For remote education to work, devices and internet access are vital but in addition, effective communication with learners is crucial to ensure engagement and prevent online learning from becoming passive and a matter of reading materials. During the COVID-19 crisis, many people experienced for the first time how technology could be used to teach, learn and assess in new and innovative ways. Results of the different consultation activities, including the open consultation, shows that, in some cases, this generated a positive reaction, with educators feeling comfortable with remote teaching and learners being happier to have a more personalised dialogue with their teachers. Educators who were lacking the confidence and competence to use digital technologies effectively faced immense challenges to adapt to learners’ social, learning and technological needs. Results of the public consultation confirm that adapting to this new working environment sometimes meant an increased workload, thus affecting educators’ own work-life balance. Given differences between face-to-face and distance or online teaching and learning, educators need to be supported on a practical, pedagogical and technical level, feel competent to adapt their methods and confident to use digital means to communicate, assess, and provide feedback. Students, in turn, need to be guided to stay motivated and engaged, as there is a risk of being excluded if they lack resources, connectivity, skills or motivation. Emerging evidence confirms that, in the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 crisis, educators and learners were not always in a position to harness the potential of distance and online teaching and learning nor were they able to deal with its limitations. An analysis of the experiences across Member States also shows that educational institutions with pre-existing digital capacity did not use distance and online learning extensively and sistematically until they had to. In this regard, exchange of best practice’ and professional learning and collaboration, both within and across educational institutions, emerges as a strategy for resilience . Many Ministries of Education across Member States (such as Italy, the first European country struck by the COVID-19 pandemic) quickly published guidelines to provide educators with easy access to video-conferencing applications, open educational platforms or online resources, and collaboration tools, allowing synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning. In some cases, they also prepared or collected materials to bridge the length of a temporary school closure and quickly put in place training courses for teachers on how to design lessons for remote education. Surveys and feedback show that finding an appropriate response was not easy, especially for certain sectors such as VET. Assessment of learners’ achievements, re-organisation of final exams as well as testing to determine entry requirements for higher education were highlighted as major challenges. Urgent support was also needed from authorities on how to validate and recognise qualifications. Organisations, including OECD, UNESCO and the European Commission pooled expertise and resources to facilitate exchange between countries, rapidly collect and analyse information on education responses, and support efforts to design workable solutions. Despite differences in education structures and curricula, international collaboration helped countries to share and exchange resources and learn from each other’s contingency plans. However, significant differences between and within countries in terms of digital capacity and competences as well as learners’ connectivity and access to devices, meant that entire groups of learners, including those from remote areas, migrant and refugee children and other learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, risked being excluded from distance and online teaching and learning. Education and training institutions are first and foremost a place of social interaction and the psychological consequences of facing the pandemic and related disruptions, while being away from their educators and peers, have been manifold for all learners. Students in upper secondary and tertiary education may have had already acquired skills to work independently, while younger learners were particularly challenged in this regard. Younger pupils needed additional support and guidance from parents and carers, including limiting their exposure to ‘screen time’ and passive usage of devices. Challenges were greater for families where parents had lower levels of education and no or low-level of digital skills (Figure 3) . Figure 3: Level of digital skills in EU households with children





Ensuring learners’ well-being and addressing the risks of increasing inequalities required targeted support, including to students with disabilities, special needs and the most vulnerable, who, may, for example, be entitled to free school meals. By forcing learners to a different routine with restricted social connections and increased academic stressors, the COVID-19 crisis has placed an unprecedented mental health burden on learners, which may require further intervention. For instance, a recent study shows that approximately 25% of learners experienced anxiety symptoms, which were positively correlated with concerns about academic disruption and delays, economic effects of the pandemic, and impacts on daily life. This is confirmed by the results of the public consultation where learners indicated ‘support for mental health’ as something they were lacking as well as ‘interaction, clear instructions and guidance from educators’ and ‘regular interaction and communication with other learners’. Specific support as well as further research and investigation on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health of individuals and young people may be needed in the future. Even though research efforts are underway, at present, robust data is missing on whether and how the distance and online teaching and learning practices put in place in response to the COVID-19 crisis ensured effective and equitable access to quality learning opportunities for all. Emerging evidence suggests that while delivering educational activities remotely ensured some degree of continuity of learning for many learners, low motivation levels, stress, absenteeism and disengagement were not uncommon. Without considering the consequences that this could have on dropout rates in the long term, the crisis has affected learners across the board and in particular those needing additional