The modern atmosphere in which students will launch their careers after high school is an increasingly connected world that operates primarily in online, high-tech environments. This “digital economy” requires graduates to utilize a variety of professional, technological, and creative skills.
Aligned with Virginia’s Digital Learning Integration Standards of Learning, the Digital Economy Skills course guides students in understanding and developing the skills they need to navigate the digital economy successfully. As students complete projects in the course, they learn and engage in skills that apply to the seven categories below:
- Empowered Learner
- Digital Citizen
- Knowledge Constructor
- Innovative Designer
- Computational Thinker
- Creative Communicator
- Global Collaborator
Five of the seven skill sets above also correlate with the competencies (or “5 Cs”) of the Virginia Department of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate, as seen below:
| Profile of a Virginia Graduate Competency | Digital Learning Integration SOLs Skill Set (Content Strand) |
| Critical Thinking | Computational Thinker |
| Creative Thinking | Innovative Designer |
| Collaboration | Global Collaborator |
| Communication | Creative Communicator |
| Citizenship | Digital Citizen |
In particular, students develop their digital economy skills with an entrepreneurial focus as they work in teams to help an organization or small business establish a strong digital presence. Instructors work closely with students as they interact with entrepreneurs and other professionals.