The Future of Learning

The above title refers to a study by Howard Gardner and his colleagues at Harvard to examine the kinds of 'thinking' and 'learning' that will be necessary for students to succeed in the 21st century. He and his colleagues attribute this paradigm shift to these current and future trends; a) globalization: With megacities all over the world, there is now a seamless transaction of money, ideas, customs and brands. Given that 200 million people worldwide do not live in the country in which they were born, there is now more cross-cultural information than ever. b) the biological revolution: According to Gardner, this means, "Everyday we are learning more about the kind of creature we are. If we are going to be thinking of learning, then we need to know how we learn as a species." c) the digital revolution: refers to how technology can be mobilized positively in education; Gardner goes on to say that "some are digital immigrants and some are digital natives." d) lifelong learning: this is the future of learning, which will incorporate non-linear systems, group learning, collaboration, just-in-time responses, out of the proverbial box learning, and moving beyond powerpoint to IM, Facebook, Twitter, and technologies which have yet to be created.

For more information please visit: http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/teaching/TC106-607.html