FACE TO FACE
I was really impressed by my first face to face for. There are some very experienced and eloquently spoken humans on this Masters journey. I entered this session playing the oversharer, a role I haven't played since May. When we broke out into our groups I clicked into normal mode and was amazed by the passion and drive by my group. It reinforced that you don't need to have been in education for a long time to be inspirational or be a leader change in the community. My group did not mange our time effectively as some of the discussions were really powerful and needed to be said and heard. I can't help but feel that there was some gold dust left in those professional learning conversations.
Future Focused Learning
DRIVERS OF CHANGE
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Learners must be equipped to navigate unexpected challenges ahead.
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Key drivers and challenges are redefining the competencies and skills that learners need to develop.
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Disruptive shifts are likely to reshape the future landscape of education, work and how people learn e.g. demographics, globalization trends, labour market fluctuations, environmental forecasts, and the pressures of immigration.
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Technology, global connectivity and new social media must be taken into account when imagining the forms that twenty-first century learning may take.
NEW COMPETENCIES FOR A COMPLEX WORLD
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Need for ‘nclusive competencies, such as the ability to make local-to-global connections, recognize differing perspectives, think critically and creatively to solve global challenges, and collaborate respectfully in different types of social forums’
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Importance of preparing youth for these varying futures and collaborating across cultures to address likely difficulties.
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Learning how to ‘understand, adapt to and prosper in these turbulent times has become a critical competence’
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The needs of C21st citizenship must also be addressed and aligned with the development of C21st skills.
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To make informed decisions and contribute responsibly at local, regional and national levels as informed voters and citizen advocates, youth must be prepared to tackle a range of matters.
CHANGING STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
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Learner preferences, needs, social habits and technology choices.
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Large proportion of learners work and study online.
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Students ‘have high expectations of how they should learn, selecting the technologies and learning environments that best meet their needs with an understanding of how to manipulate these to their advantage’.
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Today’s learners pursue learning by exploring, expressing and exchanging ideas using technological means
YOUTH DISENGAGEMENT AND EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING
A range of factors has been found to increase the risk of dropping out:
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low levels of school engagement
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apathy about attending school
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high rates of absenteeism
Students who drop out are more likely to
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receive state assistance
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be unemployed
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homeless
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arrested or incarcerated
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experience higher numbers of early pregnancy
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substance abuse problems
ESL creates hardships for individuals and vast costs for economies and welfare states.
Youth exclusion from the labour market can have long-term negative effects on future employment prospects.
Young people who prematurely leave school and training lack skills and qualifications and face serious, persistent problems in the labour market.
ESL is a significant obstacle to economic growth, reduces productivity and competitiveness and induces poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.
Leaving school before completing upper secondary education is often the outcome of a progressive and cumulative process of disengagement.
Achieving a reduction of ESL means rethinking the significance and applicability of skills and information taught in schools, and undertaking a critical revision of education and training systems
Some groups of young people (e.g. migrant youth) are more at risk than others: disadvantaged students show consistently lower levels of engagement and boys are more likely to leave school prematurely than girls.
Important to consider the reasons that contribute to disengagement.
Requires a critical analysis of disengagement and reflection on alternative probable causes, such as the curriculum, learning activities, course requirements, staff-student-peer relationships and school culture.
Changing Perceptions About the Value of Formal Education
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Student disengagement
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The inability of the education system to link academic content to real-world experiences
Skills Shortages
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Businesses and industry see a lack of basic skills in new employees, such as problem-solving, working in teams and time management
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Graduates are not seeing their education as helping to prepare them for jobs/careers
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We need employees who can adapt, and deviate from established norms
Labour Market Trends
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Lack of motivation among workers
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Active disengagement and low productivity
Changing Models of Teaching and Learning
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Current education model has outlived its usefulness, and schools are slowly changing
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Schools and institutes are expected to transform their systems to a place where learning is in a ubiquitous way...anywhere/anytime
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Teachers are now seen as guides/coaches, who make learning personalised using formative assessments
Availability of New Media and Other Learning Tools:
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Pedagogy 2.0- for “an emerging cluster of instructional practices that advocates learner choice and self-direction as well as engagement in flexible, relevant learning tasks and strategies” (McLoughlin and Lee, 2008a, p. 15).
