Integrating digital competency into aviation training: An auditable inputs–processes–outcomes framework

This paper advances the integration of digital competency into aviation training by proposing an inputs–processes–outcomes (IPO) framework that cross-walks educational descriptors with sector-specific assessment and operational governance. It synthesises literature across education and aviation to argue that digital competence must encompass technical skill, critical evaluation, ethical practice, and adaptive expertise in safety-critical contexts. The study employs a desk-based conceptual review (2000–2025) of scholarly and professional sources (Scopus, Web of Science, ICAO, and UNESCO) to map competency areas, delivery modalities, and assessment practices relevant to pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance personnel. The framework aligns five competence inputs (data literacy; communication/collaboration; content creation; safety/ethics; problem-solving/adaptability) with role-specific rubrics and operationalises them through processes: CBTA/EBT-based scenario design; simulation-centred and blended delivery; cognitive-load and SRL controls; human-factors scaffolds (SHELL/HFACS/HPE); operational realism via FRMS and CDM/A-CDM; and human–AI teaming readiness. Expected outcomes extend beyond technical mastery to validated non-technical skills assessed against CBTA/EBT behaviours, with a continuous feedback loop linking performance data and operational KPIs to curriculum updates. The contribution lies in binding pedagogical descriptors, assessment architecture, human-factors models, and operational artefacts into an auditable IPO cycle, offering a defensible pathway for accreditation and programme-level change. Policy recommendations include codifying human–AI teaming, integrating data governance, resourcing faculty development, and endorsing mixed-fidelity ecosystems. Implementation requires addressing predictable barriers, capital, instructor authoring capacity, learner heterogeneity, and regulatory compliance through structured investment and governance. The framework links curriculum design to operational performance in aviation’s digitising environment.