Fostering the Learning of Digital Skills

This chapter examines how digital skills are learned across the life course and argues that informal learning, while important, is insufficient for developing the full range of skills needed in a smart society. It discusses learning by doing, support from family, peers, and colleagues, formal education, workplace training, adult and distance education, public access centers, and community-based initiatives. The chapter emphasizes that schools must move beyond the assumption of “digital natives” and systematically teach not only operational and formal skills, but also information, communication, content creation, and strategic media use skills, including responsible engagement with AI and intelligent media. It also highlights the workplace as a crucial but underdeveloped setting for digital skill development and identifies the need for tailored support for disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities, people with low literacy, migrants, and older adults. The chapter concludes that effective digital skills learning requires a combination of structured education, informal support, accessible training, adaptive technologies, and context-sensitive approaches that address the specific needs and barriers of different groups.