Digital Educator Awards Scotland Induction Webinar for Applicants
Monday 26 January 2026
View Webinar Slides
Who is the award for?
The award is completely free and open to educational practitioners in all areas of compulsory, vocational and post-compulsory education and training, including early years, primary, post-primary, further and higher education, initial teacher education, community and work-based learning organisations.
What are the advantages in applying for this award?
There are many advantages to applying for and receiving this award. It will provide:
- Industry and government endorsed recognition for the use of digital technology to support teaching and learning, collaboration and leadership;
- A comprehensive framework for building inclusion, equality, diversity, safety and resilience into digital learning and teaching.
- Systematic and comprehensive tools to reflect critically upon practice and its impact and to help individuals contribute to the requirements of HGIOS4;
- A forum for offering and receiving feedback, collaboration and support;
- A roadmap for personal professional learning in digital deployment and pedagogy.
A free, ready-to-go set of resources, contacts, links and support mechanisms to help you to continue to grow.
I am not employed in a school; can I still apply for the award?
If you are:
- involved in supporting learning or professional development and can provide evidence that you fulfil the criteria for the Digital Educator Award, you can apply;
- involved in leading, innovating and or supporting educators to use digital technologies in their teaching, you may be eligible for the Digital Influencer or Digital Leadership Award pathways.
Must I complete the educator award before submitting for the Digital Influencer Award or Digital Leadership Award?
No. Each award is separate and has its own criteria and should be applied for separately. Should you wish to apply for more than one award, you can apply for awards in any order and/or in parallel, if the criteria are met.
I have looked at the framework for my chosen award, and I do not meet the criteria, does that mean that I cannot apply for the award?
No. You can still apply for the award and use the criteria as a “road map” for your development.
The statements for each pathway are not only intended as criteria for your submission but also as suggestions that can enhance your practice. For example, if there are statements that you do not have evidence for, why not use them as implementation suggestions. These may include pointers for your own development, that of your colleagues or for your learners. Once completed, you can submit the activities as evidence.
How is the award peer reviewed?
Peer Review is a three-stage process:
- Once the application has been submitted, your chosen peer reviewer can view your submission and verify its completion;
- Verification, once carried out, is then validated (usually by a senior person in the school or a member of your local authority digital learning team). Once this is completed, the DEAS programme coordinator may forward the sample and its verification for further moderation.
- Award sampling is carried out by independent education experts who ensure that there is standardisation and equity across the award programme. There may be occasions when the person undertaking a sample validation may ask to speak to peer reviewers or applicants. This is simply to verify outcomes.
What is a peer reviewer?
The award is based on collaboration within and, where appropriate, across organisations. On registration, each applicant should choose someone from within his/her/their organisation who is in a more strategic role or who has a good overview of the applicant’s role and work to act as peer reviewer. This role is completely voluntary and should be agreed in advance of any submission. Below are some guidelines for choosing a peer reviewer you should make sure that he/she:
- Is willing to act as peer reviewer and is aware of the requirements of the role;
- Has some working knowledge of the organisation’s digital strategy;
- Can provide positive, constructive and forward-looking advice;
- Be willing to commit to around 4 hours work throughout the process to discuss your proposed submission, review it and sign-off on its authenticity.
I have no peers in my organisation to review my award, what should I do?
It may be possible to ask a colleague from another organisation or from a local education authority to view your submission. You should also know that your chosen reviewer may need special permission from your organisation, and it is possible that there may be a data protection barrier or a learner safeguarding issue which may influence how this happens.
What sorts of evidence should be submitted for the award?
Depending on your situation and learners, these could include a range of file types such as screenshots, links to online resources or content, training certificates, visuals, audio/video links, etc. Make sure each piece of evidence is supported by an explanatory statement providing some contextual information. For example, you could reflect on what ‘s gone well, how would you do things differently next time, whether what you did has made a difference to colleagues / learners / partners etc. What is the impact and is it measurable or evidenced?
How much evidence should I submit against each statement?
While it is difficult to quantify the amount of evidence needed, you should think more about how well the evidence represents the statements in each section. Evidence should also be selected carefully to represent your best practice. The following information may help you select the best evidence for your application.
- Avoid ‘pouring’ all your work into the submission for each statement;
- Select the best evidence for each statement;
- Make sure the range of evidence you submit reflects the full range of work you are involved in;
- Where appropriate, provide a short explanation to the reviewer so that he/she knows the context in which the work is undertaken;
- Try to show variety in your submission, using different forms of evidence where appropriate;
- Make sure you conform to data protection and safeguarding requirements for your organisation;
Must I complete the Intel SFI courses to receive the award?
