Reframing Education for Better Educational Outcomes
(Part 6: The Future of Learning)
THIS is the last column in the present series, though far from a final one on reframing education, as change is accelerating at a fast pace. Certainly, much progress has been made in recent decades because of our increasing validated knowledge on how humans learn, what teaching practices work best, and the components of highly effective educational systems. The extent to which these important knowledge bases are being implemented globally is, of course, another question. In this summary column of the series, here’s some interesting quotes to provide a structure for the key areas:
The truth is out there
(Tagline of The X-Files)
Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Making the complex simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity
(Charles Mingus, musician and author)
The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race
(Stephen Hawking, world famous theoretical physicist)
The Truth is Out There
While highly effective teaching has long been one of contested debate, and there are still areas of strong disagreement on certain ideological/political issues by various interest groups, we do now have sound knowledge bases on what constitutes effective teaching practices. As Darling-Hammond & Bransford (2005), from surveying the research findings, concluded:
There are systematic and principled aspects of effective teaching, and there is a base of verifiable evidence of knowledge that supports that work in the sense that it is like engineering or medicine.
Similarly extensive research (e.g., Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015) has identified the major features that make the difference in terms of an educational systems effectiveness. In summary, these include:
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Deep respect for the profession from the top levels of government and throughout society. This would entail the selection of leaders with strong credentials, both in terms of competence and value systems.
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A clear vision, mission, values, plan, and goals that structure the training for all teachers and leaders around this desired educational framework.
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Systemic mentoring and induction for new teachers by trained senior teachers.
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Continual development of educational knowledge, skills, and talent through extensive governmentally subsidised professional development opportunities, and a career ladder offering roles that expand and share experience.
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Significant scheduled time for teachers to collaborate and learn together through lesson study, action research, and other critical reflections on practice.
By analogy, just as a high performing football team needs skilful and highly committed players, so a world-class education system requires teachers of such calibre. Teachers are the single most important aspect of educational quality and, as Fullan & Hargreaves (2012), global leaders in educational improvement and change, summarised:
…good learning comes from good teaching… So, let’s concentrate our efforts not on bigger budgets, smaller classes, changing the curriculum, or altering the size of schools – but on procuring and producing the best teachers we can get.
Equally, good leadership in also central to success, and the evidence shows that school leadership is second only to teaching in its effects on student learning. About a fourth of the school-related variation in student achievement can be explained by school leadership (e.g., Leithwood et al., 2004). The implications for educational policy, planning, and implementation, are obvious.
Making the Complex Simple, Awesomely Simple, That’s Creativity
Yes, we are living in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, and the human brain is a complex organ for sure. It weighs on average only seven pounds, but contains approximately 86 billion neurons, and each one can receive information from more than 10,000 other neurons – that’s a lot of activity. However, while complexity is real, there is much by way of universality concerning the nature of human needs, personality configurations, and notions of what constitutes core values across cultures. To illustrate the point, there are few people in the world who want to experience suffering – though it is a universal feature of our existence – and they would prefer not to suffer. I would suggest, therefore, that most people would like to experience kindness, fairness and justice in their life experiences. Indeed, there may be a neurological base for such core values, and they could come to constitute an evidence-based moral landscape (e.g., Harris, 2010). Furthermore, my experience of working globally as an educationalist and researcher in cognitive psychology, I tend to agree with Dilts (1980), who argued that:
When the confusions and complexities of life experiences are examined, sorted and untangled, what remains is a set of behavioural elements and rules that aren’t too difficult to understand at all.
Hence, this offers optimism for our capability for better self-awareness, self-regulation and well-being. We can demystify the complexity for sure, but this requires Good Thinking, which is far more than common-sense and sadly is not commonplace. It is for this reason that metacognitive capability must be central to future curriculum planning.
The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is perhaps the hottest topic around presently, along with global warming and other existential threats to humankind. Its impact on teaching and learning was outlined in previous posts. Essentially, technology (especially AI, augmented reality, and interactive videos) will revolutionise learning and teaching. The days of students listening to predominantly teacher-talk in the classroom are already receding; it will shortly be an educational Jurassic Park. Early and primary education sectors will still require full human supervision, even though technology will be an integral part of the learning arrangements. For those working in the higher educational sectors, the threats to employment should be obvious, as Ford (2015) notes:
If the higher education industry ultimately succumbs to the digital onslaught, the transformation will very likely be a dual-edged sword. A college credential may well become less expensive and more accessible to many students, but at the same time, technology could devastate an industry that is itself a major nexus of employment for highly educated workers.
Secondary education requires much reframing and reorganising, especially as content delivery will be increasingly technology driven. In consequence, more time will be available for developing thinking and self-regulation skills, which will be essential for lifelong learning and adapting to change. For example, Gallagher-Mackay & Steinhauer (2017) make the case for increasing social and emotional skills in the school curriculum. They point out that:
Strong social-emotional skills, such as self-regulation, growth mindset and peaceful problem-solving, give students the tools to manage themselves and their relationships better and clear the way for improved learning.
The actual outcomes of the AI revolution are speculative, both in positive and negative terms, but they will play out soon, and we must have students who are critical and creative thinkers with a capability to evolve a moral landscape that ensures human flourishing. Much of the future of learning and its potential positive impact globally – a better world for humankind – may just rest on achieving these outcomes. Creative teachers can play a significant part in this challenging endeavour, which is why I continue to do this work.
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Dennis Sale worked in the Singapore education system for 25 years as Advisor, Researcher, and Examiner. He coached over 15,000 teaching professionals and provided 100+ consultancies in the Asian region. He is author of the books Creative Teachers: Self-directed Learners (Springer 2020) and Creative Teaching: An Evidence-Based Approach (Springer, 2015). Visit dennissale.com.
