3.2.2 | European Edtech Map

EUROPEAN EDTECH POLICY MAP

Integrate EdTech into broader digital and innovation policies

Promote cross-ministerial coordination

Promote cross-country knowledge exchange on evidence building

Pair infrastructure investments with training and support

Train all education stakeholders in identifying their digitalisation needs

Develop occupational profiles mapping skills needs

3.2. Skills and knowledge for selection and adoption

3.2.2 Train all education stakeholders in identifying their digitalisation needs

Summary of suggested actions

Involve schools in defining their digitalisation needs to guide targeted investment, foster meaningful adoption, and reduce the digital divide.

Description

Ensure schools are directly involved in defining their digitalisation needs to drive holistic digital transformation and reduce the digital divide within and between regions.
Train all education stakeholders in digital technology and responsible AI use.

Major enabling factors

Instruments such as SELFIE, SELFIE for Teachers, and DigCompOrg already provide validated structures for digital self-assessment, offering a foundation for national adaptation and scaling.
The Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) and Council Recommendation on the key enabling factors for successful digital education and training (2023) explicitly emphasise local ownership of digital transformation and capacity-building for educators.
Programmes such as Digital Schools Awards Europe or national quality labels provide positive reinforcement for schools that undertake structured self-assessment and development planning.
Countries such as Germany (Schultransform), Ireland (Digital Learning Framework), and Finland (Digital Competence Framework) have implemented practical tools for institutional self-reflection and planning.

Major roadblocks

Many schools and institutions still lack the expertise to interpret or act upon self-assessment outcomes, resulting in superficial or inconsistent use of diagnostic tools.
Rural and under-resourced schools face barriers to participation due to lack of staff time, internet access, or awareness of available tools.
Needs-assessment exercises are rarely linked to actual investment or capacity-building mechanisms, reducing motivation and perceived relevance for schools.
Few Member States systematically evaluate whether self-assessment and needs identification translate into measurable improvements in digital capacity or learning outcomes.
When digital self-assessment tools are framed primarily as accountability instruments, users may perceive them as bureaucratic obligations rather than developmental opportunities

Suggested action: Empower schools in defining their digitalisation needs holistically

WHO (Potential actors)

European Commission (DG EAC, JRC), national ministries of education, regional and local education authorities, teacher training institutions and universities, national edtech and school leadership associations

WHAT (Goal of suggested activities)

Build on the EU’s digital skills self-assessment tool SELFIE to empower schools in defining their digitalisation needs in a holistic and detailed manner, including several areas of action for school development: Vision and Processes, Leadership and Organisation, School Teaching and Learning, Staff Development, Equipment, and Learning Spaces.

HOW (Suggested activities)

Starting digital education discussions early in teacher training so they can build their own pedagogical toolkit including digital education content.
Allocate dedicated time within teachers’ contracted hours for training, rather than expecting it to be completed in personal time.
Introduce incentives for participation, such as micro-credentials, salary progression, or career development recognition.
Partner with teacher training colleges and universities to embed EdTech-specific modules into initial teacher education curricula.
Promote existing tools widely (SELFIE currently has a low pick up rate).

Existing steps in the right direction

EU SELFIE and SELFIE for Teachers

SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the use of Innovative Educational Technologies) is an EU tool developed by the Joint Research Centre to help schools reflect on how technology is used in teaching and learning. It enables whole-school engagement through surveys for teachers, students, and school leaders, generating reports on strengths and areas for improvement. SELFIE for Teachers complements this by focusing on individual educators’ digital competences.

Specific support required to achieve the Goal:

Expand and enhance SELFIE to include indicators related to AI literacy, data protection, ethical use of EdTech, digital wellbeing and sustainability. The EU and Member States could jointly fund training modules and peer-learning networks to help schools interpret and act upon their SELFIE results, ensuring that self-assessment translates into actionable digital development plans.

German Schultransform initiative

The German initiative Schultransform, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), supports schools in systematically assessing and developing their digitalisation strategies. Drawing on international frameworks such as SELFIE and DigCompOrg, it provides structured self-assessment tools across six domains: Vision and Processes, Leadership and Organisation, School Teaching and Learning, Staff Development, Equipment, and Learning Spaces. Schools receive guidance, resources, and examples of collaborative formats for initiating and managing digital transformation.
Schultransform operationalises the concept of self-directed digitalisation by combining infrastructure planning, pedagogical development, and staff capacity-building. It recognises that schools are best positioned to determine how technology can serve their educational goals when provided with structured reflection tools and support mechanisms.

Specific support required to achieve the Goal:

This model could be replicated in other Member States by integrating self-evaluation tools into national digital education strategies and linking participation to eligibility for infrastructure or innovation funding. EU co-funding (e.g. under the Digital Education Action Plan or Digital Europe Programme) could support translation, localisation, and capacity-building for implementing similar systems across Europe.

Digital Schools Awards Europe (DSAE)

DSAE is a European initiative supported by the European Commission that recognises and supports schools in developing and implementing digital strategies. The process includes a self-evaluation based on the DigCompOrg framework, peer review, and external validation. Participating schools receive feedback and professional learning opportunities to progress along their digital maturity pathway. This shows how self-assessment can be incentivised through recognition and community building, encouraging schools to take ownership of their digital growth while connecting them to European networks of practice.

Specific support required to achieve the Goal:

The programme’s funding and geographic reach could be expanded to ensure inclusion of underrepresented regions and smaller institutions. An accompanying training component could be developed that helps school leaders interpret digital maturity results and align them with EdTech procurement and pedagogical strategies.