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At the heart of this is freedom and choice for learners to choose the media, resources and tools they want to use...how, when and where. It is important to raise awareness of the tools that best targets the LO’s.
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Technology is still viewed by some as an add-on. There is little evidence that technology alone contributes to raising achievement
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Benefits from technology come from collaboration, communication and creativity
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Technology alters the way we learn, the values we have about learning and how we learn
AVAILABILITY OF ANYTIME/ANYWHERE LEARNING
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schools no longer have the monopoly over learning - learning occurs at home, work, while on the move - it is no longer determined by the traditional school structure
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learning has become flexible
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learners are demanding that learning no longer occurs in a classroom.
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learners want education to be independent of location
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open education, open source and user producing content is providing a wide source of information that has traditionally been the realm of organised location based learning
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mobile technologies and increasing access to broadband networks have removed the need for traditional venues of learning
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learners can access information anywhere/anytime
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learning institutions will become more diverse with complex learning environments that are a mix of formal, informal, face to face, remote, individual, collaborative, public and private learning
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schools will need to ‘reposition themselves in the emerging learning landscape’
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(Gijsbers and van Schoonhoven, 2012, p. 3; Redecker et al.,2011, p. 12).
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as result learning will become more self directed
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learning will replicate natural learning processes - at home, with families, in the community
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barriers to learning will decrease as learning becomes more self determined
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in order for this knowledge to be shared to show changing contexts equity for access needs to be considered
MANDATES FOR ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
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Global push to assess learning performance and outcomes e.g. PISA
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National and international assessment frameworks have increased pressure to quantify the skills possessed by students and adults.
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Increasing attention paid to the measurement of skills levels and the efficient matching of these skills with those required by the world of work.
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This is being done either through the development of outcome-based national and vocational qualifications frameworks or through large-scale assessments of skills levels among adults’
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Drive to track and assess student performance is expected to increase throughout the C21st.
TRANSITION OF LEARNERS FROM CONSUMERS TO PRODUCERS
Mobile Technologies:
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Mobile Learning Week 2014, found that mobile technologies hold the key to turning today’s digital divide into digital dividends bringing equitable and quality education for all.
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Mobile learning see the benefit of both working and learning alone or in combination with other ICTS.
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Learning is anytime, anywhere, on anything.
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Advancements of mobile devices are continuing to develop in their advancements, progress, use and complexity.
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A wide-range of mobile devices are available.
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Create virtual communities of learners.
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Can offer greater flexibility to learn at their own pace.
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Over 6 billion now have access to a working mobile phone. Only 4.5 billion people have access to a toilet.
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Critics claim that mobile learning can be socially isolating and a poor substitute for face-to-face interaction. Other claim that this form of learning can increase collaboration and teamwork among students.
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Many school have banned or seriously restricted the use of mobile phone. However, students will continue with use a mobile device regardless of whether or not schools prohibit them.
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With clear instructions on effective digital citizenship, devices become a learning tool of sharing ideas, collaboration, communication and information discovery.
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF INFORMATION
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Knowledge is no longer just text based - videos, blogs, images, audio
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learners need to learn skills to support negotiating information
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how to determine reliable sources through questioning authenticity and accuracy
TRANSITION OF LEARNERS FROM CONSUMERS TO PRODUCERS
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our learners are now the generators of knowledge and content rather than passive consumers of knowledge
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young learners are part of a society where they can contribute, change, collaborate and adapt content
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this occurs within a virtual community rather than a location based learning environment
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encourages learners to become global citizens
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user generated content links closely to social media
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public access to learner content - slideshare, Youtube has become a go to for learners
(including teachers)
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online study groups reflect this way of learning, developing understanding and adapting knowledge
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ultimate goal - to foster creativity and critical thinking
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Moving away from traditional transfer to learner driven content
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Students are taking control of their own learning process, making connections with peers, and producing new insights and ideas motivated by a spirit of inquiry (Lee and McLoughlin, 2007).
