Digital Evolution for Flexible and Collaborative Learning Environments

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

theory of action, political governing

illuminate some of the tensions in this debate.

more than 50% of respondents want to do more.

technology is used in education and training.

**1. Introduction**

Decoding the Digital Gap in

Perspectives across the Globe

Educational use of technology is regularly assessed, and results often show a gap between educational policies and what is actually practiced. This chapter will help clarify how teacher educators experience the changing educational contexts due to the digital revolution, how their meaning-making shifts, and how outside forces influence those processes. The results are based on comparative international studies. Central for this study is practitioners' professional digital competence, their attitudes towards digital technology and the use of digital technology in education. We found that the influence and contribution of digital practice is carried out quite differently across the globe. Our research questions were: How do practitioners experience teaching in a rapidly changing context? How do attitudes change due to top-down governing of education? and What motivates teacher educators to implement digital technology?

**Keywords:** professional digital competences, digital attitudes, educators, digital gap,

Societies are gradually becoming a world of digitally rich environments, which includes classroom practice, home equipment and private pocket devices. Digital technologies are deeply transforming what it means to be literate, and digital competence is considered a vital aspect of education that organizations should systematically improve [1]. Educational technologies have brought about many changes in the teaching and learning environment in our schools. While application of appropriate technological processes and the use of ICT facilitates learning, there is an ongoing debate about the usefulness of technology. This chapter attempts to

The global situation within higher education changed drastically in 2020. A public survey in Europe on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis found these results [2]:

• Over 60% felt that they had improved their digital skills during the crisis and

• 95% consider that the Covid-19 crisis marks a point of no return for how

• 60% of the respondents had not used online learning before the crisis.

Teacher Education: Three

*Steinar Thorvaldsen and Siri Sollied Madsen*