pedagogical and psychological support and those lacking reliable internet access and suitable devices for remote education. Flexible learning might be needed in emergencies, such as public health crises or natural disasters, but also in other situations where learners cannot access education and training buildings (e.g. to reach geographically isolated regions, to support students with long-term illness, to offer learning opportunities to working students, supplemental teaching or fill curriculum gaps). Overall flexible learning can help enrich and extend education and training, making it more inclusive and responsive to learners’ needs. The use of digital technologies for educational purposes can also support blended formats, combining face-to-face and online, which is one of the approaches considered by Member States in education and training institutions re-opening. However, it needs to be planned properly with sufficient support, resources and guidance, otherwise it risks becoming a negative experience for educators and learners alike. It is important to note that online learning can be perceived as being of lower quality than face-to-face instruction, despite research showing otherwise. As with other instructional approaches, its effectiveness is a matter of who is learning, who is teaching and how teaching and learning are accomplished and assessed. Suitable platforms and tools are of course vital but many other considerations are required. Teaching and learning online, whether in crisis or routine contexts, requires a fundamentally different approach to designing learning and engaging students. Emerging evidence on the educational impact of the crisis confirms that more systemic research on the future of education and training is needed. This needs to be based on a thorough and critical reflection on the positive and negative experiences generated by the COVID-19 crisis across Member States. However, in Europe, there is a relatively small body of prospective research focussed on what may happen to education over the medium or long term. Considering the megatrends shaping the future of education and training, including emerging technologies for teaching and learning, efforts are needed for more future-oriented, data-driven research and development in education and training. As widely confirmed by stakeholders, this will help ensure that in the future digital technologies enhance teaching and learning in an effective and sustainable way, while addressing concerns related to data use and protection, privacy and ethics. Box 2: Big data in education Global investments in educational technology reached US$18.66 billion in 2019, a stark increase over previous years. Yet, during the crisis, education and training institutions used, even within the same institution, a wide range of different online platforms and tools, sometimes provided for free or at reduced cost by the private sector and often not known by educators and learners. In many cases, there was a shortage of online content and other digital resources linked to national curricula. Solutions were often implemented as ‘quick fixes’ and generated concerns about the hasty adoption of commercial digital learning solutions whose design might be driven by business models that leverage user data for profitmaking, rather than meaningful pedagogical practices. The digitalisation of education and training is increasingly generating data that has the potential to be used to improve educational performance, personalise learning, reduce dropouts and increase the efficiency of teaching and learning provision. However, apart from a small number of successful pilot deployments, the use of predictive or learning analytics in Europe is not used to its full potential. Many countries have not yet established guidelines governing the ethical use of data in research or education. Education and training providers and policy-makers lack an overall vision and strategies on how to use technologies with regard to data. On the other side, the EdTech sector is currently offering a number of products and tools that make use of data-driven solutions. However, in these cases, data use and protection, ethics and privacy are not always taken in account. This is a critical moment, therefore, to reflect on what is needed to ensure that the choices and decisions educational institutions are current making impact positively on the future of education and training. In this context, quality assurance and trust play a crucial role: the former to promote a shared understanding of key quality standards for digital education; the latter to ensure respect of key principles regarding data use, ethics and privacy. These two elements, besides boosting the level of digital preparedness of Europe’s education and training institutions, can increase the cooperation between the public and private sector (beyond the crisis period) and improve the overall quality of the digital solutions available. 4. Priorities and direction for strategic action Results of the public consultation confirm that, during the lockdown, learning in confinement and without proper support raised questions around the effective use of technology for teaching and learning. Even though practice and research show that digital technologies can enrich and extend face-to-face education, its full potential remains unexploited. For the majority of respondents (95%), the COVID-19 crisis is a ‘turning point’ for digital education. They consider that the forced shift to distance and online learning would have a longer-term impact on education and training. Respondents said that effective provision of digital education, both in its online or blended format, would require educators’ digital competence development, the existence of a vision or a strategy on integrating digital technologies in education and training, and high quality digital resources and materials. In the view of education and training staff and parents, addressing socioeconomic inequalities between learners also requires investments in connectivity and infrastructure. Stakeholders also highlighted the key role that the European Commission can play in supporting national efforts, to promote networking and practice exchange and to build on lessons learnt during the COVID-19 crisis. The new Digital Education Action Plan takes on this challenge and sets out principles, vision and a series of measures to support high quality and inclusive digital education. Considering the debate that the use of technology for remote learning that the COVID-19 crisis has generated, the Action Plan addresses the challenges and opportunities for