Engl. transl.: Digital soft skills in Southern Regions: an empirical research on students

The contribution presents some data and reflections from an empirical research, commissioned by MIUR and carried out by INDIRE in 2015, related to the digital competences of students in the Regions PON Objective Convergence 2007-2013. Data show how teaching digital skills, especially those defined as "transversal" and "soft", requires a direct and constant commitment of the school not only and not so much in the accompaniment and control of children, but especially in their guidance towards a conscious, critical and participatory approach to digital media. Where the school cultivates these training activities, in fact, there is a greater frequency of "aware" and creative digital behavior on the part of children, even at home. The data on the relationship between digital skills and school performance show, however, that the challenge is still long, and often these skills are developed in a disconnected way with respect to the school curriculum: further research and planning is therefore needed to encourage greater integration of digital skills, especially cross-curricular, in the school curriculum and their use in order to growth of individuals as students and as people.

When the school cultivates digital skills students are more able to perform digital-related activities, such as using software, content creation, collaborating with peers online and information seeking. There is however still room for improvement.