Twenty-first Century Learning The report of Jaques Delors Learning: The treasure within to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the twenty-first Century (1996) Paris emphasized the four pillars of education that is learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be. Learning to know. It is to blend broad knowledges in general with opportunity to study some subjects in depth. Learning to know also means training in learning method so that one can gain benefits from studying throughout life. Learning to do. Not only to have expertise in academic profession but to be able to handle various situations and can work as a group. It is a kind of learning helped by various experiences from society and from practising one’s profession. This may be due to the additions in situations that particular locality or country. Or it may be formal learning with curriculum comprise of learning theory together job training. Learningto live together. It is to teach students to understand others and to be aware that we as human beings are interdependent, make project together and learn how to solve conflicts. By showing them that pluralism, good understandings and peace are precious and worth cherishing. Learning to be. There was an emphasis from the beginning that education must help in developing individual in all dimensions whether they be physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional and social. Every human being must be free to think critically but with self-discretion. So that one can determine for oneself on how to proceed when met with various situations in life. Then in order to be able to learn throughout life learning to learn must be cultivated. Similar trends and innovations in education in the 21st century have been identified by the international Society for Technology in Education in a conference held between 5-7 July 2006, in San Diego, California, USA. The conference did not emphasize the teaching of teachers but the learning of students. What is twenty-first century learning? It has six core elements that help students learn better. These elements are: - twenty-first century content - learning skills - thinking skills - ICT literacy - life skills - twenty-first century assessment The core subjects are comparable to the subjects specified in the national Thai curriculum such as languages, arts, mathematics, science, etc. Twenty-first century content is interesting because the areas focused on (for example, global awareness, and civic and entrepreneurial literacy) are critical to the success of communities and workplaces Students need to learn and think critically and they must also make effective and innovative use of what they learn throughout their lives. The learning and thinking skills are critical-thinking, problem-solving, communication, creativity, collaboration and information and media literacy. Students must be ICT literate so that they can use technology to help themselves learn content and other skills. This will enable them to learn effectively, think critically, solve problems holistically, and utilize information efficiently. It can be said that highly qualified teachers incorporate life skills into their pedagogy. Therefore, life skills—leadership, ethics, self-direction, and social responsibility—are integral parts of the twenty-first learning model. The last piece of the puzzle for twenty-first century learning is assessment. It has to be approached carefully and cautiously because standardized tests can measure only a few of the important skills and only certain types of knowledge. Effective class-room assessment such as class observation and peer evaluation and project-assessment must also be utilized. Therefore, even the assessment paradigm can be challenged by twenty-first century learning.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 06:48:12 +0000