Perceived Value of Digital Literacy Skills: Case of Edcrunch Trainees

Abstract

This article explores digital literacy within the context of Spiritual Renaissance and the "Digital Kazakhstan" education initiatives, focusing on the experiences of participants in the EdCrunch Academy Training program. Our study, encompassing the initial cohort of 41 trainees in Kazakhstan, utilizes a mixed-method approach. Qualitative data was gathered through Zoom interviews, while quantitative data was collected using a Google Forms rating scale. Participants enrolled in the EdCrunch program primarily sought both professional development and learning innovative teaching methods, including the integration of educational apps into their lessons. The respondents’ ratings on the "Transferability of pedagogical skills to the classroom" and "Content related to educational technology/apps" yielded satisfaction levels with respective logits of -0.37 and -0.61. However, the platform's structure and content organization received lower ratings, with logits of 0.63 and 0.36, indicating dissatisfaction. Furthermore, trainees continue to apply pedagogical skills gained through EdCrunch, particularly utilizing educational technology tools such as Wordwall, Kahoot, and Quizlet to create interactive tasks, which fosters their students’ engagement and motivation during classes.