About Digital Balance

The Covid- 19 pandemic has created a demand for change towards digitalization. Due to this sudden change there was not enough time to discuss the risk factors. Teachers in particular face a higher risk of digital overload or burnout than ever before,

Growing scientific evidence from workers in digital environments has shown that the unconstrained use of devices can have a very strong negative consequence.

The difficulty of effective interpersonal communication causes higher stress, while heavy screen use is linked to eye sight problems and headaches.

The term” Technostress” is caused both by technology and organizational expectations that leads to deterioration in productivity/ performance and in employees’ mental health and physical health.

In the recent times the VET schools suffer shortage of staff and increase in the absence due to digitally induced stress.

Objective:
The objective of Digital Balance is to clear: design, develop and implement a new approach to train VET teachers, leaders and managers in digital wellbeing.

Digital balance will boost the capacity of VET institutions to manage the digital transition in a way that marries high quality teaching with the well- Being and long-term productivity of those involved.

This project contributes to target organizational level change across a wide range of different types of VET.

We are sure that the Digital balance can contribute to substantial change in our wider VET systems at regional and national level.

Dig Comp, Dig Comp Edu, and Dig Comp Org have been circulating for competence development but their impact has been limited.

In the recent times digital pedagogical competences have been advanced but well- Being and digital competence has always been left out.

Digital balance will address this gap and enhance the practical value of the frameworks to the lives of teachers and VET institutions.

Our goal is to boost the capacity of the VET institutions to manage the digital transition in a way that marries high quality teaching with the well-being of the concerned on a long term.

The major role is to produce three new resources that enable the integration of policy and practice to support digital well being for teachers and encourage proactive behavior at personal level namely

1. IO1: Digital Balance Analysis Report is an investigation, analysis and publication which introduces and analyses the challenges to digital wellbeing as experienced by VET teachers and managers as a part of the wider current digital transition.
2. IO2: Digital Well Being Resource Pack are a series of open resources in the form of case studies, guides, and template documents, which enable VET managers and department heads to better understand the options open to them and to develop concrete plans, policy and practice suitable to boost their own organization’s digital well-being performance.
3. IO3: Digital Balance Empowerment Program is an online training course that provides teachers with the knowledge and skills to be proactive in safeguarding their own digital wellbeing in order to maintain high quality teaching performance over time.

We are focusing on the mental health and the well being of the teachers, leaders, trainers as they are considered to be the assets through whom we gain knowledge and we know their health must be prioritized.