Subject code: 02-311-062 Design and Development in Educational Media System

Instructor: Dr. Thosporn Sangsawang (. )

21st Century Learning

Author: The Partnership for 21st century skills

A framework for 21st century learning which introduced by the Partnership for 21 st
Century Skills describes the skills that students need to develop in the global economy trend
nowadays. The North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL) and the Metiri Group
have also pointed out a framework for 21st century skills by divided it into four categories: digital
age literacies, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity. This writing will
focus on the partnership for 21st century skills framework and cover a brief description starting
from the definition of the 21 st century learning skills to 21 st century student outcomes and 21st
century support system.
How are 21st Century Learning Skills Defined?
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) give a definition of 21st century learning skills as
the ability to collect and/or retrieve information, organize and manage information, evaluate the
quality, relevance, and usefulness of information, and generate accurate information through the
use of existing resources. The Partnership for 21 st century skills, however, defines 21st century
learning into six elements: emphasize core subjects, emphasize learning skills, use 21 st century
tools to develop learning skills, teach and learn in the 21 st century context, teach and learn 21st
century content, and use 21st century assessments that measure 21st century skills.
21st century student outcomes
The elements described in this section are the skills, knowledge and expertise students should
master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century.
1. Content Knowledge and 21st Century Themes: Its essential for all students in the 21st
century to learn the following important subjects: English (reading or language arts), World
languages, Arts, Mathematics, Economics, Science, Geography, History, and Government and
Civics. Beyond these key subjects, schools in 21st century learning must focus on instructing 21st
century interdisciplinary themes into curriculum in order to promote the understanding of the
academic content at higher level. Those themes are 1. Global awareness 2. Financial,
economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy 3. Civic literacy 4. Health literacy 5.
Environmental literacy.
2. Learning and innovation skills: Learning and innovation skills are increasingly accepted
as the skills students need to prepare for complex life and working environment in the 21 st
century. It focuses on Creativity and Innovation, Critical thinking and Problem solving, and
Communication and Collaboration.
3. Information, Media and Technology skills: we nowadays live in a very challenging
Technology. It is spreading everywhere we go, everything we do. Therefore, to be an effective
learner and worker, one must be able to equip themselves with the knowledge of Information
Literacy, Media Literacy, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy.
4. Life and Career: Todays life and work environments put learners in a more challenging
environment. It requires learners to understand more than thinking skills and content
knowledge. Essential life and career skills must include: Flexibility and Adaptability, Initiative and
Self Direction, Social and Cross-Cultural Skills, Productivity and Accountability, and Leadership
and Responsibility.
21st century support system
The elements below describe the evaluation systems necessary to ensure student mastery of
21st century skills.
1. Standards: 1) Focus on 21st century skills, content knowledge and expertise. 2) Build
understanding across and among academic subjects as well as 21st century interdisciplinary
themes. 3) Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge. 4) Engage students

Prepared by: LYHOUR HENG

Academic year 2016-2017

Subject code: 02-311-062 Design and Development in Educational Media System

Instructor: Dr. Thosporn Sangsawang (. )

with the real world data, tools, and experts they will encounter in college, on the job, and in life-students learn best when actively engaged in solving meaningful problems. 5) Allow for multiple
measures of mastery.
2. Assessment: support a balance of assessments, emphasize useful feedbacks on
student performance, require a balance of technology-enhanced, enable development of
portfolio of student work, enable a balanced a portfolio of measures to assess the educational
systems effectiveness.
3. Curriculum and Instruction: 1)Teaches in the context of key subjects and 21st century
interdisciplinary themes.2) Focuses on providing opportunities for applying across content areas
and for a competency-based approach to learning.3) Enables innovative learning methods that
integrate the use of supportive technologies, inquiry and problem-based approaches and higher
order thinking skills.4) Encourages the integration of community resources beyond school walls.
4. Professional development: 1) Highlights ways, tools and teaching strategies that
teachers
can take opportunities for integrating in their classroom. 2) Balances direct instruction with
project-oriented methods. 3) Profusely illustrates the subject matter for deeply understanding of
the 21st century skills. 4) Enables professional learning communities for teachers. 5) Develops
teachers ability to identify the students performance and differentiate learning and teaching
environment. 5) Supports the continuous evaluation. 6) Encourages knowledge sharing. 7) Uses
a measurable and sustainable model of professional development.
5. 21st century learning environment: 1) Create learning practices, human support and
physical environments that will support the teaching and learning. 2) Support professional
learning communities which allow educators to collaborate, share best practices and integrate
skills into classroom practice. 3) Enable students to learn in real world contexts. 4) Allow
equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources. 5) Provide 21st century
architectural and interior designs for group, team and individual learning. 6) Support expanded
community and international involvement in learning.

Prepared by: LYHOUR HENG

Academic year 2016-2017