digital education in different learning environments (formal, non-formal and informal) and extends its scope to lifelong learning. The renewed Action Plan also has a longer duration, covering the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027), with a review foreseen in 2024. As confirmed by stakeholders, the priorities of the 2018 Action Plan remain relevant, but they are updated to reflect its longer duration and better address the challenges for education and training raised and, in some cases increased, by the COVID-19 crisis. In more details, the renewed Action Plan is based on two priorities, each accompanied by a limited number of targeted actions (see Table 2): Priority Area Short description Objectives Actions Fostering the development a high performing digital education ecosystem Effective use of digital technologies for quality and inclusive education and training needs to be planned in a sustainable way, with sufficient support, resources and guidance. Providing infrastructure and digital devices is fundamental, but a critical and purposeful use of digital technologies for teaching and learning needs to be underpinned by strong digital capacity. Actions under this priority promote closer collaboration and exchange in digital education among all parts of society. oBoosting peer learning and policy cooperation oInvesting in infrastructure and connectivity oFostering digital capacity building in educational institutions oSupporting high-quality digital education oEnabling factors for successful digital education oOnline and Distance Learning for Primary and Secondary Education oEuropean Digital Education Content Framework and European Exchange Platform oSupport for connectivity and digital equipment for education oDigital transformation plans and digital pedagogy and expertise oEthical guidelines on AI for educators Enhancing digital skills and competences for the digital transformation Today, the lack of digital competences is a societal challenge for adults and young people alike. The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced the need to promote a sound understanding of the digital world and support the development of digital competence of citizens and learners of all ages. Actions under this priority look at both basic and advanced digital skills with the aim of fostering digital citizenship and inclusion. oFostering the development of digital competence oPromoting digital literacy for informed choices as citizens oBoosting the development of advanced digital skills oTackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education and training oDigital Competence Framework update oEuropean Digital Skills Certificate oImproving the provision of digital skills in education and training oDigital competence benchmark oDigital Opportunity Traineeship oWomen’s participation in STEM; Table 2: Priorities, objectives and actions of the renewed Action Plan

5. Supporting evidence This section of the staff working document provides evidence supporting the actions of the renewed Digital Education Action Plan. It examines key opportunities and challenges regarding the pedagogical use of digital technologies for teaching and learning and the development of digital competence. 5.1 Using digital technologies for teaching and learning Digital technologies have the potential to improve education and training and increase its accessibility and quality, but for this to happen proper planning and instructional design play a key role. Evidence on the effects of digital technologies on learners’ academic performance, including the development of transversal competences (e.g. problem solving, creativity, etc.) and basic skills (e.g. reading, mathematics and science), is positive but mixed. Even though education and training systems are evolving and increasingly making use of digital technologies to stimulate innovation, there is limited evidence of the extent to which educational institutions have made progress in adapting their leadership, culture and delivery models. As outlined in section 3, the sudden and large-scale shift to distance and online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak has been far from simple. Despite being a positive experience for some institutions with high levels of digital capacity, it raised significant challenges in terms of equity and quality. These ranged from the unprecedented need for distance and online teaching and learning to be offered to all, the risk of increasing existing learning, social and digital inequalities and the pressure on educators to suddenly change their practices. The COVID-19 crisis has clearly shown that quality of access and infrastructure are crucial for ensuring equity in education and training. However, availability of digital technologies is not enough to have quality outcomes and improve the student experience. A positive relationship between the use of digital technologies and learning outcomes depends on a number of contextual and process-related variables. First, educators play a key role in adopting and using digital technologies for teaching, learning and student assessment in an effective way, fully online, remotely, or in a blended format. Educators themselves need to have an appropriate level of digital competence and be able to recognise their potential for educational purposes. The effectiveness of digital technologies for teaching and learning hinges on teacher practice and on how they integrate these tools into their teaching process. Educators’ perception of technologies as a learning tool are, in turn, influenced by the organisational culture, which allows for different levels of autonomy or agency and shapes the way digital technologies are implemented and used for teaching and learning in a specific context. Another factor linked to this, is the extent to which technology is deployed in purposeful and targeted ways. A recent study using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) shows that, while using computers to look for information positively affects student achievement, the opposite occurs when computers replace face-to-face instruction time to practice skills. An analysis of data from the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) finds that there is a positive relationship between students’ achievements and the use of digital technologies for certain purposes. There is also evidence that low-intensity users may see their learning achievements increase from additional use and that high-intensity users would benefit from a more moderate use. In addition, the location of the use of digital technologies matters. Their use