TomBentley

Building a creative age: what is a learning society? Tom BentleySwinburne TAFE conference August 2007 : 

Building a creative age: what is a learning society? Tom BentleySwinburne TAFE conference August 2007

Land area : 

Land area Source: worldmapper.org

Population 2000 : 

Population 2000

Population 2050 : 

Population 2050

Wealth increase 1975-2003 : 

Wealth increase 1975-2003

Cell phones 1990 : 

Cell phones 1990

Cell phones 2002 : 

Cell phones 2002

Carbon emissions 2000 : 

Carbon emissions 2000

Internet users 1990 : 

Internet users 1990

Internet users 2002 : 

Internet users 2002

International licence fees and royalty exports 2002 : 

International licence fees and royalty exports 2002

Primary education spending growth 1990-2001 : 

Primary education spending growth 1990-2001

Drivers of global change : 

Drivers of global change

Our ability to learn is crucial to our success : 

Our ability to learn is crucial to our success

Slide 15: 

% Nett Better/Worse “How will these things have changed in Australia in 10 Years Time?” Worse Better Source: Australia Scan (2006) Uncertain Futures Source: Australia Scan: Quantum Market Research, 2006

The need for a learning society : 

The need for a learning society “We need an education system that turns everyone into a lifelong learner and an innovator.”     Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General27 February 2007 A learning society might mean more research, more students, more qualifications, more time spent in formal education, and higher rewards for knowledge specialists.

Our ability to learn requires that we challenge and overturn some aspects of the way things currently work : 

Our ability to learn requires that we challenge and overturn some aspects of the way things currently work A learning society can easily become more ‘expert’, less equal society in which the inheritance and the market determine who does what. A learning society must be one where we learn how to uncover new potential and understanding, and overcome constraints on our past achievement. This means understanding the limitations of our institutions And being able to learn and innovate together in practice, not just in courses

The big shift: from hierarchies : 

The big shift: from hierarchies

To networks : 

To networks

Slide 22: 

Vicnet

Open source production: new ways to contribute : 

Open source production: new ways to contribute OhmyNews.com

New ways to access educational resources : 

New ways to access educational resources OERCommons.htm

New ways to generate and harness knowledge and potential : 

New ways to generate and harness knowledge and potential Barefoot College

Australia’s 3% most disadvantaged localities have : 

Australia’s 3% most disadvantaged localities have Double  the  rate  of  unemployment  and more  than  2.5  times  the  rate  of  long  term  unemployment   almost  double  the  rate  of  disability  support  and  psychiatric  admissions more  than  double  the  rate  of  criminal  convictions approaching  three  times  the  rate  of  imprisonment. And 3.5 times the rate of child maltreatment cases than the rest of Australia

Indicators of disadvantage : 

Indicators of disadvantage SOCIAL  DISTRESS: low  family  income, rental  stress,  home  purchase  stress, lone  person  households   HEALTH: low  birth ­weight, childhood  injuries,  immunisation, disability/sickness  support, life  expectancy,  psychiatric  admissions, suicide   COMMUNITY  SAFETY: child  maltreatment, criminal   convictions, imprisonment, domestic  violence   ECONOMIC: unskilled  workers, unemployment, long ­term   unemployment, dependency  ratio, mean  taxable  income,  limited  computer  use/internet  access   EDUCATION: non ­attendance  at  preschool, incomplete   education  (18 ­24  years), early  school  leaving   (population), post ­schooling  qualifications

Three tests of our education system : 

Three tests of our education system How far do we motivate young people to continue learning throughout their adult lives? How well can they apply knowledge and understanding gained in school in other contexts? How well does it support the need of any learner to integrate learning into the rest of their lives?

Howard Gardner’s Five Minds for the future : 

Howard Gardner’s Five Minds for the future The disciplined mind The creative mind The synthesising mind The ethical mind The respectful mind

Foundations of learning systems : 

Foundations of learning systems

Elements of new learning systems : 

Elements of new learning systems Personalisation Open networks and access Diverse participation and voice Strong connections between theory and practice, research and teaching Communities of practice formed through networks and clusters Structures and systems formed around projects and teams Evaluation which empowers participants to learn more Driven by collaboration Ongoing partnership with employers and communities

How to bring it all together? Complex adaptive systems : 

How to bring it all together? Complex adaptive systems Made up of many interdependent parts Display qualities that emerge from the whole, more than the sum of parts Can adjust and adapt to changing conditions without central direction Display resilience in the face of external pressure or change Will adjust to protect the integrity of the whole

Swinburne’s vision of a learning society? : 

Swinburne’s vision of a learning society? What are your burning ambitions? What are your basic principles? How are you going to set out your own learning goals in order to help shape the learning society around you? Tom.Bentley@dpc.vic.gov.au