So what’s all this 21st century learning about? How is 21st century learning different?

In the past, secondary schools tended to focus on teaching content knowledge to students. Obviously this content knowledge is still important and is still taught, but it is just as important, or more important, for students to learn the transferable skills they will need so that they can adapt to the rapidly changing society and work environment they will soon be entering.

There is a lot of research which points to the idea that students will need to be creative, critical and flexible thinkers as they will encounter so much change in their lives. Our interconnected world will require that they can communicate well in a variety of different ways and to work together locally and globally through face-to-face interactions and online tools. While learning content in a variety of subject areas will form the basis of their knowledge, they will need to know how to apply their knowledge in ways that haven’t been thought of yet!

“Back in the day” everyone learned the same thing in the same way, at the same time from the same person – the teacher. But that is not the case today. Learners today learn from teachers and from each other, while teachers also learn from their students. The nature of learning in the 21st century also has implications for the physical spaces in which learning takes place. Innovative or modern learning spaces support the collaborative and problem-solving nature of learning where students are encouraged to inquire into real world problems or issues together and to create new knowledge. In this way students are being prepared for life beyond school.