As of today Malta switches over to syllabus version five of the European Driving Licence, the popular certification in ICT competencies recognised worldwide.
As a result local candidates will be able to sit for ECDL syllabus five tests only. Candidates who have sat for some module tests based on syllabus version four can complete the remaining tests on version five.
The ECDL core programme is intended for beginners who need to acquire an internationally recognised qualification to demonstrate their competency in using common computer programmes.
The qualification is a test of practical skills and competencies and consists of seven separate modules covering computer theory and practice.
Candidates receive a skills card as proof of their newly acquired competencies and a certificate is awarded only to candidates who successfully complete the seven module tests within a three-year period.
Since ECDL was taken over by the Computer Society of Malta in 2003, over 17,600 Maltese got their full ECDL certification. Indeed Malta has one of the highest proportions of ECDL holders in the world, according to CSM.
An ECDL certificate is a pre-requisite for knowledge workers, including the Maltese public service, and to attend tertiary education courses, including the University of Malta.
It is taught at secondary level and students are prepared to sit for the ECDL tests between forms three and five.
In syllabus five, which was launched in Malta exactly a year ago, the essential structure of the seven modules in syllabus four has been retained but new content areas have been included to reflect current trends in information and communication technologies.
Module 1 - Concepts of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) incorporates new technologies like hand-held portable devices, podcasts and RSS. The area of publishing and sharing content online is included to reflect developments in user-created content e.g. blogs, photos, video and audio clips.
Module 5 - Using Databases - now contains more content related to retrieving information and creating outputs from databases, which are more relevant to an ECDL candidate who wishes to apply for these competences in a workplace environment.
Module 7 - Web Browsing and Communication - has seen the most thorough update of all modules, proof of the advance in web technologies over the last few years.
New communication terms like SMS, VOIP and IM along with the concept of an online (virtual) communities were introduced.
Growing security threats - viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware - have been expanded in Syllabus Version 5.0. Risks of online activity have been introduced and parental control options are identified to promote safe computer use in the home.
Last March José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, received the nine millionth ECDL skills card at a ceremony highlighting both the success of the ECDL programme and the necessity of keeping investment in digital skills high on the public policy agendas of all member states in order to increase employability and build a competitive European economy.
However, a few weeks ago the European Commission warned that the way we use media is changing and the volume of information enormous, demanding more of us than being able to read, write or use a computer. Europeans young and old could miss out on the benefits of today's high-tech information society unless more is done to make them "media literate" enough to access, analyse and evaluate images, sounds and texts and use traditional and new media to communicate and create media content.
The Commission said EU countries and the media industry need to increase awareness of the many media messages people encounter, be they advertisements, movies or online content.
Following a call from the European Parliament, the Commission has adopted new policy guidelines calling on EU countries and industry to promote media literacy across Europe through activities that help people access, understand and critically evaluate all media they are exposed to, like TV and film, radio, music, print media, the internet and digital communication technologies.
The Commission's Digital Europe report, released two months ago, shows that Europeans are becoming more skillful internet and computers users, with 60 per cent "digitally literate", an essential aspect of media literacy. Fifty-six per cent of all Europeans go online at least once a week (compared to 43 per cent in 2005) and more people in disadvantaged groups are using the net (see annex).
More people with lower educational levels go online (from 53.5 per cent in 2005 to 62.5 per cent in 2008, where 100 per cent is the overall population's internet use). More unemployed people use the web (up from 74.4 per cent in 2005 to 80.3 per cent in 2008), and women's internet use is now almost the same as the EU's overall population (growing from 88.4 per cent in 2005 to 94.6 per cent in 2008). The computer and internet skills of women, the unemployed and over-55s have grown by at least three per cent compared to the overall population since 2006.
However, even though internet, especially broadband, connections are becoming more affordable, 24 per cent of Europeans without internet at home said this is because they lack the necessary skills to use it.
The EUPAN Group, an informal network of the directors general responsible for public administration in the member states of the European Union and the European Commission earlier this year adopted a declaration which highlights the importance of ICT skills and certification among public servants and recognises ECDL certification as a way to verify them.
More information about ECDL programmes in Malta is available at www.ecdl.com.mt or via e-mail at info@ecdl.com.mt or by calling 2398 0132.