This section provides guidance on developing a strategy to increase and improve the use of digital in educational settings. All guidance links to the Digital Schools Award (Scotland) (DSAS) and aims to support school improvement principles.

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Be clear on the purpose

“A detailed plan for achieving success” is the Cambridge Dictionary definition of strategy. 

When writing a strategy, it may be useful to consider using Plain English. The Plain English Campaign offer free Plain English guides: use this link to visit the Plain English Campaign guides page. One of their top suggestions is to limit sentences to 20 words.

The first action in developing your strategy should be to clearly state the aim of the strategy – what should it achieve? Try writing a sentence of twenty words or less that states a successful outcome for your setting.

Making connections to existing and relevant work

Consider why your setting needs a digital strategy. What will improving the use of digital help you to achieve?

It might be worth considering national priorities, such as:

  • meeting learners’ needs
  • health and wellbeing outcomes​
  • the poverty-related attainment gap​
  • employability skills​
  • tracking children’s progress (particularly in literacy and numeracy)

Will a more effective use of digital impact any of these outcomes? Revisit your strategy aim (20 words or less) and check these are aligned.

Below is an example of a school improvement planning document – a detailed plan for achieving success. It contains:

  • a rationale
  • outcomes
  • measures
  • interventions

These should include information or data that makes clear:

  • baseline measure of current levels of skills or confidence
  • how impacts or outcomes will be measured
  • names against actions; this provides accountability 
this is an image demonstrating an example of a school improvement plan
 

digital schools award logo

The Digital Schools Award (Scotland) (DSAS) framework

In Scotland, the DSAS programme certifies schools’ use of digital. Your setting might use the DSAS framework as a guide for your strategy and the award as recognition of your work. The framework currently has five sections:

DSAS framework and checklists: use this link to visit the Digital Schools Award (Scotland) website for more information

Education Scotland digital skills guidance

Other sections of this site contain guidance for:

Your setting may be developing aspects of all of these at the same time but consider the clarity of your strategy this time. Which one(s) are fundamental to achieving your aims? Do all staff have the essential digital skills to undertake different pedagogical approaches? Do they have the skills and knowledge to teach digital skills to children and young people?

Digital skills for Scottish educators

Digital Skills for Scottish Educators

The guidance on Digital Skills for Scottish Educators provides a clear and defining list of skills and knowledge that all educators should have. These digital skills underpin the ability to make effective use of digital in learning and teaching. They are also the skills that should be taught to children and young people and therefore it is essential that educators have them. 

The Digital Skills for Scottish Educators page has a form to evaluate your digital skills and an option to duplicate the form – this can be shared with staff and your collected results will form a baseline of staff digital skills. 

Use this link to go to the digital skills for Scottish educators page

effective use of digital in learning and teaching

Effective use of digital in learning and teaching

When educators are digitally skilled, your setting may ask them to use digital technology to affect learning and teaching. This could include, but is not limited to:

  • accessibility tools to meet more learners’ needs
  • ‘flipped learning’ that allows children and young people to develop their understanding at home and utilise this in class
  • creating multimedia teaching materials, such as videos, slides, graphics or web pages

The use of such technologies should be intentional and designed to enhance learning and teaching in some manner. The selection of technologies should be matched to staff digital skills and the aims of your strategy,

Use this link to go to the effective use of digital in learning and teaching page

Digital skills for children and young people

Digital skills for children and young people

The skills that children and young people require will vary by age, stage and individual experience. Being confident in their own digital skills will empower educators to deliver the digital skills curriculum, including:

  • how digital technology works
  • the skills to use digital technology
  • understanding how digital technology affects us

Use this link to go to the digital skills for children and young people page

Support to develop your digital strategy

Book a call with the Education Scotland digital skills team.

We’ll work with you to evaluate your current practice, explore your aims and work with you to make effective use of digital in your improvement planning. This will include:

  • a call to discuss initial aims, opportunities and needs
  • a plan to improve staff skills and learner opportunities
  • ongoing support and training as required 

Get in touch to book a digital strategy call