Identifying Competencies of Digitally Fluent Educators in Higher Education
A Delphi Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22046720 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Helen Huiqing Hwu (University of Washington, corresponding author), Daniel Foster (0000-0002-9655-6630, Pennsylvania State University), Crystal Ramsay (Teaching and Learning with Technology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA), Crystal M Ramsay (Pennsylvania State University), Angela Dick (Pennsylvania State University), Na Li (0000-0002-1103-6864, Pennsylvania State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 342 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16020342 |
| OpenAlex | W7130721892 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Adaptability and flexibility in teaching with digital technologies are essential for instructors to navigate dynamic and ever-evolving educational contexts. However, little has been done to investigate the underlying competencies required of instructors to fluently integrate technologies into their instructional practices. This study employed the Delphi method to address this gap and identify the competencies of a digitally fluent educator in higher education. Through three rounds of data analysis, 36 experts across multiple higher education institutions reached consensus on 14 competencies, including 8 knowledge, 3 skills, and 3 dispositions as indicators of an educator fluent in applying digital tools. The final list of competencies highlights the importance of metacognitive skills, conditional knowledge, and a disposition to be adaptable when defining fluency in digital instruction. The findings indicate a differentiation between digital fluency and previous paradigms such as digital literacy and digital competency. Implications for competency-based professional development opportunities and future research are discussed
Delphi · Delphi method · Digital curation · Digital Literacy · Fluency · Literacy · Metacognition · Technological literacy · Digital literacy in education · Educational Leadership and Innovation · Literacy, Media, and Education
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| Highly cited | No |
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