at home for learning can be beneficial, but the presence of a space conducive to learning, parental monitoring for young people and general guidance for adults makes usage more effective. Literature suggests that the effect of the use of digital technologies on learning outcomes may also vary according to student age and socio-economic status as well as attitudinal factors. However, digital technologies are part of our everyday life and also need to be part of our learning experience, especially in a lifelong learning perspective. Their uptake and use for teaching and learning requires a critical approach and a holistic perspective. Embedding digital technologies in teaching and learning processes does not mean simply replicating or transposing face-to-face practices or traditional approaches online. It is a complex process, which requires robust digital capacity, including planning for organisational change, ongoing monitoring and adaptation, and a strong focus on learning driven pedagogy. As confirmed by the results of the public consultation, other relevant factors include leadership, professional development, and a shared understanding and approach to using technology to support and enhance teaching and learning. 5.1.1 Infrastructure and connectivity Early policies and strategies in digital education were largely infrastructure-led, looking at access (in terms of both connectivity and availability of devices). The digital divide was initially focused on those who could and could not access technology.. Over the years, investments at EU, national, regional and local level have been made, and connectivity and access have improved. In the 2009 OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), about 15% of students on average reported that they did not have access to internet at home. By 2018, that number shrunk to less than 5% across all levels of education (Figure 4). Figure 4: Students' access to internet at home Source: OECD (2018, 2015, 2012 and 2006) Nowadays the vast majority of people in the EU use internet in their everyday lives and 90% of households have internet access, with a connectivity rate between 98% (NL) and 75% (BG). These figures are very similar to the ones registered for households with dependent children: in this case 87% have access to internet, with a connectivity rate between 98% (NL) and 70% (BG). Furthermore, data reveal that access to internet is significantly higher for high-income households (98%, with income in the fourth quartile) compared to low-income households (77%, with income in the first quartile). The growth in access to online services is likely to be even steeper than suggested by these figures, which do not show improvements in the quality of internet services and the explosion of mobile internet access over the past decade. According to the 2020 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), internet access at home is provided mainly by fixed technologies (97%), while high speed broadband covers 86% of homes in the EU, up from 83% a year earlier. Over a period of five years, more and more people have taken up broadband services of at least 100 Mbps, with the current level of 26% of households, five times higher than five years ago. Even though little progress has been registered on the 5G networks, 4G mobile coverage is today almost universal (99%).

Nonetheless, as the COVID-19 crisis has shown, important infrastructure gaps still exist in Europe: broadband availability and adoption of digital equipment are not spreading at the same speed in rural and urban areas and between Member States. For instance, the EU-27 connectivity rate of households is at 86% in rural areas, with great disparities between countries, and broadband coverage continues to be lower than national coverage. Rural fixed coverage improved marginally from 88% in 2019 to 90% in 2020, while high-speed broadband increased from 52% to 59% compared to the year before. Still, 10% of households in rural areas are not covered by any fixed network and 41% by any fast broadband technology. Mobile coverage went up slightly compared to last year but it is still mainly used as a complementary technology. When it comes to equipment at home, latest figures from Eurostat show that, in 2017, 94% of households with dependent children had access, via one of its members, to at least one computer (i.e. 6% of EU households with dependent children did not have access to at least one computer). These findings are in line with 2nd Survey of Schools: ICT in education showing that most students have access to computers at home (e.g. 92% at primary, 96% at lower secondary and 97% at upper secondary education). These figures however do not provide information regarding how many computers are available per individual household, and whether students can have access to a computer at any time. Data on the topic shows that the share of students who use own digital equipment for learning purposes remains relatively stable compared to 2011/2012. In this case, the own equipment most used for learning purposes is a smartphone, while the use of laptops owned by students is quite low across Europe and depends largely on family’s income. Similarly to connectivity, disadvantaged learners such as those from low-income or migrant backgrounds have less access to computers at home and start using digital devices later in life and with a lower frequency compared to their more advantaged peers. Overall, education and income of parents appear to be positively correlated with young people’s access to digital technologies. With gaps in access to digital technologies, education institutions, and schools in particular, act as a key socio-economic driver and play an important role in preventing digital exclusion. Accessibility and quality of connectivity at school provide many advantages, including having access to resources and material in multiple formats, using platforms for collaboration, accessing tools for inquiry-based pedagogies and sophisticated online software, using applications for video conferencing or streaming. Infrastructure for educational purposes can be rich, varied and differentiated. It can go from minimum and essential components to highly equipped and connected classrooms with, for instance, ultra-fast broadband and one device per student. However, wired internet connections are still the norm in many European schools. The results of the 2nd Survey of Schools: ICT in education show that the share of students attending highly digitally equipped and connected schools differs widely: it ranges from 35% to 52% to 72% depending on the level of education (ISCED 1,2,3). The EU average suggests that the older the students, the higher the likelihood that they attend a school with a fast internet connection: on average in the EU, 11%, 17% and 18% of students are in schools that have an internet speed above 100 mbps at ISCED levels 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Moreover, as in the case of connectivity at home, large differences between and within EU countries exist: whereas Nordic countries are frontrunners regarding the deployment of high-speed access to internet in schools, other countries and schools located in villages or smaller cities are lagging behind (Figure 5). Figure 5: Internet speed according to location of schools Source: 2nd Survey of Schools (2019) – Percentage of students, all ISCED levels, EU level EU broadband targets foresee that by 2025 all schools should have access to Gigabit internet connectivity. These findings therefore highlight the need to further support school access to high-speed internet, as already recognised in the Communication on Shaping Europe’s Digital Future. While Member States have the primary role in tackling infrastructure provision and connectivity , the EU is actively supporting efforts to fulfil this goal. For instance, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) invests in education infrastructure and equipment and creates incentives for educational reforms in the Member States. Nearly EUR 7 billion of ERDF resources have been invested in education and training in the 2014-2020 programming period. This means that almost 7 million young people will be able to use new or improved educational facilities across different Member States. The need to support the roll-out of higher-capacity broadband in schools was included in the 2018 Action Plan, with an initiative aiming at raising awareness on the funding opportunities provided by the EU for connectivity. The first three Wifi4EU calls led to 7,980 municipalities, including schools, received vouchers for Wi-Fi hotspots. Analysis of this action and input from stakeholders indicated that stronger support for school infrastructure and equipment would help achieve more systemic results. 5.1.2 Digital capacity in educational institutions across the EU While availability and access to technologies is an important and necessary pre-condition for digital education, improvements in education and training can only come through systemic organisational change underpinned by pedagogical principles and values. Research on the topic shows that infrastructure and connectivity need to be accompanied by a range of measures, including digital leadership and vision and teacher professional development, and that digital education should be firmly embedded across education and innovation policies. To date, most Member States have developed digital strategies to support educational organisations in using digital technologies to enhance learning, but very few undertake regular monitoring or evaluation to review and update them on the basis of new developments in technology and related learning needs. In countries with less advanced digital economies, investments continue to be directed towards improving digital infrastructure, but increasingly policy interventions are more holistic in focus, and include digital leadership and educator competences as key drivers to encourage and sustain innovation. During the COVID-19 crisis, the need to provide teaching and learning remotely led to examples of educational innovation at scale but also to suboptimal practices due to the lack of experience and digital capacity of institutions at all levels of education. Indeed, several national studies confirm that the effectiveness of the response was linked to levels of preparedness. This included factors such as availability of infrastructure, connectivity and devices; access to online content aligned with national curricula and programmes; confidence and skills of educators to design and facilitate distance and online learning; levels of interaction and support for learners; capacity to monitor access; track the learning process and assess learning outcomes. In drawing lessons for the future, it is important to build digital capacity and preparedness to avoid replicating the experience of the past months, which saw widening gaps, inequalities and learning losses . As confirmed by the public consultation, education and training institutions can learn and build upon the experience by enhancing their digital capacity. A strategic and planned approach for technology use and digital competence development can help ensure learning continuity in situations where on-site attendance is not possible. This includes emergencies such as with COVID-19, but also other circumstances, for example offering learning opportunities to a diversified cohort of students, reaching geographically isolated regions, offering supplementary teaching, etc. At school level, recent research shows that teachers working in institutions with an organised and collaborative approach to technology are more likely to use digital technologies in their teaching and value the importance of students’ digital competence. However, a planned and systematic approach to integrating technology in school activities is currently the exception rather than the norm.For instance, the 2nd Survey of Schools on ICT in Education found that only around one third of students attended schools that had written statements on the use of digital technologies for pedagogical purposes. In cases where schools are required to development such a plan, digital competence and innovative teaching and learning methods become central to school development as part of a whole school approach. Effective use and integration of digital technologies in teaching and learning require careful planning for pedagogical, technological and organisational change. Defining the starting point of an education and training institution regarding the use of technologies in their teaching and learning activities is key to initiate this process. Assessing the current situation, sharing experiences and discussing why and how technology can be used are key drivers for learning how to use technology in a meaningful way, while better understanding the institution’s learning culture and wider system-level barriers. For this reason, the 2018 Digital Education Action Plan included actions to support educational institutions in assessing their digital capacity and planning for organisational change. At school level, SELFIE , launched in October 2018, is a free, customisable self-reflection tool, which allows school plan for technology use. By gathering (anonymised) views and perspectives from students, teachers and school leaders, results can be used to kick-start an internal debate and develop concrete actions for improving technology use and digital competence development. Feedback from end-users was highly positive and the tool was singled out as a best practice example of a practical and useful tool to help school and support policy goals. SELFIE has been used by over 650,000 users (32 language versions available) and from the outset has received extensive support and interest from Ministries of Education in Member States and partner countries. The SELFIE tool is continuously improved based on feedback from schools: in August 2020, a new release of SELFIE has been published to include questions on online and blended learning to help schools reflect on and learn from the period of school closure and disruption. Following a feasibility study, a version of the tool for work-based learning (e.g. students on apprenticeships programmes) is also being piloted. The activities carried out so far indicate that the inclusive and flexible design of SELFIE provides schools with valuable information to harness the potential of technology in all aspects of education, but more support is needed to help schools use their results to develop digital learning plans and increase their digital capacity. Similarly, the response of the higher education sector to digital transformation is uneven: higher education institutions vary widely in their levels of digital capacity and there is a substantial knowledge and experience gap, both within and across institutions. Emerging evidence from the COVID-19 crisis indicate a general higher level of preparedness, with many courses and programmes continuing online through asynchronous and synchronous instruction and by scaling up of existing learning management systems. Challenges were many including assessment, administration of exams, and selection and admission of new students as well as learner engagement and adapting instructional design to online learning. Although many higher education institutions are spearheading new approaches and good practice examples can be found throughout the sector, the system-wide take-up of effective digital education practices remains slow. A number of surveys are underway to investigate the level of digital preparedness and the response of higher education to the COVID-19 crisis, but overall scarcity of data and detailed information on the adoption and impact of digitalisation at university level hinders the effective use of policy measures to stimulate, monitor and assess institutional practices.

During the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan, debate on how to support further universities to modernise and drive organisational change led to a further development of HEInnovate, a guiding framework to support higher education institutions and systems to develop their innovative and entrepreneurial potential. A new set of statements on ‘digital transformation and capability’ were added, covering areas such as organisational culture and vision for digital learning, fit-for-purpose digital infrastructure, and the development of digital competences of staff and learners. Since its launch in June 2018, around 1300 institutional self-assessments have used this new dimension. The HEInnovate community has particularly welcomed the new focus on the digital transformation underlining that it addresses a clear demand coming from universities. Higher education’s interest in the topic has been also confirmed by the active participation in the HEInnovate Webinar Series launched in Spring 2020 during the lockdown period. The objective of these webinars was to leverage the expertise of the HEInnovate community to discuss the current challenges facing higher education institutions, share approaches and solutions, and discuss how educational practices are being adapted to meet the requirements of the digital world. As for other levels of education, the COVID-19 crisis has forced higher education institutions to radically change how they operate and deliver their educational offer. This has significantly accelerated the digital transformation that some institutions were preparing for or undergoing prior to the crisis. Higher education in the EU is evolving with a growing demand for short-term learning opportunities, the need for more flexible provision for degree programmes and demand from adult learners and professionals looking to re-skill or upskill. In this context, the use of digital technologies has the potential to open up higher education to a wider audience, offering certain economies of scale and providing learning that is more inclusive and flexible. Before the COVID-19 crisis, there was a clear trend towards integrating blended learning in formal educational offers (e.g. using digital learning mainly in face-to-face degree programmes), as programme managers and educators consider this type of learning the most effective one. However, establishing high quality digital content requires careful instructional design and planning to ensure that learning, teaching and assessment methods are suited to online and blended modes. Recently, a new impetus for creating and sharing digital content for students, staff, researchers and citizens was given through the European Universities initiative , which supports transnational alliances of higher education institutions. Online and blended learning support the goal of the European Universities to increase mobility of their students and staff; offer more flexible learning pathways and increase transdisciplinary approaches to link students and staff with the public and private sector. In addition, the Erasmus+ OpenU project under the 2018 Action Plan aims at fostering policy dialogue between higher education institutions and national high-level authorities on the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning. The entry point for digital transformation in higher education institutions is often connected to online or blended teaching and learning, however digitalisation covers much more than the online delivery of content. The uptake of digital technologies in higher education should be based on strong leadership and a holistic, well-designed and integrated strategy that consider technologies as a key enabler for all institutional processes and activities. It is in this context that the concept of digital-first thinking has been developed to indicate a shift in organisational culture, which embraces the opportunities offered by digital technologies and shapes activities and practices accordingly. Evidence shows that higher education institutions play a key role in supporting central and local authorities in developing and implementing their digital agenda. Supporting these efforts by promoting best practices exchange and capacity building may have a multiplier effect on higher education practices but also on society and the economy. 