Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2022, 38(3)

TDC in HE 
Throughout the 2010s, the concepts of DC, digital literacy and digital skills have been increasingly 
intertwined in education policy discourse, with implications for classroom practice, teacher education and 
continuing teacher professional development. Often these concepts have been used interchangeably, and 
despite an abundance of research whose aim has been to clearly delineate definitions, there remains some 
murkiness around their use and development over time and across geographic, disciplinary and 
methodological boundaries (Reis et al., 2019; Spante et al., 2018). Recent work has been carried out to 
propose and validate conceptual frameworks to support DC in education (Castañeda et al., 2018; Falloon, 
2020; Redecker & Punie, 2017), and research has become aligned to specific contexts of HE, most notably 
teacher education (Krumsvik, 2014). 
Broadly speaking, DC often refers to the skills and literacies needed for the average citizen to be able to 
productively learn, navigate and participate in society (Ilomäki et al., 2016), while TDC is characterised as 
the set of skills, attitudes and knowledge required by educators to function professionally and productively 
in diverse and digitally mediated environments (Esteve-Mon et al., 2020; Falloon, 2020). Further, as 
outlined by Redecker and Punie (2017) in the widely cited DigCompEdu framework, TDC involves 
supporting and empowering student DC through the use of digital technology. A range of competency areas 
related to common teaching practices are emphasised in this framework, including developing educational 
resources, designing and enacting teaching and learning activities, assessment practices as well as engaging 
in professional learning communities. One of the most recurrent justifications for TDC development in HE 
is the scale and scope of technology integration into all dimensions of professional life, and the associated 
demands placed on teachers in meeting the challenges posed by a global digital society (Esteve-Mon et al., 
2020). 
Research has established that regional differences exist around the use of the constructs of DC and digital 
literacy in HE research, the former being favoured in continental Europe (Spain, Italy, Scandinavia), the 
latter being used in English speaking countries (United Kingdom, United States of America) (Spante et al., 
2018). Research has revealed that digital literacy studies in HE have been more frequent and over a longer 
period of time, while DC research has emerged in the last decade. There is also a divide between research 
which focuses on teacher education programs and research which centres on TDC more broadly at an 
institutional level and across disciplinary boundaries. Specific to teacher education programs, the 
technological pedagogical content knowledge conceptual framework has been immensely influential for 
teachers-in-training in understanding the types of knowledge and competencies required to effectively teach 
with technology (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). More recently, research has developed teacher educator 
technology competencies to support teacher educators in understanding what knowledge, skills and 
attitudes are needed to effectively integrate technology during teacher preparation programs and beyond 
(Foulger et al., 2017). 

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Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2022, 38(3). 
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