Twenty-first Century Learning Research Articles

Determining teacher candidates’ levels of twenty-first century learner and teacher skills use

Determining teacher candidates’ levels of twenty-first century learner and teacher skills use

Mapping a Sustainable Future Through Conceptualization of Transformative Learning Framework, Education for Sustainable Development, Critical Reflection, and Responsible Citizenship: An Exploration of Pedagogies for Twenty-First Century Learning

This research examines how transformative learning has been conceptualized and operationalized in education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainability learning, and gathers evidence on how to promote transformative learning in formal and non-formal settings. The author performed a systematic literature review to create a bibliometric overview that combines a quantitative description of the body of literature with a qualitative study of the learning processes, results, and circumstances. The current investigation shows that transformative learning theory may help in designing and implementation of educational interventions and evaluations of learning towards sustainability by analyzing the learning process, results, and circumstances in the core sample of studies. This systematic review allows for a better understanding of how transformative learning theory’s concepts and mechanisms are operationalized in sustainability learning and ESD research, and it serves as a source of encouragement for researchers and practitioners working to make sustainability education, teaching, and learning more transformative.

Integrating Digital Multimodal Composition into EFL Writing Instruction

Research background: Digital multimodal composition has recently received paramount attention in the instruction of second language writing. Gap in knowledge: Although the merits of digital multimodal composition have widely been acknowledged by many scholars, the instruction of English writing has still remained monomodal in Iran.Purpose of the study: The present quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the differential impacts of the two types of writing (multimodal/monomodal) on English as a Foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing ability in terms of content, communicative achievement, organization, and language across five times.Methods: To this end, two intact groups, including 59 EFL learners at a university in southeastern Iran participated in the study. The participants were assigned into two comparison groups of multimodal (n = 30) and monomodal (n = 29) compositions. The students in the multimodal group composed five digital essays, while the monomodal group used only the textual mode to produce their essays throughout the semester. Following a repeated measures design, the researchers assessed the participants’ writing ability across five times. A mixed between-within ANOVA was conducted to address the research questions.Findings: The results revealed that both groups showed significant improvement in their writing ability across time. Furthermore, the multimodal group outperformed the monomodal group in their writing ability.Value added: The findings suggest that writing instructional practices in Iran should be redefined and updated to accommodate the needs and expectations of the twenty-first century learners.

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF 21ST CENTURY LEARNING SKILLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Twenty-first century learning skills (4Cs) are considered as indispensable learning and innovation skills that students should enhance in the classroom as a preparation for their future life in the 21st century. This paper, therefore, aimed to scrutinise the extent to which the 4Cs are important perceived by the third-year English majors at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance (UEF). The questionnaire which was employed as the main research instrument to collect the data was administered to the thirdyear English majors (n=204). The data were quantitatively analysed by means of the software SPSS 20.0 (i.e., Mean and Standard deviation). The findings indicated a high rate of agreement on the 4Cs. Statistically, the mean scores of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity skills were high, which means that they mostly acknowledged the crucial role of these skills in their learning. In particular, they highly valued diversity in communication (e.g., verbal and non-verbal communication in diverse contexts, effective communication in cross-cultural environments), mutual respect and appreciation, a connection between the knowledge gained from the university and real-life experiences, and innovations. The preliminary findings probably not only practically contribute to the 4Cs development in the research context and similar EFL contexts, but they also bring theoretical contributions to the literature about the 4Cs in EFL teaching and learning.

Kemampuan Dosen dalam Membuat Soal HOTS Pada Pembelajaran Abad 21

Twenty-first century learning requires high-level thinking skills including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity known as the 4Cs. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of the lecturers of the Biology Education Study Program at UIN Alauddin Makassar in making Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions and to find out the responses of the lecturers of the Biology Education Study Program at UIN Alauddin Makassar on the importance of developing HOTS questions. This research is a quantitative descriptive research. This research was carried out in the odd semester of the 2019/2020 Academic Year with the research subjects of all lecturers of the Biology Education Study Program at UIN Alauddin Makassar who have educational backgrounds according to the study program as many as 12 people. Data collection techniques through question documentation and questionnaires. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The results showed that Lecturers of the Biology Education Study Program were able to make higher order thinking questions (HOTS) with a percentage of 33% Very Able, 8% Able, and 17% Enough, while the remaining 42% with the criteria of Poor. As many as 85% of the Lecturers of the Biology Education Study Program at UIN Alauddin Makassar gave a positive response to 74% of items stating the importance of making higher order thinking questions (HOTS). Suggestions from this study was that Biology Education lecturers can innovate HOTS-based educational evaluations.

