What does it mean to be an educator in the digital era? This question was at the centre of the European Digital Education Hub (EDEH) Summer School “Educators in the Digital Era – From Facilitators to Instructional Designers” hosted at the University of Porto, Portugal, from 30 August to 1 September 2026.
Maja Videnovik, from Center for Innovations and Digital Education Dig-Ed, participated alongside around 40 educators, researchers and digital education experts from across Europe. The Summer School provided an opportunity to explore how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming not only our classrooms, but also the role, competences and professional identity of educators.
Discussions went beyond the question of which digital tools educators should use and focused instead on a more fundamental issue: What competences do educators need when technology is changing how learning is designed, supported and experienced?
As AI becomes increasingly present in education, educators are moving beyond simply using digital tools towards becoming learning designers and critical decision-makers. AI can support the creation and adaptation of learning resources, activities and experiences, but educators remain responsible for deciding when, why and how technologyshould be used. Human judgement, pedagogy and the needs of learners must remain at the centre.
A particularly valuable part of the Summer School was the opportunity to contribute to discussions around the draft DigCompEdu framework. Participants examined definitions and formulations, shared experiences from different educational contexts and reflected on how the framework can better respond to the changing realities educators face in an increasingly digital and AI-supported world.
The Summer School also created an inspiring space for collaboration, critical reflection and exchange of experiences with colleagues from across Europe. For Dig-Ed, participation in such activities provides an important opportunity to contribute our experiences, learn from different perspectives and bring new ideas and approaches into our future work with educators and learners.
