21st Century Skills

21^st Century Skills

As education advances with the help of technology, it becomes very clear that the modern day classroom needs are very different from the conventional classroom needs.

The evolved 21st century classroom is a productive environment in which students can develop the skills they will require in the workplace and teachers are facilitators of their learning. The focus of a 21st century classroom is on students experiencing the environment they will enter as modern day workers and developing their higher order thinking skills, effective communication skills, collaboration skills and creativity making them adept with using technology and all other skills that they will need in the 21st century workplace.

The educational practices of the traditional classroom are no longer effective and teachers must develop new teaching strategies that are radically different from those employed in the traditional classrooms. The modern day classroom should be more centered on students and teachers should take the role of facilitators and guides instead of being mere providers of knowledge. They must ensure that they engage their students in learning and provide effective instruction using a variety of instructional methods and following different pedagogical approaches aided with technology. Teachers should be active participants in their own learning and must seek out professional development to improve their performance and their students’ learning.

21st century skills include many characteristics associated with them which distinguish them from the conventional approaches as below:

Student-centric: In these classrooms, students play an active role in their learning and teachers serve as mere guides. They are more facilitators of learning than lecturers. Teachers help students think critically and learn by doing and act as a resource while their students discover and master new concepts. Student-centric classroom environments put students’ interests first and are focused on each student’s needs, abilities and learning styles.  In this context, students’ interests come first, teacher acknowledges student voice as central to the learning experience.  In a student-centred learning space, students choose what they will learn, how they will learn, and how they will assess their own learning.  Students learn how to ask the right questions, how to find answers, and how to use  information. Students move beyond the student role to learn through real world experiences. This strategy enables lifelong learning and independent problem-solving.  

Computing devices: Computers need to be readily available in modern classrooms, since they are essential tools for 21st century students and replace the utilities of pen and paper. They are not only give students the means to conduct online research and master the technology skills they need, but they also give teachers the opportunity to enhance their lessons. The ability to deftly operate a computer is a critical 21st century skill. Computing devices greatly assist in teaching and learning and make them more engaging and effective.  The use of technology in fact promotes active learning. In modern classrooms, students are actively engaged in what they learn. Students participate in more active learning by working in groups or on computers and complete projects.  For example, these skills are critically important for students to complete Geography and History folios under PT3 various instrument assessment.   Equipped with the skills, students could gather targeted information from related websites until completing informative and meaningful final products. Students can also learn actively by talking and listening, writing, reading and reflecting through virtual instruments. When students are encouraged to take an active interest in learning, they are more likely to retain the knowledge they have accumulated.

Adaptive learning: Any classroom will always have students of different types of learning abilities in it which often makes it difficult for teachers to make sure that all of them understand the concepts. The modern approach of adaptive learning gives students the freedom to learn at their own pace and in the way they are most comfortable with.  In this relation, in line with the Ministry of Education’s initiatives, various kinds of software have been distributed to schools for adaptive learning that teachers can use to enhance   learning  process of their students.

Invitational environment: in order to ensure the success of the 21^st century teaching approach, he classrooms should not be cramped or overcrowded. Modern classrooms should have the basic material required for teaching such as, interactive whiteboards and LCD projectors. The BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) approach can be adopted, so that students can bring their laptops or tablets to the classroom for better personalized learning.  However, to-date, Malaysia primary and secondary public schools have not adopted such policies as yet.  Only when the students are mature enough not to misuse the electronic devices in classroom environment, then the approach is worth to be implemented.

Mutual respect: Teachers and students should always have respect for each other. It is no longer valid for teachers to play an authoritative role as during classical teaching environment.  As now the role of teachers is no longer to be the sage on the stage, students should not forget their value as they will always receive guidance from them. Besides, teachers should encourage students to speak with confidence and value their opinions. In a well-disciplined environment, co-operation and respect among classmates should also be inculcated.

Students take responsibility of their learning: As students are encouraged to actively participate in their own learning, they become responsible for their learning. Self-directed students not only encourage each other, but also work with their teacher to achieve academic and behavioral goals that they themselves have helped establish. Teachers employ a variety of strategies to promote responsible decision-making and create self-reliant students.

Performance-based assessments: Regular performance-based assessments are carried out by teachers through various methods which are not restricted to tests. These can be by conducting quizzes and polls. Teachers can utilize projects as well as other products and performances as assessments to determine student achievements and needs. Assessments are tailored to the abilities and needs of the students.  The introduction of Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah (PBS) is a strong evidence of the ministry’s efforts in achieving this objective.  Students are assessed from time to time based on their work, projects, folios, assignments  or other instruments throughout the year and not merely focused on the summative examinations.

Collaborative learning: Learning through collaboration is one of the most effective forms of learning. Teaching and learning in isolation are very restrictive and hinder progress. Learning in groups enhances the scope of learning and develops critical thinking. Collaborative learning activities include collaborative writing, group projects, joint problem solving, debates and more. Collaborative learning redefines traditional student-teacher relationship in the classroom.  In order to enhance the effectiveness of collaborative learning, teachers could guide students to use web tools like Google doc, Padlet, Popplet and other apps to encourage interesting and inspiring collaborative learning.  The simplest and the most available gadget – mobile could also function as an effective forum platform through Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook.

Technology plays a big role in developing all of these characteristics for 21^st century teaching-learning process. Teachers should take an active part in planning and participating in professional development that regularly utilize learning communities to improve student learning and achievement. These technological and soft skills enhance the learning experience and better prepare students for higher education and workforce.