Hub-and-spokes practices of blended learning: trajectories of emergency remote teaching in Brunei Darussalam.

The recent global pandemic has conveyed emergency remote teaching (ERT) specifically the blended approach, an indispensable alternative teaching and learning delivery in formal schools. In Brunei secondary schools, the blended learning approach formed the core ‘Continuity Learning Plan’ for instruction along with the mandated educational changes accruing to the social and economic challenges of the twenty-first century learning system. Its widespread adaptation underlies teachers’ transitional initiatives and practices which must have reshaped the structural climate and relational dynamics of conventional instruction. Espousing the continuous learning model, this paper envisages to investigate the adaptive-related practices of Bruneian secondary school teachers and learners employing blended learning. Qualitative research approach with semi-structured interview was adopted in the study with respondents comprising of 18 teachers and 13 students. Thematic coding and recursive analysis of data revealed seven (7) dimensions or centre points of blended learning and teaching practices, namely: technological, interactive and effectiveness, added value, feasibility, pedagogical, institutional support and evaluation of success. In general, results suggest the Hub-and- Spokes model that organic support, integrated implementation and professional readiness are germane to the adaption of a functional and manageable blended delivery approach.

An Arts-Based Anti-Discriminatory Approach to Online Nursing Education: Reducing Addiction Stigma and Meeting Social Justice Learning Outcomes

Addiction stigma exists in health care systems among health care providers, including nursing students. It is often tied to knowledge deficits and acts as a barrier to those seeking supportive addiction services. The purpose was to discuss innovative approaches that reduce addiction stigma and meet social justice learning outcomes in online nursing education. A four-stage algorithm was used with 95 articles. Applying an exclusion and screening process yielded 17 articles. Another 10 articles were drawn from my recent graduate work. Online educators can use artistic pedagogical technologies to practice from a critical consciousness lens to design social justice learning outcomes with an antidiscriminatory framework. An intentional and innovative framework to reduce addiction stigma in online nursing students is proposed, developed from artistic pedagogical technologies within a critical consciousness lens. This inclusive pedagogical approach is accessible to diverse twenty-first century learners, reduces addictions stigma, and leads to better-prepared nurses who deliver excellent nursing care for all.

Introducing design thinking online to large business education courses for twenty-first century learning

Design thinking can be broadly defined as a set of creative skills to understand and problem-solve ambiguous and complex problems, and a practice that places humans at the heart of the design process. Such collaborative ways of design thinking and design-doing are much needed to address twenty-first century challenges such as climate change. Design thinking methodology is well known for teaching and learning in design disciplines, and to a lesser extent, as an innovative problem-solving framework for business education. Typically design thinking has been taught and practised in physical settings and to a lesser extent online. While design thinking is also increasingly practised online, this is challenging at scale in higher education contexts. This case study analyses design thinking activities with educational technologies in a large undergraduate cohort of first-year business students. Eleven students and three teachers were interviewed to ascertain their level of engagement with design thinking with digital tools and to identify common themes that enabled or inhibited such practice. Student artefacts of design thinking are explored and compared to the interview data. Findings indicate that students may develop novice design thinking skills, process knowledge and mindsets in online and remote delivery modes, despite limited experience, technical and time constraints. Broader learning design implications of design thinking constraints in digital practice are discussed to assist educators. It is suggested that higher education adopt and support design thinking, as a subject and practice, more widely.

Online programs in school library education: Preparing librarians to support twenty-first century learners

The online distance education program, Teacher-Librarianship by Distance Learning (TL-DL), was developed and implemented at the University of Alberta, Canada beginning in the late 1990s. In this paper, TL-DL is used as an example to explore: how an online program was established and maintained and how the challenges facing the program have been and are being addressed. TL-DL‟s approach to preparing school librarians to support student access to new and emerging technologies was compared and found to be similar to the approaches used in two other types of programs identified through recent research conducted in the United States and Australia. Emerging from the research are questions about the need for shifts in curriculum content and pedagogy to engage digital age learners.

