The future of education How the system needs to adapt

the Future of EducatIon

The world of work has changed dramatically in the 21st century and as parents, we are preparing our children for a job market we may never previously have imagined. Add the repercussions of COVID-19 to the mix, and it is clear that the education system needs to adapt.

There is one thing we know for sure: resilient children who are able to adjust to shifting circumstances are the ones who will thrive.

After a year filled with remote learning and makeshift at-home classrooms, it’s clear that the future generation needs to develop skills beyond the standard smarts needed to pass tests and score well in exams. Children quietly sitting in rows at desks while the teacher occupies them with facts and worksheets is not going to prepare them for the future - whatever it might hold.

Going beyond academic learning

We’re all familiar with our little ones’ individuality, curiosity and unique skills, and yet standardised testing, exams and traditional teaching methods are still very much the norm in Australia. Of course, knowledge is important, but the role of a school to serve its learners goes far beyond just academic learning. What should be considered is how school systems are designed and who they serve best - the adults or the students themselves?

Students are not empty vessels to be filled up with knowledge from the teacher, but individuals with experiences, interests and skills. Only by providing students with student-centred learning experiences that link not just to the ‘real world’ but their world can we stimulate their curiosity and need to know more.

Every student has the right to be actively engaged in learning that is meaningful and authentic and that develops the key skills that really matter for success in life. Just as someone can get better at maths or gymnastics, so too can children become better collaborators, communicators, creative and critical thinkers and become more resilient self-starters.

Education needs to adapt

Our kids are being left behind. Education needs to adapt to a fast-paced world, and teachers have incredibly difficult jobs. They now wear so many more hats than teachers did a decade or so ago, including to teach life skills, increase reporting, monitor student wellbeing, and expectations of ‘deeper learning’ in the classroom. So the support and further training they receive needs to go beyond course material and compliance: we need to continue to teach the teachers.

What is needed is an evidence-based model with proven results for developing student outcomes. Putting more pressure on teachers and principals to drive change, without offering strong support, is going to see not only school staff but also students suffer.

What’s the answer? Problems.

The answer is actually problems – problem based learning (PBL) to be exact. Problem based learning is a pedagogy in which the teacher starts the lesson with a real-world problem, ideally authentic to a student’s life. After the problem is explained to the students, the teacher does not teach, they in fact let

the Future of EducatIon

the students grapple with the problem for approximately 15 minutes. The only tool the teacher is armed with is guided questions that are asked in an interactive way that will guide them through the process of not only solving the problem but learning the principles that lead to the solution. This is the type of thinking needed in real life, and therefore the thinking that should be used in their education. Especially as we navigate the challenges of a post-COVID world. By encouraging schools to grow students’ critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication and resilience skills, we can start to better equip our children with the skills they really need to learn. By engaging children in real-world problems and giving them a voice when it comes to their learning, we’re able to empower them not just today, but into a more certain future.

By Emily Liccioni, School Development Coach, New Tech Network Australia. New Tech Network Australia partners with schools to update their teaching and learning for the modern world. New Tech Network Australia works with schools across NSW, Victoria and Queensland at every grade level to redesign the learning experience for students. https://www.ntnau.org/