5.1.3 Educators’ digital competence In a rapidly changing world, teaching, learning and assessment face new challenges and demands. Teaching professionals in all sectors of education, from early years to adult learning, are at the fore of this change, and need to be equipped with the confidence and competence to use technology effectively. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, stakeholders pointed to the importance of boosting digital competence of education and training staff as a way to ensure effective and pedagogically driven use of digital technologies for teaching, learning and assessment. Providing support, training and guidance for educators was indicated by half of the respondents of the public consultation as the most important area in which the EU can add value Emerging evidence confirms that, during the period of education and training institutions’ closure, many educators struggled with the situation and lacked the knowledge and experience on how to plan, develop and deliver teaching through digital means, including identifying platforms and tools that were effective, easy to use, viable and secure. A number of national studies show that educators faced a heavy increase in workload and felt tremendous pressure, not least due to having to quickly design and organise remote and online learning. In some cases, they lost daily contact with their students and many adopted strategies which attempted to reproduce standard classroom approaches and timetabling online. In this regard, educational institutions which had experience in organising teaching, learning and assessment as a team activity and taking organisation-wide approaches were able to transition more readily to remote education. . In Europe, three out of four education systems recognise digital competence as an essential element that educators must have for teaching, but this is reflected in recommendations for initial teacher training in only half of European education systems’. The vast majority of teachers and school leaders who participated in the 2018 OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) say that their schools are open to innovative practices and have the capacity to adopt them. The frequency with which teachers have students use digital technologies for projects or class work has risen in almost all Member States since 2013, and this is reflected in increased participation rates in teachers’ formal education and training including digital skills for teaching. However, prior to the COVID-19 crisis, when asked about their level of preparedness, only 39% of teachers in the EU felt well or very well prepared to use digital technologies for teaching, with significant differences across EU countries. More than half of the teachers had participated in professional development activities that covered the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning, but, on average, 16% of teachers still reported a strong need for professional development in the area of digital competences (Figure 6). Figure 6: Teachers’ need for professional development Results from the public consultation show that educators and education and training staff are the target groups with the highest share of respondents declaring that they have improved their digital skills during the COVID-19 crisis and that they plan to take up new initiatives and courses to further improve their digital competences in the future. There is also evidence that current forms of teacher professional development are not necessarily meeting teachers’ needs. In particular, teachers’ professional learning opportunities need to move from acquiring skills to master certain tools or technological competencies to finding ways to tailor technology to specific subjects, objectives and activities. The emergence of new technologies such as AI, virtual or augmented reality and social robotics, challenge educators and requires them to take a more active role in the design and implementation of these tools to ensure their use is effective, desirable and inclusive. In addition, there is a growing interest in more flexible, innovative and sustained models of professional development, in particular where educators learn from their peers. Despite the interest, these models of professional development activities are not as widespread as other more traditional approaches (Figure 7).

Exchanges between teachers and educators using digital tools in teaching and learning are taking place though a number of platforms for peer learning and professional development, but efforts are needed to further recognise and reward their use. For instance eTwinning, one of the largest and most dynamic educational networks in Europe, has involved 760,000 teachers from 200,000 schools since its creation 15 years ago. More than 100,000 projects have been run using eTwinning, involving students at all educational levels from 44 participating countries (36 European countries and 8 neighbouring countries). The Evaluate Erasmus+ policy experimentation project has examined the impact of virtual exchanges on students and teachers in initial teacher education across Europe and its findings offer clear evidence of the benefits that activities, such as eTwinning, can bring to initial teacher education. Virtual exchange activities help teachers to step away from their accustomed learning and teaching approaches and develop new skills to engage in linguistic, intercultural, and digital learning experiences, which they may not be confronted with in their day-to-day practice. As the COVID-19 crisis has shown, the level of preparedness of educators is key to enable innovation: boosting educators’ digital competence and recognising the use of (digital) networks such as eTwinning can help improve the effectiveness of educators’ practices and related professional development activities as well as the overall pedagogical use of digital technologies in Europe’s education and training institutions. 