How Do We Foster 21st Century Learning?
We are living in a rapidly changing world and education is changing with it (Owen, 2020). Owen (2020) claims that our children will enter a very different workplace that bears no resemblance to what we are familiar with now. He claims that they will be entering what he calls “the 4th Revolution” and a world of A.I. As such, he claims, we, as parents and teachers, need to adapt, to prepare our young people for their future beyond school (Owen 2020). Owen refers to a recent research project conducted at the University of Minnesota which found that employees place soft skills such as problem-solving and the ability to effectively collaborate high on their list of requirements. Thus, to give our children the best possible chance of success, we need to help them develop these skills!
We are all aware that traditionally, learners have been taught in an instructional way, with the teacher leading the learning and with the direction and flow of the learning coming directly from the teacher. According to Owen (2020), a 21st-century teaching and learning approach reverses this and places the child at the centre of the learning experience, so that they have greater ownership over and participation in the learning. Thus, the teacher and the learner collaborate and co-construct, allowing input from both. This is where quality, deep learning occurs!
The ability to think through ideas, be agile in one’s thinking and communicate and work with others effectively are the new 21st century skills that Owen (2020) and other authorities on 21st century learning, such as Jefferson & Anderson (2017), claim are essential to adequately preparing our young people for the future.
So, how can we as parents and teachers foster this 21st century learning approach? Owen (2020) offers five ways that we can help develop our young people into effective 21st century learners, fully prepared for the rigours and demands of a dynamic and rapidly changing world:
Give a young person the space to make mistakes and create new solutions. As the adult, it is natural to want to jump in at any point and help a child. However, giving a child the space and time to start developing their own problem-solving skills is key.
Let a child struggle and be exposed to challenges. Challenges are good for their development! Challenges build resilience and the opportunity to learn how to overcome adversity. Don’t just provide the solution!
Use hands-on activities. Hands-on activities encourage a child to experiment to find solutions to the problem in front of them. Using a variety of materials that help our children show more problem solving and creativity is essential!
Ask open-ended questions. By asking open questions we provide an opportunity for thinking time rather than just directing a child towards what the adult sees as the ‘correct’ answer. Children are incredibly adept at finding different solutions to a problem or a question.
Have a flexible approach to the outcome. By having more flexibility in terms of the expected outcome, we allow a child to find their own route and indeed an individual, creative final product. This final product may not be what we had anticipated – it could be better – and indeed it is the process that a child goes through where the deep learning occurs.