I currently have the privilege of participating in and contributing to a variety of working groups and reference groups that are concerned with the future of education, each addressing various aspects the traditional education system, including the future of assessment, the development of modern learning environments, the impact of technology etc.
A central premise of much of this work focuses on just how well education is managing to keep up with the pace and scale of the rapid change that is experienced in the world in general, and how effectively we are equipping young people for life in a constantly evolving work environment. This is the question explored by Maha Barada in the latest edition of Learning World who presents three stories exploring this theme from different angles and in different locations.
The three stories explored in the video are:
- The LINQ Precinct at Sheldon College in Brisbane, Australia, an innovative, interdisciplinary education centre designed to equip students with skills they can hopefully adapt to any new technological advances.
- A pioneering project from a public high school in Rio, Brazil, where students are encouraged to take more responsibility and manage their own affairs, and is producing amazing results.
- The work of Graham Brown-Martin, founder of Learning Without Frontiers, a global think tank that brought together renowned educators, technologists and creatives to share provocative and challenging ideas about the future of learning.
Throughout the video the same themes and challenges in our traditional education system are addressed – particularly the issue of assessment, and how the continuation of traditional approaches is fast becoming a 'handbrake' on the appropriation and development of the sorts of approaches to learning we should be taking in our schools and classrooms.
