Changes in Student Learning & Assessment
As we move further into the new millennium, it becomes clear that the 21st Century learning needs are very different from the 20th Century needs. The 21st century learners will still have to master content but, because knowledge is increasing so rapidly, Barnett Berry says, “students master content while producing, synthesizing and evaluating information from a wide variety of subjects and sources with an understanding of and respect for diverse cultures.” Karen Cator, Director of Office of Educational Technology in the U.S. Department of Education, believes that in 21st century “educators can leverage technology to create an engaging and personalized environment to meet the emerging educational needs of this generation” (edweek, 2010).
The 21st century learner will need a different type of instruction than did the student of the 20th century, and this instruction will take place in a very different setting. Following is a quick side-by-side comparison.
The 21st century learner will need a different type of instruction than did the student of the 20th century, and this instruction will take place in a very different setting. Following is a quick side-by-side comparison.
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What 21st Century Learners Need
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The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a national organization advocating for 21st century readiness for every student, explains the outcomes of this transformation as fusing the traditional three R’s with four C’s: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration (Blair, 2012).
In order to provide a learning environment where students can develop the four C's, schools must put technology into the hands of students and must trust them with more progressive technology (Blair, 2012).
For 21st century learners, they need to acquire problem solving, decision-making, teamwork, and innovation thinking skills.
In order to provide a learning environment where students can develop the four C's, schools must put technology into the hands of students and must trust them with more progressive technology (Blair, 2012).
For 21st century learners, they need to acquire problem solving, decision-making, teamwork, and innovation thinking skills.
What does this mean for educators and students?
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A new mindset – teachers as learning catalysts and students as explorers and designers. (Blair, 2012)
Sugata Mitra, professor of educational technology at Newcastle University, in his research, found the most effective working group size to be four to five children and recommends a 1:4 ratio of computers to students (Blair, 2012). This indicates that while it would be great to provide an electronic device for every child that is not necessary for effective learning.
Developing a progressive technology-infused campus is not necessarily about having money to fund the technology; it’s about mindset (Blair, 2012). According to Blair (2012), to successfully implement such a program, a school must be led by a leader who:
Sugata Mitra, professor of educational technology at Newcastle University, in his research, found the most effective working group size to be four to five children and recommends a 1:4 ratio of computers to students (Blair, 2012). This indicates that while it would be great to provide an electronic device for every child that is not necessary for effective learning.
Developing a progressive technology-infused campus is not necessarily about having money to fund the technology; it’s about mindset (Blair, 2012). According to Blair (2012), to successfully implement such a program, a school must be led by a leader who:
- Makes the needs of the new 21st century learner a priority;
- Empowers teachers to innovatively create digital learning experiences that promote discovery and creation; and
- Establishes a shared vision and unique plan for their students and teachers.
Change in Assessments
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Since the IBM Type 805 Test Scoring Machine first hit the market in 1938, fill-in-the-bubble test score sheets and scantrons have remained the dominant technologies used in local, state, and national assessments (Tucker, 2009).
More recently, other forms of assessments have developed. Using multiple forms of media that allow for both visual and graphical representations can present complex, multi-step problems for students to solve, and educators can collect detailed information about an individual student's approach to problem solving. This information may allow educators to better comprehend how students arrive at their answers and learn what those pathways reveal about students' grasp of underlying concepts, as well as to discover how they can alter their instruction to help move students forward (Tucker, 2009). Other fields, such as military training and medical education, are already using technology-enabled assessment to enhance teaching and learning (Tucker, 2009).
Rather than using paper and pencil to jot down observations about each of their students and then collecting and analyzing those notes by hand, teachers at East Haven schools in Connecticut used an iPad to collect the information and send it to a centralized database through software. (Ash, 2012) Also, screen casting, which records what students are doing on the display screens of their devices, allows teachers to see students work through problems without having to stand over their shoulders the whole time. (Ash, 2012).
More recently, other forms of assessments have developed. Using multiple forms of media that allow for both visual and graphical representations can present complex, multi-step problems for students to solve, and educators can collect detailed information about an individual student's approach to problem solving. This information may allow educators to better comprehend how students arrive at their answers and learn what those pathways reveal about students' grasp of underlying concepts, as well as to discover how they can alter their instruction to help move students forward (Tucker, 2009). Other fields, such as military training and medical education, are already using technology-enabled assessment to enhance teaching and learning (Tucker, 2009).
Rather than using paper and pencil to jot down observations about each of their students and then collecting and analyzing those notes by hand, teachers at East Haven schools in Connecticut used an iPad to collect the information and send it to a centralized database through software. (Ash, 2012) Also, screen casting, which records what students are doing on the display screens of their devices, allows teachers to see students work through problems without having to stand over their shoulders the whole time. (Ash, 2012).
According to Christopher Dede, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a unique relationship exists between students and their mobile devices. "Kids think of phones as an extension of themselves in a way that they don't think of with laptops or workstations," he says and makes students think they are smarter (Ash, 2012). Dede also stated that mobile devices have potential as assessment tools in at least two ways: asking a question and getting an answer, and recording and capturing a process (Ash, 2012).
“I think students do valid work that can't be assessed with a No. 2 pencil. I feel that education will start shifting in that direction. So, our love affair with the No. 2 pencil and the bubble/Scantron sheet will eventually die off” (Bellow, 2012).
“I think students do valid work that can't be assessed with a No. 2 pencil. I feel that education will start shifting in that direction. So, our love affair with the No. 2 pencil and the bubble/Scantron sheet will eventually die off” (Bellow, 2012).
Another look at 21st Century Assessment
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills suggests that 21st century assessment:
· Supports a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing along with effective classroom formative and summative assessments · Emphasizes useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into everyday learning · Requires a balance of technology-enhanced, formative and summative assessments that measure student mastery of 21st century skills · Enables development of portfolios of student work that demonstrate mastery of 21st century skills to educators and prospective employers · Enables a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system's effectiveness reaching high levels of student competency in 21st century skills. |
Another look at 21st century learning - Flipped Classroom
The 21st century educator must learn to "relegate much of the content dissemination to technology" and "spend class time more productively - helping students analyze, synthesize, and assimilate material" Rosen (2011). One big step in this direction is the use of the flipped classroom approach. "The flipped classroom inverts traditional teaching methods, delivering instruction online outside of class and moving "homework" into the classroom" Strayer (2012). This flipped approach allows the educator to spend the class time engaging the students in higher order thinking, making global connections, and many of the other features of the 21st century classroom.