
Digital Skills Development
Choose a digital capability to discover and develop
The Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework encompasses a comprehensive structure for building digital skills and competencies across various academic contexts. By selecting each one of the six capabilities below, you can start to ‘Discover’ more about the capability, or begin to ‘Enhance’ your digital skills.


Digital proficiency and productivity
The foundation for developing digital capabilities are the skills you have to use technologies and manage them productively. These skills will help you to develop your knowledge and understanding in other areas.
It defines the confident use of devices, applications, software and services as well as the ability to stay up to date as technology changes.
Finally, it defines the use of ICT-based tools to carry out tasks effectively, productively, and with attention to quality including to solve problems and achieve complex tasks.
Digital proficiency and productivity


Information, data and media literacies
Jisc defines Information, Data and Media Literacy in the following ways:
- “Information literacy is your ability to find, evaluate, organise and share information, whether you are using it for academic or professional purposes, or as a learner…
- Media literacy covers all the ways you receive and respond to messages in digital media, including text, graphics, video, animations, audio, and media such as websites, simulations and games…
- Data literacy is how you handle data as a special form of information…” (Jisc digital capability report: 2019)
It is important for both staff and students to be aware of these different literacies and how they should employ them when using information from online sources and putting their own information online.
Information, data and media literacies


Digital identity and wellbeing
Jisc defines Digital Identity Management as “how you develop and project a digital identity – or several identities – and how you manage your digital reputation.”
Digital Wellbeing is defined as “how you look after your personal health, safety, relationships and work-life balance in digital settings.”(Jisc digital capability report: 2019)
If you can protect yourself online, in regards to privacy, data, identity, wellbeing and mental health, then you have the essential foundations on which you can begin to build and develop your other capabilities.
This makes Digital Identity and Wellbeing a very good place to start when it comes to digital capabilities, as they allow you to thrive in all other aspects of digital use.
Digital identity and wellbeing


Digital communication, collaboration and participation
Jisc defines digital communication, collaboration and participation as:
- The capacity to communicate effectively in digital media and spaces such as text-based forums, online video and audio, and social media; to design digital communications for different purposes and audiences; to respect others in public communications; to maintain privacy in private communications; to identify and deal with false or damaging digital communications.
- The capacity to participate in digital teams and working groups; to collaborate effectively using shared digital tools and media; to produce shared materials; to use shared productivity tools; to work effectively across cultural, social and linguistic boundaries.
- The capacity to participate in, facilitate and build digital networks; to participate in social and cultural life using digital media and services; to create positive connections and build contacts; to share and amplify messages across networks; to behave safely and ethically in networked environments.
Digital communication, collaboration and participation


Digital learning and development
Jisc defines digital learning and development as:
- The capacity to participate in (and benefit from) digital learning opportunities; identify and use digital learning resources; participate in learning dialogues via digital media; use learning apps and services (personal or organisational); use digital tools to organise, plan and reflect on learning; record learning events/data and use them for self-analysis, reflection and showcasing of achievement; monitor own progress; participate in digital assessment and receive digital feedback; manage own time and tasks, attention and motivation to learn in digital settings.
- The capacity to support and develop others in digitally-rich settings to teach, to work in a teaching or curriculum team, to design learning opportunities, to support and facilitate learning; be proactive in peer learning – all while making effective use of the available digital tools and resources.
Digital learning and development


Digital creation, problem solving and innovation
Jisc defines digital creation as the capacity to design and/or create new digital artefacts and materials.
It defines digital (research and) problem-solving as the capacity to use digital evidence to solve problems and to answer questions.
Finally, it defines digital innovation as the capacity to adopt and develop new practices with digital technology.