Thoughts on Trends in 21st Century Education

Thoughts on Trends in 21st Century Education: 

Thoughts on Trends in 21 st Century Education Andrew Lian School of English Suranaree University of Technology website: http://ljunction.com/sut3 We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are. ( Anaïs Nin) The universe is made up of stories, not atoms (Muriel Rukeyser) When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change (Max Planck) 14 October 2011

Preliminary Comment: 

Preliminary Comment Jones: Skills are not independent from epistemology The specifics of the skills [i.e. the practical things we teach] sit within epistemology , and with how knowledge is constructed , and the ways in which this allows us to think critically, the means it gives us and the ideas it enables us to think critically about. [..] Yet to do this meaningfully requires a good understanding of the complex knowledge systems, language, methods, conventions and structures of a knowledge base . (Jones, A. (2009). Redisciplining generic attributes: the disciplinary context in focus. In Studies in Higher Education, 34(1). p. 96), http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03075070802602018?journalCode=cshe20#preview

Review: 

Review Of some “21 st Century” trends Many driven by technology

Trend: 

Trend An unprecedented rate of change

Trend: 

Trend An unprecedented richness of information 2008 produced as much “information” as the previous 5,000 years The amount of “information” in the world is doubling every two years and accelerating

What does this mean?: 

What does this mean? As a result, there is, inter alia, a growing need for creativity and divergent thinking

This is acknowledged: 

This is acknowledged E.g. by the Partnership for 21 st Century Skills

But…: 

But… Creativity may not be easy to achieve

Why?: 

Why? Let us review some of the issues Is creativity under threat? Ken Robinson Is creativity problematic?

Well…: 

Well… ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2011) — Most people view creativity as an asset -- until they come across a creative idea. That's because creativity not only reveals new perspectives; it promotes a sense of uncertainty.

And…: 

And… A research study (2011) found that: Creative ideas are by definition novel, and novelty can trigger feelings of uncertainty that make most people uncomfortable. People dismiss creative ideas in favor of ideas that are purely practical -- tried and true. Objective evidence shoring up the validity of a creative proposal does not motivate people to accept it. Anti-creativity bias is so subtle that people are unaware of it, which can interfere with their ability to recognize a creative idea.

Interdisciplinarity: 

Interdisciplinarity Growing emphasis on interdisciplinarity (and diversity – they go together) This is the result of research endeavours e.g. in L2 teaching: SLA etc. also sociological research, critical theory, brain research, kinesics etc. – real life is not as simple as our disciplines sometimes make it appear We must go beyond primary disciplines Interdisciplinarity is now enshrined in strategic and other plans of universities

The place of research in life: 

The place of research in life Everybody is a researcher – google phenomenon Research practices are writing themselves on us – that’s what culture does In 2008 there were 31 billion searches per month In 2006 there were only 3 billion searches In 2011, 1 billion unique google visitors per month

We are all researchers and…: 

We are all researchers and… In a ‘knowledge society’ all students – certainly all graduates – have to be researchers. Not only are they engaged in the production of knowledge; they must also be educated to cope with the risks and uncertainties generated by the advance of science. (Scott, 2002, p. 13 in Jenkins, Healey & Zetter , 2007, p. 5)

And what about…: 

And what about… Public Solves Protein Structure

But remember that…: 

But remember that… Research cannot be limited to quantitative or qualitative research The most important research is intellectual as it forms the basis for the other forms of research that we perform It needs to be valued and supported in both programs and publications

Also, pedagogically…: 

Also, pedagogically… Meaning-making in many forms, including the construction of knowledge is becoming a central concept e.g. constructivism

Socially…: 

Socially… Social/professional networks are gaining strength We are no longer alone We can be in dependent if we like but We can also be inter dependent We have a permanent support structure in place to help us when we need it This has serious consequences for autonomy studies and structures

Consequently…: 

Consequently… Learners are now empowered to an unprecedented level They can challenge the academy in countless ways and Get information from other places than the “approved” ones e.g. http://ted.com or http://academicearth.org or……..????

These considerations: 

These considerations Are common across many societies, despite undoubted local cultural characteristics and differences, and Militate for what could be described as a new pedagogy for the 21 st Century

Here is…: 

Here is… One attempt to identify 21 st Century Pedagogic traditions and to contrast them with 20 th Century traditions This was drawn up by Andrew Churches , a NZ teacher specialising in ICT and education and a distinguished educator.

Let’s take a look: 

Let’s take a look 21 st Century vs 20 th Century Pedagogy

Slide 23: 

Thank you!