EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century

Assessment 1A: Essay scoping

Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 1 of 7

Define 21
st
century learning

21
st
century learning is about the changes required in order for students to be
competitive in todays society. It encompasses new ideas, beliefs, knowledge, theories and
practices (Bolstad et al, 2012) and focuses on facilitation and empowering students
(McQueen, n.d.). There needs to be a focus on new skills and knowledge as a direct result of
globalisation, economic necessity and low civic engagement (Saavedra and Opfer, 2012).

The 21
st
learner will be not only a learner that listens, watches and remembers (as per
traditional learning experiences), but they will be more responsible for their learning,
questioning their experiences and being engaged in an environment that is information heavy.
The learner will be in an environment that encourages them to collaborate with their peers,
prove and disprove the information that they find and from that, construct and invent new
learning and knowledge. They will have the ability to teach others what they have learned
and be respected for this new found ability (Swinburne Online, 2014).

Innovation will be second nature as the learner is provided with opportunities to
engage in social media and mobile computer technologies (Senge, Cambron-McCabe, Lucas,
Smith, Dutton & Kleiner, 2012). Technology will be used for collaborative work and play
spaces, utilising blogs and creative products. These tools will provide the student with a
world of information and enable the students to use their new found skills to produce and
disseminate knowledge (Moyle, 2010).

The idea of 21
st
century learning has already been accounted for in such documents as
the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians as it draws links
between innovation and technologies.
EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century
Assessment 1A: Essay scoping
Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 2 of 7


Identify features of traditional education and give an example of a new practice

Traditional education is where the teacher led the classroom through instruction and
students were expected to listen, watch and remember. Teachers were seen as the experts
of knowledge and this in turn, prepared them for their lives after school (Bolstad et al, 2012).
The schooling system was seen as a one-size-fits all with standardised themes throughout
the year. This was typically known as the Industrial Age System of Education.

21
st
century learning leans towards new practices and the incorporation of technology
into the school environment. Most students, prior to entering the education system, have
already been exposed to technology through computers, mobile devices (such as the iPad or
iPhone) and gaming consoles. But students tend to be users and consumers of these devices
and it will be the role of the 21
st
century educator to move the students towards being creators
and producers (Moyle, 2010).

A new practice incorporating technology (or commonly known as ICT Information
Communication Technology), is utilising social networking. Social networking can be seen
as a good way to collaborate online and share information. Students can utilise such
technology for creating e-portfolios, sharing information about their individual or team
successes and gathering feedback from the general community or indeed, the global
community. This could lead to other opportunities for students to work collaboratively with
other students around the world on joint projects or discuss and question topics of interest.
Utilising technology in this way can support the students to achieve their learning objectives
and still meet the curriculum requirements (Moyle, 2010).

EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century
Assessment 1A: Essay scoping
Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 3 of 7

Explain how globalisation and social factors are driving

Globalisation is about the borderless world that we are now a part of. We are now a
community of people who share and promote economic, social, political and environmental
activities (Bagnall, 2013). We are able to share our interests through globalisation using
technologies and trade. The world is now a place of networks and interconnectedness
(Bagnall, 2013).

For education this means that students now no longer are being educated to work in
manufacturing or plant-based businesses. Students now have a new set skills that they are
required to obtain and globalisation has been a major factor in that change (Bagnall, 2013).

Students have become a part of social environment, where once upon a time, they
would play in the streets but now play games on their internet-connected console and play
with children around the world (Bagnall, 2013). Their behaviour, culture and values have
changed. They are influenced by what is happening around the globe and as a result of this
(Bolstad et al, 2012), education must change too.

Today, education is much more than just reading and writing and is heavily impacted
upon by these social changes and globalisation. This results in more stringent policies and
comparisons of education systems globally. It has also resulted in a change to pedagogy and
it is imperative that teachers and schools work together to adopt these new practices.


EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century
Assessment 1A: Essay scoping
Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 4 of 7

Pedagogy must now include ensuring that students are engaged in a higher order of
thinking, being able to problem solve using the knowledge available to them and engaging in
dialogue within the classroom and with their peers. Teachers will be required to not only just
teach, but make connections with the learning and the students background and the world
around them. Students will be required to make more active choices about their learning,
being more of a driver of their education than taking a passive stance. Teachers will also
need to consider social connectedness and cultural differences (Churchill et all, 2013).

Globalisation has also resulted in global recording of education performance to assist
policy makers, government officials, educators, parents, students and the media. In Australia,
we are reporting our schooling statistics through the Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA). As part of the PISA reporting requirements, students undertake three-
yearly assessments known as the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy
(NAPLAN) (ACER, 2014).

PISA also collect information to record information on individual performance and
details (such as culture and socio-economic background) and on a school level information
regarding instructional practices, socio-economic background and student perceptions of
instructional practices (ACER, 2014).

Therefore, as education is being monitored and reviewed, the School Improvement
and Governance Network (2013) have considered three major changes and challenges for
education:

EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century
Assessment 1A: Essay scoping
Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 5 of 7


Revolution of education, schools, university and VET
Revolution of economics, energy and the environment
Revolution of health, development and human rights.

These ideas need to be incorporated into todays curriculum and school environments.
By understanding the differences in performance of students from a range of social
backgrounds, policy makers can review how to transform lives through education (SIGN,
2014).













EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century
Assessment 1A: Essay scoping
Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 6 of 7


References
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 2014. Programme for International
Student Assessment (PISA) Australia. Retrieved from
http://www.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/pisa-australia
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 2014. PISA FAQs. Retrieved from
http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PISA_FAQ-2009.pdf
Bagnall, N. (2013). Globalisation. South Melbourne, Oxford University Press.
Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowell, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S. & Hopkins, R. (2012). Supporting
future-oriented learning and teaching - a New Zealand perspective. Retrieved from
New Zealand Council for Educational Research:
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/109317/994_Future-
oriented-07062012.pdf
Churchill, R., Ferguson, P., Godhino, S., Johnson, N.F., Nagel, M.C., Keddie, A..., & Letts,
A. (2011). Teaching: Making a difference. Milton, Qld. John Wiley and Sons.

McQueen, Michael (insert date). 21
st
Century Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from
http://michaelmcqueen.net/programs/21st-century-teaching-and-learning.html#.U7--
U7E8vQM

Moyle, K (2010). Australian Centre for Educational Research (ACER). Building
Innovation: Learning with technologies. Retrieved from
http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=aer
EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21st century
Assessment 1A: Essay scoping
Fiona Pidgeon: Student ID 657999X
Page 7 of 7


Saavedra, A. R and Opfer, V. D (2012). Learning 21
st
Century Skills Requires 21
st
Century
Teaching. (New Styles of Instruction). Phi Delta Kappan, Oct, 2012, Vol.94(2),
p.8(6) [Peer Reviewed Journal]. Retrieved from
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0
a965dce-221c-4a6d-bbaf-446babfa86e8%40sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=113

Senge, P., Cambron-McCabe, N., Lucas, T., Smith, B., Dutton, J. & Kleiner, A. (2012).
Schools that Learn (pp. 32-69). Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

School Improvement and Governance Network. (2014). Global triple revolution - a
discussion paper. Retrieved from http://www.viccso.org.au/big-ideas/the-global-
triple-revolution

Swinburne Online (2014). 2014-2-EDU10006 Teaching and Learning in the 21
st
Century
Week 1 Readings: Why Change Education? Retrieved from
https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-4244301-dt-content-rid-
21761927_2/courses/2014-2-EDU10006-
39664/UnitLearningMaterials/Week_01.html