Lesson 2

The 21 st Century Learner
Introduction
The 21st century world definitely requires 21st
century skills. Embarking on this technology-
propelled age requires one to think deeply about
any emerging issue, solve problems creatively,
collaborate with a team, communicate clearly,
learn fast-changing technologies, and deal with
overwhelming information. The rapid changes
compel one to be flexible, to take the initiative and
lead when needed, and to produce something
new and useful.
McLeod (2010) said, "Education, as the primary
avenue, focuses on the development and use of
skills such as critical thinking and problem-
solving, written and oral communication,
collaboration, creativity and innovation. These
skills are imperative for every learner to
cultivate to be able to survive today's world"
Terms to Define
1. Critical thinking and problem-solving
communication, information, and media literacy
2.Collaboration, teamwork, and leadership 3.
Creativity and innovation
4. career and learning self-reliance cross-5.
cultural understanding
computer and ICT literacy
Main Ideas
• The 21st century learner is facing enormous
challenges. The 21st century learner has to be
equipped with the skills needed to cope with
the demands of the changing times.
Give a word or two to describe the following
terms:
1. Critical thinking
2. Creative thinking
3. Collaborating
4.Communicating
5. Information literacy
6. Media literacy
7. Technology literacy
8. Flexibility
9. Initiative
10. Optimism
11. Resilience
12. Adaptability
13. Global stewardship
The 21st Century Skills:
Skills for the 21st Century Challenges Coping
with the demands of the digital society, we, the
digital native learners need additional skills to
react to the challenges of the 21st century.
Siemens (2006, cited in Brockbank and McGill
2007) listed the following skills:
(1)Anchoring: Staying focused on
important tasks while undergoing a
deluge of distractions;
(2)(2) Filtering: Managing knowledge
flow and extracting important
elements;
(3) Connecting with each other:
Building networks in order to continue
to stay cur- rent and informed;
(4) Being human together: Interacting
at a human, not only utilitarian, level
to form social spaces;
(5) Creating and deriving meaning: Understanding
implications, comprehending meaning and impact;
(6) Evaluation and authentication: Determining the

value of knowledge and ensuring authenticity;
(7) Altered processes of validation: Validating

people and ideas within appropriate context;
(8) Critical and creative thinking: Employing

standards of thinking, knowing the box before
going outside the box;
9) Pattern recognition: Decision-making process in
defining a problem
(10) Navigation of the knowledge landscape:

Navigating between repositories, people, technology,
and ideas while achieving intended purposes; (11)
Acceptance of uncertainty: Balancing what is known
with the unknown to how existing knowledge relates to
what we do not know; and
(12) Contextualizing: Careful consideration of the

situation.
For a time, the Intel® Education programs support
teachers in creating 21st century Classrooms for their
students and help students to experience a 21st
century curriculum through community-based
technology centers. The 21st century skills are a set of
abilities that students need to develop in order to
succeed in the Information Age. The following are the
skills according to three types:
1. Learning Skills .
Critical Thinking
Creative Thinking
Collaborating Communicating
2. Literacy Skills
Information Literacy
Media Literacy
Technology Literacy
3. Life Skills
Flexibility
Initiative
Social Skills
Productivity
Leadership
Why 21st Century Children Need to Excel at
Problem-solving
Samuel Greiff and Jonas Müller
It is no longer enough for children just to be able

to read, count, or multiply. With computers now
doing many mundane repetitive tasks for us,
many jobs in today's world quire analytical skills
and the ability to solve unexpected problems
Brain in Gear
The OECD creative problem-solving test used a range

of so-called "microproblems": small computer
simulations of problems that require the active
exploration of the situation and the application of
knowledge gained that way. Compared to the multiple-
choice tests commonly used in large-scale
assessments, they require the active acquisition of
knowledge within a new situation and the subsequent
application of that knowledge to a complex problem.
Outside the Box
In today's world, the routine operation of
checking an essay for spelling mistakes is
becoming increasingly automated. But
handling new problems without pre-specified
training or knowledge has become a major
part of our working life. The daily work of an
average employee nowadays includes more
and more non-routine tasks that require novel
solutions or at least some thinking outside of
manuals and orders
Question
1.Why do the 21st century learners need to

excel in problem solving
2.Do education system make learners excel

in problem solving? Why? Why not

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The 21 st Century Learner

(6) Evaluation and authentication: Determining the

(7) Altered processes of validation: Validating

(8) Critical and creative thinking: Employing

(10) Navigation of the knowledge landscape:

(12) Contextualizing: Careful consideration of the

It is no longer enough for children just to be able

The OECD creative problem-solving test used a range

1.Why do the 21st century learners need to

2.Do education system make learners excel

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