Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence

Given the increasing digitalization of education and the variety of available digital learning materials (dLMs) of differing quality, (pre-service) teachers must develop the ability to select appropriate dLMs. Objective, reliable, and valid assessment instruments are necessary to evaluate the effect...

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Main Authors: Peter Gonscherowski, Edith Lindenbauer, Kai Kaspar, Benjamin Rott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/6024
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author Peter Gonscherowski
Edith Lindenbauer
Kai Kaspar
Benjamin Rott
author_facet Peter Gonscherowski
Edith Lindenbauer
Kai Kaspar
Benjamin Rott
author_sort Peter Gonscherowski
collection DOAJ
description Given the increasing digitalization of education and the variety of available digital learning materials (dLMs) of differing quality, (pre-service) teachers must develop the ability to select appropriate dLMs. Objective, reliable, and valid assessment instruments are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of that development. This study conceptualized and designed an economical four-item instrument for assessing “selecting dLMs” based on accepted frameworks and competence models. The scientific quality of the instrument was evaluated in Study 1 (<i>n</i> = 164) with four dLMs and empirically investigated in a subsequent Study 2 (<i>n</i> = 395) with pre-service mathematics teachers from two universities. The empirical results indicate that the instrument could objectively and reliably gauge different levels of “selecting dLMs”. Furthermore, the results are consistent with the widely accepted notion that the competence of “selecting dLMs” depends on (content) knowledge; however, that relation was not strong. In addition, the results for objectively assessing “selecting dLMs” paralleled the results of self-assessed TPACK in terms of the academic progression of participants. The proposed approach allows for variations and integration of diverse dLMs, and it has the potential to be adapted in other subject areas and contexts.
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spelling doaj-art-47932ecf5f4f444fa0af8f735db564e82025-08-20T03:46:47ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011511602410.3390/app15116024Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital CompetencePeter Gonscherowski0Edith Lindenbauer1Kai Kaspar2Benjamin Rott3Institute for Didactics of Mathematics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Mathematics Education, University College of Education Upper Austria, 4020 Linz, AustriaDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyInstitute for Didactics of Mathematics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyGiven the increasing digitalization of education and the variety of available digital learning materials (dLMs) of differing quality, (pre-service) teachers must develop the ability to select appropriate dLMs. Objective, reliable, and valid assessment instruments are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of that development. This study conceptualized and designed an economical four-item instrument for assessing “selecting dLMs” based on accepted frameworks and competence models. The scientific quality of the instrument was evaluated in Study 1 (<i>n</i> = 164) with four dLMs and empirically investigated in a subsequent Study 2 (<i>n</i> = 395) with pre-service mathematics teachers from two universities. The empirical results indicate that the instrument could objectively and reliably gauge different levels of “selecting dLMs”. Furthermore, the results are consistent with the widely accepted notion that the competence of “selecting dLMs” depends on (content) knowledge; however, that relation was not strong. In addition, the results for objectively assessing “selecting dLMs” paralleled the results of self-assessed TPACK in terms of the academic progression of participants. The proposed approach allows for variations and integration of diverse dLMs, and it has the potential to be adapted in other subject areas and contexts.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/6024digital competencepre-service teachersstudent–teacher evaluationtechnological advancementdecision-making skillsdigital learning material
spellingShingle Peter Gonscherowski
Edith Lindenbauer
Kai Kaspar
Benjamin Rott
Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence
Applied Sciences
digital competence
pre-service teachers
student–teacher evaluation
technological advancement
decision-making skills
digital learning material
title Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence
title_full Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence
title_fullStr Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence
title_short Assessing the Selection of Digital Learning Materials: A Facet of Pre-Service Teachers’ Digital Competence
title_sort assessing the selection of digital learning materials a facet of pre service teachers digital competence
topic digital competence
pre-service teachers
student–teacher evaluation
technological advancement
decision-making skills
digital learning material
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/6024
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AT kaikaspar assessingtheselectionofdigitallearningmaterialsafacetofpreserviceteachersdigitalcompetence
AT benjaminrott assessingtheselectionofdigitallearningmaterialsafacetofpreserviceteachersdigitalcompetence