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF INFORMATION
-
Knowledge is no longer just text based - videos, blogs, images, audio
-
learners need to learn skills to support negotiating information
-
how to determine reliable sources through questioning authenticity and accuracy
TRANSITION OF LEARNERS FROM CONSUMERS TO PRODUCERS
-
our learners are now the generators of knowledge and content rather than passive consumers of knowledge
-
young learners are part of a society where they can contribute, change, collaborate and adapt content
-
this occurs within a virtual community rather than a location based learning environment
-
encourages learners to become global citizens
-
user generated content links closely to social media
-
public access to learner content - slideshare, Youtube has become a go to for learners
(including teachers)
-
online study groups reflect this way of learning, developing understanding and adapting knowledge
-
ultimate goal - to foster creativity and critical thinking
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Moving away from traditional transfer to learner driven content
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Students are taking control of their own learning process, making connections with peers, and producing new insights and ideas motivated by a spirit of inquiry (Lee and McLoughlin, 2007).
Conclusion
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multiple factors are driving change
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schools are failing to prepare students for challenges ahead
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learners are not engaging with learning that will encourage a satisfying and production life experience
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learners embrace self determination rather than instructional, traditional teacher led learning
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there is a lack of encouragement for innovation and youth citizenship
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the transformation from teacher-led learning to self-directed learning to self-determined learning will provide learners with a range of competencies and skills needed to succeed
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need for personalised instruction
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need for strong connections to communities - both virtual and local
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learners are not creating the skills to tackle issues, solve problems spanning a wide range of domains and contexts
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need global commitment from all countries
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international agencies involved in considerations around how to link local and global aspects
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roles of traditional schools has become uncertain
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responsibility of school to examine how the change can occur to reflect 21st century
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teacher development and pedagogy will need to be thoroughly examined
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There is broad agreement that in addition to literacy and numeracy, twenty-first century learning must include transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and civic values that prepare young people for the workforce and active participation as informed citizens (Anderson, 2014; Leadbeater and Wong, 2010).
What is the main point for each driver:
New Competencies for a Complex World
The needs of C21st citizenship must also be addressed and aligned with the development of C21st skills.
Changing Student Characteristics
Students ‘have high expectations of how they should learn, selecting the technologies and learning environments that best meet their needs with an understanding of how to manipulate these to their advantage’.
Youth Disengagement and Early School Leaving
Achieving a reduction of ESL means rethinking the significance and applicability of skills and information taught in schools, and undertaking a critical revision of education and training systems
Labour Market Trends
Lack of motivation among workers, active disengagement and low productivity
Skills Shortages
Businesses and industry see a lack of basic skills in new employees, such as problem-solving, working in teams and time management. Graduates are not seeing their education as helping to prepare them for jobs/careers
Changing Perceptions About the Value of Formal Education
Student disengagement and the inability of the education system to link academic content to real-world experiences
Mandates for Assessment and Accountability
Drive to track and assess student performance is expected to increase throughout the C21st.
Availability of New Media and Other Tools for Learning
Digital technologies will not only alter what students need to learn in the future, but also how they learn
Mobile Devices
With over 6 billion people having access to a working mobile phone, educators need to look at best practice of incorporating these devices into their school programme, as they can become a learning tool of sharing ideas, collaboration, communication and information discovery.
Changing Models of Teaching and Learning
Schools and institutes are expected to transform their systems to a place where learning is in a ubiquitous way...anywhere/anytime. Teachers are now seen as guides/coaches, who make learning personalised using formative assessments.
Availability of New Media and Other Learning Tools
The benefits from technology come from collaboration, communication and creativity. Technology alters the way we learn, the values we have about learning and how we learn.
Availability of Anywhere/Anytime Learning
Access to knowledge and learning is no longer defined by concrete locations or times. Learning can occur anywhere, anytime.
Exponential Growth of Information
With the increase of volume and availability of knowledge, skills to negotiate and ensure validity of content must be learned.
Transition From Consumers to Learners
Learners are now active participants and determiners of their learning. Traditional transfer methods of knowledge is not moving quickly enough or covering the base of needs required by learners.
Which evidence demonstrates these points the best?
Mobile Devices - Many school have banned or seriously restricted the use of mobile phone. However, the majority of students have a mobile device and will continue with use a mobile device regardless of whether or not schools prohibit them.
How are these things interrelated?
Mobile devices makes learning to be available anytime and anywhere.
Communication, Creativity and Collaboration (21st C requirements) are skills that are developed through digital technologies.