Education - how has it changed?

"The purpose of education systems is to prepare young people in appropriate ways for the challenges and responsibilities they will face throughout their lives," Bentley (1998) says, "and if society is changing, so should the way in which we introduce young people to it."

The notion above is really paramount to be a learning manager of today's society and for the future. As the world is changing rapidly through growth in technology and information we are in this knowledge - based economy. This knowledge - based economy means that we now need to move on from the Industrial Age education systems that were based on the "one-size-fits-all" ( OECD 2002; Dembo & Eaton 2000; Gardner 1985; Scherer 1999) notion for students and move into more innovative, flexible and student centred learning.

I believe the focus that I will be taking in my learning throughout my Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching (CQU) is to create learning experiences for my students that will be relevant and interesting for them and for them to see how these learning will fit into their lives.

This is covered by Stephenson who argues that "the trend is towards creating 'capability' rather than competence, about 'imagining the future' and bringing it about, and qualities such as courage, risk - taking, intuition, sharing, acceptance of personal responsibility, flexibility, initiative, self confidence and values. The capability concept also applies to an oragnization if it embraces the intrinsic, conscious and continuing capacity to survive, grow, improve and transform. (Stephenson, 1999.)

I look back at my own learning at school and can note that it showed traces of the Industrial age of education in reference to discipline as we still had the cane in the early years of my learning which however quickly faded out. There definately was a changeover into the Knowledge based economy as in my first year of learning we had an Apple computer in the classroom to do maths questions and by Year 4 I began to use Type Quick to improve my typing skills. This was very exciting as a student especially when we could start doing our assignments on a computer and then the internet! Well, what can I say.

My learning however is very different from what the youth of today expect and want to know. I do believe that Mode 2 (Heath 2001 ) is the new approach in which learning manager's should take to design learning that is effective for young people. Mode 2 ways of learning is described as in point form by Heath( 2001) as:

- Transdisciplinary
- Heterogeneous in terms of the skills and experience brought to it
- Produced in diverse sites
- Produces in the context of application

Just to name a few. Mode 1 (Heath 2001) however "is based on traditional notions of the objectivity of knowledge". This will not be effective for the youth of today as they need to have their learning in context and they need to apply their knowledge. The implications that these modes have as a teaching professional is that we need to recognise that Mode 2 will be more effective in the Knowledge Based Economy that we are in now as it will work along side rapid change in society much better than Mode 1. Basically we will be 'keeping up with the times' so to speak with Mode 2.

From reading the paper "The Bachelor of Learning management (BLM ) and education capability ", Change : Transformations in Education. (Smith, R., Lynch, D. & Mienczakowski, J. (2003), I found that learning managers of today need to have a focus on the learning outcomes for their students and that they are more so learning facilitators than 'teachers'. It was noted in this paper that "Education Queensland's vision is that teachers are not longer gatekeepers of knowledge but 'managers of the learning experiences of children' (Kirby 2000, p .8)

From my learning this week it has been confirmed from these readings that Mode 1 ways of learning that derived from the Industrial Age are no longer relevant for todays students and Mode 2 should be what we as learning managers nowadays design our learning experiences around.

The world will be rapidly changing and so should we as learning managers because without change one cannot grow.



References :

Bentlley, T (1998) Learning Beyond the Classroom: educating for a changing world, London: Routledge, p.38.
Dembo, M. H. & Eaton, M. J. (2000) 'Self-rugulation of academic learning in middle-level schools", The Elementary School Journal, May, 100(50).
Gardner, h. (1985) The Theory of multiple intelligences, London: Paladin.
Heath, G. 2001. Teacher Education and the NEw Knowledge Environment. Australian Association for Educational Research Conference. Fremantle December.
Kirby, P.(ed) (2000) Ministerial Review of Post Compulsary Education and Training Pathways in Victoria, Final Report, DEET, State Government of Victoria.
OECD (2002) 'Understanding the Brain: Towards a new learning science', Paris: OECD Publications.
Scherer, M. (1999) 'The Understanding Pathway: a conversation with Howard Gardner'. Educational Leadership, 57 (3), pp.13 - 17.
Smith, R., Lynch, D & Mienczakowski, J. (2003) "The Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM) and education capability", Change: Transformations in Education, (6)(2): 23-37.
Stephenson, J. (1999) Corporate capability : implications for the style and direction of work-based learning, Formal public lecture delivered at the University of Technology, Sydney.