No, but you should know what they offer, and you might wish take advantage of the wide range of support and information they offer to schools.
Can I link my submission to my organisation’s development plan?
Yes. We urge all applicants to link their submission to their organisation’s strategic priorities as it is the best way of ensuring that the work they do is sustainable.
I have made many of my own resources - can I submit them for the award?
Yes. Particularly where they show innovation and imagination in their approach to digital learning and teaching.
I have undertaken courses at my local university – can the outcomes of these be submitted for the award?
Yes, provided you can show that their outcomes are consistent with the requirements of the DEAS statements.
Writing Retreat - Session 1
Tuesday 10 February 2026 4PM – 5.30PM GMT
These retreats are designed to give applicants dedicated, uninterrupted time to work on your Digital Educator Awards application. It is anticipated that completing your application will take around 10 hours, and booking a series of retreats will help ensure you have sufficient time planned in to complete it.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Intel Skills for Innovation PD - DEAS Webinar
Wednesday 18 February 2026 4PM – 5PM GMT
- Module 1: Intel® SFI Overview
- Intel® SFI Overview
- SFI Learning Platform – Live Demonstration
- Module 2: Introduction to Intel® SFI Professional Development
- Intel® SFI Professional Development Overview
- SFI PD – DEAS Alignment Courses
- Intel® SFI Community
This session will be repeated on Thurs 19 Feb. If you are unable to attend either session, a link to the webinar recording will be available on the DEAS portal.
Intel Skills for Innovation PD - DEAS Webinar
Thursday 19 February 2026 4PM – 5PM GMT
- Module 1: Intel® SFI Overview
- Intel® SFI Overview
- SFI Learning Platform – Live Demonstration
- Module 2: Introduction to Intel® SFI Professional Development
- Intel® SFI Professional Development Overview
- SFI PD – DEAS Alignment Courses
- Intel® SFI Community
This will be a repeat of the previous session on Wednesday 18 Feb. If you are unable to attend either session, a link to the webinar recording will be available on the DEAS portal.
Writing Retreat - Session 2
Monday 23 February 2026 4PM – 5.30PM GMT
These retreats are designed to give applicants dedicated, uninterrupted time to work on your Digital Educator Awards application. It is anticipated that completing your application will take around 10 hours, and booking a series of retreats will help ensure you have sufficient time planned in to complete it.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Training webinar for Peer Reviewers and Validators - Session 1
Monday 2 March 2026, 4PM – 5PM GMT
This Training Webinar is for Peer Reviewers and Validators to support their review and validation, respectively, of the Digital Educator Awards Scotland application process.
Peer Reviewers and Validators are only required to attend one session. If you are unable to attend either session, a link to the webinar recording will be available on the DEAS portal.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Training webinar for Peer Reviewers and Validators - Session 2
Wednesday 4 March 2026, 4PM – 5PM GMT
This Training Webinar is for Peer Reviewers and Validators to support their review and validation, respectively, of the Digital Educator Awards Scotland application process.
Peer Reviewers and Validators are only required to attend one session. If you are unable to attend either session, a link to the webinar recording will be available on the DEAS portal.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Writing Retreat - Session 3
Thursday 12 March 2026 4PM – 5.30PM GMT
These retreats are designed to give applicants dedicated, uninterrupted time to work on your Digital Educator Awards application. It is anticipated that completing your application will take around 10 hours, and booking a series of retreats will help ensure you have sufficient time planned in to complete it.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Writing Retreat - Session 4
Wednesday 25 March 2026 4PM – 5.30PM GMT
These retreats are designed to give applicants dedicated, uninterrupted time to work on your Digital Educator Awards application. It is anticipated that completing your application will take around 10 hours, and booking a series of retreats will help ensure you have sufficient time planned in to complete it.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Writing Retreat - Session 5
Thursday 16 April 2026 4PM – 5.30PM GMT
These retreats are designed to give applicants dedicated, uninterrupted time to work on your Digital Educator Awards application. It is anticipated that completing your application will take around 10 hours, and booking a series of retreats will help ensure you have sufficient time planned in to complete it.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Writing Retreat - Session 6
Monday 20 April 2026 4PM – 5.30PM GMT
These retreats are designed to give applicants dedicated, uninterrupted time to work on your Digital Educator Awards application. It is anticipated that completing your application will take around 10 hours, and booking a series of retreats will help ensure you have sufficient time planned in to complete it.
Register to receive your calendar invitation.
Post Induction Webinar Feedback
Please take a moment to complete our short 2‑minute DEAS Feedback Form.
Let us know which award(s) you are interested in applying for so we can provide you with the most relevant support throughout your DEAS journey. 👇🙏