5.1.4 Quality of digital education content High-quality digital education is crucial to boost the attractiveness, quality and inclusiveness of European education and training at all levels. Options for part-time studies and online courses are especially suitable for working people, students with family commitments in need of flexibility and adult learners – all categories which are on the rise in EU higher education systems. According to a recent study, recognised online courses in higher education do not act as a substitute for face-to-face programmes but create new demand from people that would otherwise not have participated. The Eurostat Survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals shows that in 2019, an average of 10% of European citizens aged between 16 and 74 reported taking an online course in the previous three months for educational, professional or private purposes. Already before the COVID-19 crisis, the growth rate across EU-27 was accelerating and this happens also for the use of internet to access online learning material other than an online course (e.g. audio-visual, electronic textbooks, learning apps, etc.). Beyond the use of digital learning for degree programmes, higher education institutions can benefit from the integration of online learning opportunities in non-degree programmes to complement their educational offer and respond to the growing need for upskilling and reskilling. Online learning can also provide small and medium enterprises, which typically have more difficulty in organising and delivering training, with easily accessible and tested content and training material for their staff. In this regard, results from the public consultation confirm that the use of online learning is expected to be the most popular format that will be used for improving staff’s digital competences, followed by a mix of online and face-to-face training. The latest results from the EU labour force survey show that adult participation in education and training is limited (11%, vs the target of at least 15% of adults participating in lifelong learning by 2020) and that people with little or no qualifications – those most in need of access to learning – are the least likely to benefit from it. Considering the potential of online learning for the (direct or indirect) acquisition of digital skills and more efficient use of educators/learners’ time, digital learning can form part of the response to the challenge of boosting adult participation in education and training. For example, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), one of the more widespread forms of online learning, are recognised by job seekers and workers as an effective tool for acquiring the skills needed in the labour market and for keeping them updated (Figure 8). Figure 8: Workers’ benefits from taking MOOCs (1-5 scale) Source: JRC MOOC Survey (2019) Over the last few years, MOOCs have continued to expand in terms of courses and number of learners. Despite this, EU countries can be considered late adopters compared to the US and highly dependent on non-EU countries for the provision of MOOCs. Data on the main global platforms, provided by Class Central Inc, highlights that MOOCs production is twice as prevalent [in the US in comparison to the EU. Three out of the five main MOOC platforms are US-based and together attract 73% of all MOOC learners . None of the EU-based MOOC platforms are amongst the five leading ones. Available data show not only that EU higher education institutions are less intensive MOOC producers than US ones but also that the offer of MOOCs in the EU is unevenly distributed across Member States, with France, Spain and Italy being the leaders in absolute numbers. Online education and MOOCs were seen originally as a way of opening up and democratising education, but current evidence shows that not all individuals benefit on equal footing. In their current form, MOOCs reach people with more qualifications and higher levels of organisational, self-regulation and digital skills. In order to make MOOCs more inclusive and truly useful tools for acquiring and updating the skills needed in the labour market, the offer needs to be more diverse in terms of content and language and include quality instructional designs and pedagogies . According to stakeholders, further support at EU level is needed to boost expertise and provide the conditions to deliver high quality multilingual online (and blended) learning content, along with promoting interoperability and synergies between different national and European online platforms. A number of Ministries of Education (NL, DE, NO) called for a pan-European approach towards flexible learning pathways, based on quality assurance and secure infrastructure. Additionally, higher education institutions and the private sector are particularly in favour of measures to support the recognition of online and blended learning in order to stimulate lifelong learning and upskilling. However, this can be achieved only if online learning courses and micro-credentials are recognised for employment and further study - a goal that is limited by several factors. First, MOOCs and other forms of online learning courses often fall outside the scope of existing quality assurance processes and mechanisms. Second, the lack of a shared definition and common approach makes in some cases employers feel unsure about what micro-credentials are and which ones to trust. Recognition of prior learning is the most relevant method currently to recognise micro-credentials for further studies. However, practices vary among higher education systems and institutions in the Member States and there are doubts about whether the current procedures could cope with a potentially growing numbers of micro-credentials. Another set of barriers concerns the lack of digital solutions for storage and validation, and the impact it may have on portability and scaling. Within the 2018 Action Plan, the European Commission piloted a framework for digitally-signed credentials (e.g. statements that provide a proof of individual learning achievement) to be deployed within the new Europass. Free tools will be offered to institutions across the EU to issue credentials, diplomas and certificates in a digital format with automatic verification of their authenticity. The framework is built on a single data model, which can describe all forms of learning achievement, including micro-credentials, and provide a basis for storing credentials accumulated over time. In addition, the ongoing European Student Card Initiative aims to help students move more easily between campuses, both for physical mobility and when participating in online learning. However, available data highlights the need to further support the creation, use and sharing of high-quality digital education content. Stakeholders consulted in preparation of this initiative confirmed a strong