21st century education

21^st Century Learning / Education / Learners

The idea of 21^st-century education revolves around the notion that education as we have known it for the last 150 years is a 19^th century invention that must change to keep pace with the demands of the present world. Skills taught in schools that were designed to prepare individuals for work and life in the industrial economy need to be rethought and re-engineered to serve the needs of people in this century – dictated by a changing world that has been transformed by technological advances, the “Knowledge Revolution”, a global economy and environmental changes.

The broad thinking around the 21^st century learning acknowledges the need for new “form and function” to be added to education goals. This thinking is informed by a belief that:

·         learning must leverage the affordances of new technologies,

·         employ better pedagogies based on recent research on how people learn, and

·         be cognizant of the characteristics of a new breed of learners.

This does not mean that “basics” and “core subjects learning” need to be done away with. Few will refute, however, that there are several new literacy that need to be taught and several old ones that are not so relevant anymore.

Six Key Elements of the 21^st Century Learning

1.  Emphasize core subjects

2.  Emphasize learning skills

3.  Use 21^st century tools to develop learning skills

4.  Teach and learn in a 21^st century context

5.  Teach and learn 21^st century content

6.  Use 21^st century assessment that measure 21^st century skills

Learning skills include:

Ø  Information and communication skills which include:

·         media literacy,

·         information literacy and

·         ICT literacy.

Ø  Thinking and problem-solving skills which include:

·         critical thinking and systems thinking,

·         problem identification formulation and solution,

·         creativity and intellectual curiosity.

Ø  Interpersonal and self-directional skills which include-

·         Flexibility and Adaptability

·         Initiative and Self-Direction

·         Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

·         Productivity and Accountability

·         Leadership and responsibility

Current 21st-century tools include:

Ø  Information and communication technologies including computers, the internet and other technologies

Ø  Audio, video and other media tools

21^st century context can be created by:

Ø  Making content relevant to student’s lives

Ø  Bringing the world into the classroom

Ø  Taking the student out into the world

Ø  Creating opportunities for students to interact with each other, with teachers and with other knowledgeable adults in authentic learning experiences

21^st-century content includes:

Ø  Global awareness

Ø  Financial, economic and business literacy

Ø  Civic literacy

Ø  Health literacy

Mastery of Core Subjects

Mastery of core subjects and 21st century themes is essential for students in the 21st century. Core subjects include:

·         English,

·         reading or language arts,

·         world languages,

·         arts,

·         mathematics,

·         economics,

·         science,

·         geography,

·         history,

·         government and

·         Civics.

We believe schools must move beyond a focus on basic competency in core subjects to promoting understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes into core subjects:

• Global Awareness
• Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy
• Civic Literacy
• Health Literacy

Learning and Innovation Skills

Learning and innovation skills are what separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century and those who are not. They include:

• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Communication and Collaboration

Information, Media and Technology Skills

People in the 21st century:

·         live in a technology and media-driven environment,

·         marked by access to an abundance of information,

·         rapid changes in technology tools and

·         the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale.

To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills, such as:

• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

Life and Career Skills

Today’s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. The ability to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally competitive information age requires students to pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills, such as:

• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
• Productivity and Accountability
• Leadership and Responsibility

(Source : Dr. Pumadevi a/p Sivasubramaniam, IPG Kampus Raja Melewar, Seremban )