In response to the growing demand for improved digital competences in education, the Theory of Education course, which is offered in the first year of the Preschool Education degree programme in Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, was revised as part of the national NOO 5.02 project. The redesign of the course aimed to systematically integrate digital technologies into both lectures and seminars, aligning with contemporary pedagogical approaches that emphasise learner-centred and technology-enhanced education. The course redesign was implemented in three distinct phases: first, a formal curriculum update; second, the systematic integration of digital content into course activities; and third, an evaluative phase to assess outcomes and student experiences. Drawing on frameworks such as the European DigCompEdu model and grounded in constructivist and connectivist learning theories, the course integrated a variety of digital tools to support knowledge construction, communication, and the development of professional digital literacy. These included the Arnes Moodle platform (for the distribution of materials and assignments), Mendeley (for academic references), Cobiss and Google Scholar (for bibliographic searches), writing collaboration tools (Google Docs), presentation and video tools (PowerPoint, Canva, Prezi, CapCut) and interactive platforms (Kahoot, Mentimeter). Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have also been introduced to support academic writing and critical reflection. Students developed and submitted seminar papers, presentations and video content in digital formats and utilised shared documents for collaborative assignments. All course materials, including recorded lectures and a newly published digital scholarly monograph with QR codes and hyperlinks, were made available via Moodle to promote blended access to learning resources. To assess the impact of digital integration, a qualitative SWOT analysis was conducted with 40 first-year students. They were asked to reflect on their experiences using open-ended questions that focused on their perceptions of digitalisation in the course, newly acquired skills and further skills they wanted to develop. Students reported a notable improvement in their digital academic skills, including managing citations, evaluating sources and collaboratively editing documents. They successfully utilised video production and presentation tools and became familiar with multimodal forms of expression. Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) was well received as a supportive tool for writing and ideation. No significant technical challenges or unmet digital learning needs were identified. This case study confirms that embedding digital tools in pedagogical courses enables the development of relevant and transferable digital competencies. Students not only demonstrated technical ability but also showed motivation to explore a broad range of tools, especially when use was pedagogically justified. The absence of technical barriers highlights the importance of scaffolding, while structured evaluation through student feedback reinforces the relevance and adaptability of the curriculum.

Keywords: Digital literacy, teacher education, higher education, preschool education, educational technology, SWOT analysis.