Learning through technology

Without adequate energy supplies, adequate capital and adequate availability of technology no country can stand on its own two feet and protect its sovereignty from being eroded by those on whom such countries, depend for dole.

We can certainly ensure adequate energy supplies within our meagre means if we were to reduce our dependence on costly imported fossil fuel by enhancing power production through non-fossil fuels like windmills and solar. Also we can with the help of latest technologies increase our productivity producing more even with less than adequate financial resources.

But for both we need to acquire the needed technological skills. And that is perhaps why we need to bring about a drastic change in our education system without wasting much time on such non-achievable targets as bringing national coherence in the school syllabus that was introduced during the colonial days. Instead, let us keep our focus on imparting technological skills currently in vogue globally at the school level, so that in due course of time, the entire population as one joins the pursuit of collective well-being of the nation.

Here is an apt suggestion offered by John Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer, The LEGO Foundation (How technology and play can power high-quality learning in schools - published in The Agenda Weekly of World Economic Forum on January 31, 2020) on how to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving economy and society.

Unfortunately, as Goodwin says, many education systems the world over have remained outdated - designed for old industry models and societies of the past. What is needed, therefore, is reasonably adequate investment in the future of global economy by reforming the education system.

While traditional education metrics of literacy and numeracy are vital, society also requires, in the opinion of Goodwin, learners to have a range of holistic skills to thrive in the modern world. These include creative, technology, innovation and interpersonal skills. And today, these skills and knowledge need to be acquired in a more accessible, personalized and active way than ever before.

Six critical characteristics in learning content and experiences have been identified to define high-quality learning in the Fourth Industrial Revolution "Education 4.0":

1. Innovation and creativity skills: Include content that fosters skills required for innovation, including complex problem-solving, analytical thinking, creativity and systems analysis.

2. Technology skills: Include content that is based on developing digital skills, including programming, digital responsibility and the use of technology.

3. Personalized and self-paced learning: Move from a system where learning is standardized, to one based on the diverse individual needs of each learner, and flexible enough to enable each learner to progress at their own pace.

4. Accessible and inclusive learning: In many parts of the world, learning is confined to only those with direct access to physical school buildings, and quality is reserved for those who can afford to pay for learning outside of traditional public schools. Move from this system to one in which everyone, even the most destitute, has access to learning and is therefore inclusive.

5. Problem-based and collaborative learning: Move from process-based to project- and problem-based content delivery, requiring peer collaboration and more closely mirroring the future of work.

6. Lifelong and student-driven learning: Move from a system where learning and skilling decrease over one's lifespan to one where everyone continuously improves on existing skills and acquires new ones based on their individual needs.

In the context of job disruption and increased polarization, primary and secondary school systems have a critical role to play in preparing the global citizens and workforces of the future. Education models must adapt to equip children with the skills to create a more inclusive, cohesive and productive world.

Many of today's school children will work in new job types that do not yet exist, most of which are likely to have an increased premium on both digital and social-emotional skills. They will be introduced to wholly new business models whose workforces are much more distributed. In an increasingly interconnected world, future workers will be expected to collaborate with peers residing in various parts of the globe, understand cultural nuances and, in many cases, use digital tools to enable these new types of interactions.

The outdated systems limit access to the skills needed to drive prosperous economies and pose risks for global productivity. In addition to 'hard' skills, such as technology design and data analysis, it is crucial that schools also foster human-centric skills that enable children to shape future societies that are inclusive and equitable.

There is strong evidence that education is a key contributor to relative social mobility, the social and economic status of an individual relative to their parents.

According to Goodwin, in parallel, research has repeatedly underscored that learning through play has a critical role in education and in preparing children for challenges and opportunities throughout their lives. A growing body of evidence supports learning through play as fundamental for children's positive development, serving as an essential way to foster a range of holistic skills required to thrive in today's world.

Purposeful learning through play experiences can be, it is said, constructed through a range of active pedagogies to create deeper learning experiences that a child will remember and internalize. Evidence suggests that Learning through play with technology, including hybrid play (experiences that combine digital and physical), provides opportunities for young learners to acquire knowledge across a variety of contexts while developing a range of holistic skills, such as cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional skills.

Guided experience often occurs through active pedagogies (such as project-based approaches), which give children the opportunity to make independent choices in their own learning and to create their own physical and/or digital artifacts with special meaning to them.

Goodwin says: "Technologies designed to fully embrace opportunities for agency, guidance and creation while allowing playful interaction are some of the most powerful tools we have to support high-quality learning today. Examples of such technologies include creative coding platforms such as Scratch, where here children have an opportunity to create their own stories, games and animations with the support of an on-line community; open ended sandbox games such as Minecraft and Robotics systems of play such as LEGO MINDSTORMS."

Investments in Scratch support the development and dissemination, ensuring that it remains free for everyone. Scratch is often the first experience kids have with code, in classrooms, camps, clubs, and at home. Learning to code is not simply about gaining a set of technical skills, it's about developing a voice and learning how to organize, express, and share ideas. Children who make projects with Scratch use coding to bring their ideas to life. Scratch is the world's largest coding community for young people. When children participate in the Scratch online community, they learn to share ideas, collaborate together, and respect one another in a safe online environment.

Minecraft is a game-based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive digital environment. Children build and explore vast virtual worlds with their peers.

LEGO MINDSTORMS are Robotics systems of play. It is a hardware and software structure which is produced by Lego for the development of programmable robots based on Lego building blocks. Each version of the system includes an intelligent brick computer that controls the system, a set of modular sensors and motors, and Lego parts from the Technic line to create the mechanical systems.

According to Goodwin creating a playful learning environment with technology will not deter children from learning the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. On the contrary, creating engaging environments is an opportunity to tap into children's natural ability to learn through play, while utilizing the transformational power of technology to develop learning experiences that facilitate the rapid learning essential in society today.