Futures of learning

Abstract in Ten Questions

© Juan Peña 2022

UNESCO’s “The futures of learning"

• Critical thinking and problem solving.
• Collaboration and leadership:
• Agility and adaptability.
• Initiative and entrepreneurialism
• Effective oral and written communication.
• Accessing and analysing information.
• Curiosity and imagination.

What critical skills does students need to develop today?

Question 1

As a result of the persistent use of digital and mobile technologies, most students today are natural investigators, researchers and synthesizers of information. These skills can be put to strong use in the classroom to unlock student engagement. Technologies in which students are already well versed are an effective way to support independent and enquiry-based learning, and to allow for instant and reflective forms of assessment.

Question 2

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How students are affected by digital technologies?

• The Delors Report proposed one of the first frameworks to identify competencies needed in the coming century, identifying the Four Pillars of Education: Learning to Know, Learning to Do, Learning to Be and Learning to Live Together.
• Curriculum development worldwide has not kept pace with current expectations about learner competencies and skills or new tools to support learning.
• What changes should be made to curricula? Schools will likely make greater use of technology, conduct formative assessments and grading to inform instruction.
• The first priority is to ascertain what elements should be removed from an already over-burdened curriculum (e.g. less relevant knowledge), before embedding new competencies and skills or transforming the way class time is used. Interdisciplinary themes, learning how to learn and personalized learning approaches will then complete this transformation.

What happened with the curriculum?

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Question 3

Why is interesting an interdisciplary approach?

Real-world challenges are highly complex, often ill-defined and interdisciplinary in nature. Learners must have opportunities to reflect on their ideas, hone their analytical skills, strengthen their critical and creative thinking capacities, and demonstrate initiative. In particular, the ability to evaluate new inputs and perspectives, build new capacities and strengthen autonomy will be crucial.

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Question 4

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Critical thinking is considered fundamental to twenty-first century learning identified critical thinking skills or the capacity for active investigative thinking as one of three foundational skill sets vital to workplace success. Critical thinking involves accessing, analysing and synthesizing information, and can be taught, practised and mastered. Critical thinking also draws on other skills such as communication, information literacy and the ability to examine, analyse, interpret and evaluate evidence.

Recent studies suggest that many secondary and university students lack the necessary competencies to navigate and select relevant sources from the overabundance of available information.

Question 5

Critical thinking is also an essential skill outside formal education. Today’s citizens need to be able to compare evidence, evaluate competing proposals and make responsible decisions. Private businesses must also employ critical thinking to better serve their customers and develop innovative products within the changing economy.

Why is so important the development of critical thinking?

Cooperative learning tends to trigger positive outcomes, such as higher-level reasoning, increased transfer of learning, greater motivation to succeed, stronger social and cognitive development and increased time-on-task. Additional positive outcomes include reductions in stereotyping and prejudice, a greater appreciation of diversity, development of social skills and improvement in the quality of learning environments.

In cooperative learning, students can have a greater interest in learning, which will stimulate their enthusiasm for learning, help them better understand problems, and even extend new understandings.

Question 6

What positive outcomes are described in the cooperative learning?

Traditional education, with its emphasis on rote learning and memorization of static facts, has long valued conformity over novelty of thought. However, in today’s world of global competition and task automation, innovative capacity and a creative spirit are fast becoming requirements for professional and personal success. Humanity’s future depends on the ability to reconstitute our understanding of human capacity and place creativity and innovation in the forefront of our educational systems.

How is considered creativity in the traditional education?

Question 7

Good social and intercultural skills are essential to functioning successfully in school and in life. These skills enable individuals to interact effectively with others. Know when to listen, when to speak, and how to present yourself in a respectable, professional manner, working effectively across diverse teams. Social skills are expected to become increasingly important in the 21st century, especially empathy.

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Why are social and cross-cultural skills crucial?

Question 8

Metacognition is defined as ‘thinking about thinking’. In other words, be aware of how much you understand about a topic and the factors that might affect their understanding. There are three critical steps to teaching metacognition:

1. Teach that learning is not a fixed quantity and that a person’s ability to learn can change
2. Teach how to set goals and plan to meet them
3. Give learners ample opportunities to practise accurately monitoring their learning and adapting it as necessary.

What are metacognition skills?

Question 9

• Future oriented schools must expand learners' intellectual ability and strengthen their willingness and ability to continue learning throughout their life, because are crucial to adaptability.
• It is also necessary that key abilities are more based on learning ability than knowledge accumulation.
• Learning ability is the driving force. A person's learning ability can accompany him all his life. It's never too late to learn. Learning ability generally refers to people's ability to seek knowledge, do things and develop themselves. Learning ability is the basis of other abilities. Learning ability is the method and skill of learning. With such methods and skills we can solve all kinds of known or unknown problems. Knowledge is endless, but it is an ability to master the ways to obtain it. Therefore, the ability to learn is very important. It is more important than mastering more knowledge.

Are the competencies based more on the ability to learn more important than the accumulation of knowledge?

Question 10

Conclusion

To sum up, twenty-first century life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge.