Digital Challenges: The Digital Competencies of Educational Institutions

Abstract

The rapid changes driven by information technologies in today’s world have led to an increasing number of innovations that facilitate human convenience, new types of business together with new careers. However, these technologies can also become dangerous if misused for cyberbullying, violation of privacy, and cybercrimes like online financial fraud or scams. Society expects all levels of educational institutions to be highly accountable for developing its human resources readiness for the shift toward a full digital society. Therefore, educational institutions must enhance their information technology policies to not only use information technology for learning management and for some administrative purposes, but to inhibit digital competencies for developing human resources readiness to deal with current and emerging changes. This also includes allowing students to find opportunities to develop themselves amidst new unfamiliar obstacles, to recognize their online vulnerabilities, and protect themselves from being online victims. Furthermore, educational institutions can leverage their digital competencies to work with communities and society to solve problems and develop human resources through lifelong learning, thus driving society to be ready to accept various changes in the world, in the digital society.