Designing and using digital platforms for 21st century learning

This paper is written in response to the original article “Designing for 21st century learning online: A heuristic method to enable educator learning support roles” (Nacu et al. 2018). The article presents a guide for teacher interactions with students in networked technologies. It also serves as a guide for network designers who are concerned about the quality of online learning, and want more equitable access to systems that inspire young people “to pursue their interests and take ownership of their learning” (Nacu et al. 2018, p. 1029). During the Covid-19 pandemic, network platforms assumed a central role in the educational process. The article is a timely reminder of the importance of designing and implementing platforms that will address twenty-first century learning goals. This response to the Nacu et al. article reviews their research from a “theory of change” perspective. The authors in the original article present a heuristic that expands the online roles that educators currently use to support young people in building their knowledge. To realize the full potential of the heuristic, a more holistic approach is required, one that repositions online learning as a knowledge-building environment. A theory of change could identify the critical variables needed to help teachers and designers transition to a more comprehensive understanding of online learning. Unfortunately, heuristics by themselves do not prepare network designers or teachers to do this work. Future research can embed the heuristic in a broader, deeper effort to prepare teachers and designers to enact student-centered online learning environments.

The Use of Delphi Technique in Validating a Teaching and Learning Model for Enhancing Students' Computational Thinking Skills

Computational thinking skill is a new skill needed in twenty-first century learning. However, teaching practitioners have been struggling to find effective techniques to be used in the teaching and learning process that can help students to develop such a skill. Several studies have proposed a number of models to guide the teaching and learning process, but most lacked a focus on the improvement of computational thinking skill among students. As such, this study was carried out to identify and validate the elements and sub-elements of an assessment instrument prior to developing an effective teaching and learning model for enhancing students' computational thinking skill with the use of the Delphi technique, which was carried out through three rounds of implementation involving a panel of experts made up of five (5) academicians and two (2) industrial practitioners. Essentially, the proposed elements and sub-elements were derived from those based on the combination of the problem-solving techniques and metacognitive skills. After the completion of the three rounds of such technique, six (6) elements and 25 sub-elements of the assessment instrument were validated to be highly important, entailing them to be embedded in the proposed teaching and learning model for enhancing students' computational thinking skills. The use of Delphi technique in this study successfully identified and validated six (6) elements and 25 sub-elements of the teaching and learning model. This study contributes to the development of a model that can be used by teaching practitioners as a guide in their teaching and learning process for enhancing students' computational thinking.

Taking critical thinking, creativity and grit online.

Technology has the potential to facilitate the development of higher-order thinking skills in learning. There has been a rush towards online learning by education systems during COVID-19; this can therefore be seen as an opportunity to develop students’ higher-order thinking skills. In this short report we show how critical thinking and creativity can be developed in an online context, as well as highlighting the importance of grit. We also suggest the importance of heuristic evaluation in the design of online systems to support twenty-first century learning.

Affective Characteristics for 21st Century Learning Environments: Do They Matter?

<p class="0abstract">Twenty-first century learners are media-centric and heavily reliant on technology. Internet-accessible resources are always at the students’ finger-tips and they learn through such resources anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, formal education in most part of Asia remains largely examination focused given the immense pressure to obtain paper qualifications. Our challenge today is how do we make students learn on their own volition? How do we then sustain learning when the education system is still very much examination-centric? Success in learning is not always dependent on the ways students are taught in the classroom or the tools they use to learn but can be very much affected by the learners’ affective characteristics. This paper highlights two selected affective characteristics — attitudes and interest, as previous and current literature continue to suggest their positive impact on student behavior including learning.</p>

Performative pedagogies: feeling the experience of being (the) social in twenty-first century learning

ABSTRACT This article explores the application of theatre and performance pedagogies to broader contexts of interdisciplinary teaching and the increasingly diversified student body. It further attends to the affective dimensions of the twenty-first century digital classroom. In doing so, it proposes that a pedagogy of ‘meta-affect’ opens out the capacity for students to become critically aware of how socialities of the digital classroom are built through affect. It draws on German-based collective Rimini Protokoll’s Remote X to show how performative visualisations of the smooth affects of digital culture enable for the development of students’ capacities to conceptualise models of real-world change.

Twenty-First Century Learning and the Case for More Knowledge About Knowledge

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate about the phenomenon known in Aotearoa New Zealand as twenty-first Century Learning. In recent additions to the local literature Hirschman and Wood (2018) have noted a lack of critical engagement with this narrative which is fast becoming normalised in New Zealand, and Lourie (2020) has shown how and why twenty-first century skills and competencies have been increasingly emphasised over traditional forms of knowledge. In responding to this literature I identify a number of problems with the narrative but my key purpose is to engage with what I regard as the deeper and more fundamental problem—a lack of ‘knowledge about knowledge’. I use Young and Muller’s (2010) 3 Futures scenarios to create a context from which to critique this knowledge gap and its contagion effects in the use of ‘big ideas’ in the current review of the National Certificate of Education Achievement. I argue that epistemically structured knowledge is our main resource for deep learning and that equitable access to this form of knowledge is a social justice issue. A more epistemologically informed approach to the changes currently being promoted in New Zealand education is required to mitigate the effects of epistemologically weak curriculum making encouraged by the twenty-first learning narrative.

Play-based strategies and using robot technologies across the curriculum

ABSTRACT Formal education is constantly influenced by a determined curriculum, which teachers are more or less forced to follow. But by following Sicart (2014. Play Matters. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press), and thereby considering children's democratic rights and their right to play we can ask important questions, such as: How can we make schools more playful by giving teachers inspiration and tools for making their subjects in school more creative, engaging and inspiring? How can we use technologies in curriculum-oriented and cross-curricular ways? How can we learn about the influence of technology, about culture and societal development, in age-appropriate ways? The paper investigates which pedagogical approaches and strategies that are most useful as inspiration and as educational exchange on a transnational level. Furthermore, the paper discusses new robotic influenced pedagogies for transforming traditional school activities into more play-based approaches to be implemented with twenty-first century learning skills: creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking.

Recontextualising Twenty-first Century Learning in New Zealand Education Policy: The Reframing of Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

This article traces the reframing of the relationship between knowledge, skills and competencies in New Zealand education policy from the 1990s onwards. It argues that this reframing is the result of New Zealand’s recontextualisation of global policy ideas about the kind of education thought to be needed in the twenty-first century, and in particular, for the development of a successful knowledge economy. The discussion focuses on two of the contemporary constituents of the cluster of ideas that constitute twenty-first century: ICT/digital technologies and the kind of knowledge needed for the twenty-first century. Both of these constituents of twenty-first century learning are strongly linked to ideas about the development of a successful knowledge economy. It is argued that each of these constituents, both separately, and when employed as part of a whole approach to teaching and learning, have contributed to the emergence of a different kind of relationship between knowledge, skills and competencies, in which skills and competencies are increasingly emphasised.

Quality and tyranny: competing discourses around a compulsory rubric

This article takes the introduction of a compulsory rubric for assessment across all units taught in an arts and education faculty as an opportunity for the identification and discussion of competing discourses around this process. We identify five discourses that complicate those of quality and efficiency in relation to rubrics: imperatives for twenty-first century learning; authentic assessment; Indigenous perspectives; creative praxis and academic freedom. Through describing the resulting discursive conflict we demonstrate what needs to be negotiated in this particular context, for all staff, with implications for those experiencing similar tensions in their own contexts. We also consider what these tensions both enable and constrain for future assessment policy and practice.

Redesigning for Twenty-First Century Learning: Analyzing the Process of Transforming Student Learning Using the Three Pillars Method

This study analyzed the process through which 45 courses were transformed using the Three Pillars Course Transformation Method. The three pillars (deep learning, intellectual skills, and professional skills) advanced active learning and engaged learning in order to impact student success. The transformation process began with training of faculty members on using the method booklet before they went on to transform courses while working with an instructional designer who took the role of a Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative Project (HLC-QIP) consultant. The study analyzed the transformation process, focusing on the pedagogical support provided to faculty members, benefits, and challenges. While course developers encountered challenges during the process, these issues were essentially duly addressed by the HLC-QIP consultant. The project was a success; transformed courses were reconstructed to include active and engaged learning activities with robust assessment strategies and well-developed syllabi. Course developers also went away with new, instructional design skills that they would use for the rest of their careers.

Nature of problem-solving skills for 21st Century STEM Learners: What teachers need to know

Since the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution which calls for a new model of learning for the twenty-first century learners, it has been argued that the nature of problems that learners must solve in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) must also be transformed to enable new forms of learning skills that are needed to tackle complex global challenges. However, the question of how best to teach these skills purposefully and explicitly is largely overlooked. STEM education reformers recognize that the lecture method or traditional method of teaching is highly ineffective for teaching twenty-first century competencies and skills that learners need to develop, yet widespread use of this approach continues. In today’s world, we need STEM graduates who are more sophisticated in understanding the uncertainty of knowledge through quasi-reflective thinking when there is uncertainty about a solution to a problem. For this to happen, STEM learners need skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, innovation, the ability to communicate new knowledge effectively, and the ability to solve various kinds of problems through negotiation and collaboration, all of which present a corpus of knowledge to be constructed and mastered in a learner-driven pedagogy. Therefore, rethinking the kind of problem-solving skills we teach twenty-first century learners is as crucial as identifying a suitable instructional model. This paper demonstrates how the domain of ill-structured problems-based learning may contribute to the development and mastery of twenty-first century competencies and skills, and advance the quality of learning through the argumentation model.