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Time to Rethink: Educating for a Technology-Transformed World - G. Williamson McDiarmid, Yong Zhao (赵勇), 2023 (sagepub.com)
Article Information
Manuscript received: June 26, 2021
Revision received: November 21, 2021
Manuscript accepted: December 12, 2021
Published online: February 23, 2022
Issue published: May 2023
Author
G. Williamson McDiarmid
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
East China Normal University
Yong Zhao (赵勇)
University of Kansas
University of Melbourne
Abstract
Purpose: We hope to provoke a conversation about preparing students for an uncertain future that unforeseeable technological innovations will transform in ways we cannot predict. The unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic makes this an opportune time to reconsider all dimensions of education.
Design/Approach/Methods: We present information on how technology is transforming virtually every aspect of our lives and the threats we face from social media, climate change, and growing inequality. We then analyze the adequacy of proposals for teaching new skills, such as 21st-Century Skills, to prepare students for a world of work that is changing at warp speed.
Findings: Despite harbingers of a radically different future, most schools continue to operate much as they have for centuries, providing a one-size-fits-all education. Technology now enables an unprecedented degree of personalization. We can tailor learning opportunities to individual students’ interests, talents, and potential with teachers serving as guides, resources, and critical friends. The Internet afford a cornucopia of learning opportunities—online courses, international experts, global collaborations, accessible databases, and libraries. Learning can occur virtually anywhere.
Originality/Value: The future depends on decisions we are making today about education. The value of this article is that we call for rethinking every component of education rather than considering each element independently.
Keywords
personalized learning, reform, technological change, 21st-Century Skills