Recently, GROVO (a learning technology company) released a report on the digital skills gap in teachers and students in higher education. The report accurately points out 3 types of digital skills gaps that exist.
--> The first is a "generational gap" between college teachers and the students they teach.
--> The second is a "technological skills gap" in what college teachers know and what they should know.
--> The third is a "inequality gap" that describes the various levels of digital skills between students in college.
While the generational, technological and inequality gaps are presented differently in the GROVO report, I believe that they can be addressed by the way that we teach our students using technology. For instance, in my computer courses, the digital skills gap between different students is filled naturally by the content of the course. In all of my courses, I make a point to bridge the digital gaps between students AND between me and my students.
In requiring my students to use technology in my courses, I can continue to learn and update my own digital skills at the same time. In this article, I share 5 ways that I address the digital skills gaps in my classes:
