Beyond knowledge to understanding and skills ELT 3 October 2011

We are preparing young people for jobs that don’t yet exist… requiring technologies that haven’t yet been invented… to solve problems of which we are not yet aware.

‘Curriculum for Excellence’ is Scotland’s educational response to global change.

The ‘Instructionist’ model of schooling  The aim of schooling is to transfer knowledge  Knowledge consists of facts and simple procedures  Success can be assessed by testing pupils’ possession of knowledge  The aim of schooling is to transfer knowledge  Knowledge consists of facts and simple procedures  Success can be assessed by testing pupils’ possession of knowledge

The Harvard Cognitive Revolution The cognitive revolution was “an all-out effort to establish meaning as the central concept…. Its aim was to discover and to describe formally the meanings that human beings created out of their encounters with the world, and then to propose hypotheses about what meaning- making processes were implicated.” Jerome Bruner: Acts of meaning The cognitive revolution was “an all-out effort to establish meaning as the central concept…. Its aim was to discover and to describe formally the meanings that human beings created out of their encounters with the world, and then to propose hypotheses about what meaning- making processes were implicated.” Jerome Bruner: Acts of meaning

“Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught.” George Savile, Marquis of Halifax ( ) “Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught.” George Savile, Marquis of Halifax ( )

The central concept is ‘deep learning’ involving 1.Constructivist pedagogy 2.Focus on understanding 3.Capacity to apply learning 4.Development of skills 5.Creativity

Exponential growth in useful knowledge

Changing skill requirements Over time all skill levels are rising but the proportion of higher level skills within the distribution is also rising.

Primary school is where you are taught to read, write and count.

Skills in the post-elementary curriculum  Conjugating French verbs  Solving quadratic equations  Applying Boyle’s Law  Ball control  Reading music  Conjugating French verbs  Solving quadratic equations  Applying Boyle’s Law  Ball control  Reading music

Skills in the post-elementary curriculum - key questions  Transferability?  Relevance?  Vocational utility?  Progression?  Transferability?  Relevance?  Vocational utility?  Progression?

Foresight – The World in 2020 The transition to the knowledge-based economy requires individuals to adopt new skills, knowledge and attitudes: Innovative and creative thinking The ability to cross boundaries Adaptability and flexibility Sound analytical and critical thinking Problem solving Self-management and personal development Core skills including technological literacy

Cognitive Taxonomy Creation Systems Thinking Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Understanding Knowledge/Information Higher Order Skills Excellence Group

Personal qualities - prerequisites for skills development  Attention  Motivation  Personal resources  Self-belief  Reflection  Attention  Motivation  Personal resources  Self-belief  Reflection

Some students learn at high levels All students learn at high levels Student inclusion Routine cognitive skills for lifetime jobs Learning to learn, complex ways of thinking, ways of working Curriculum, instruction and assessment Taught to teach established content High-level professional knowledge workers Teacher quality ‘Tayloristic’, hierarchical Flat, collegial, differentiated and diverse careers Work organisation Primarily to authorities Also to peers and stakeholders Teacher evaluation and accountability Teacher policies The pastThe most effective systems

Transformational change A transformed education service would be -  Intellectually ambitious and culturally rich  Capable of tackling socio-economic disadvantage  Able to relate knowledge, understanding and skill  Focused on intrinsic motivation  Informed by a strong learner/customer focus  Organisationally and technologically sophisticated  Eclectic in its delivery methods A transformed education service would be -  Intellectually ambitious and culturally rich  Capable of tackling socio-economic disadvantage  Able to relate knowledge, understanding and skill  Focused on intrinsic motivation  Informed by a strong learner/customer focus  Organisationally and technologically sophisticated  Eclectic in its delivery methods