Preparing Today’s Students for the Changing Job Market

Preparing Today’s Students for the Changing Job Market Technology and business evolve quickly, and new careers come and go just as fast. According to PwC’s 2019 report1 ● 3% of jobs at potential risk of automation by early 2020s ● 30% of jobs at potential risk of automation by mid-2030s ● 44% of workers with low education at risk of automation by mid-2030s Because of this, developing core skills is more important than building content knowledge made up of easily accessible information. Framework for 21st Century Learning points out these core skills for learning and innovation in order for students to be successful at their future work and life2. Students should be able to… You can… Creativity and Innovations Generate ideas and build knowledge -Use different idea creating techniques such as brainstorming and think-pair-share Demonstrate inventiveness and originality -Ask radical and hypothetical questions Design products -Give project homework that requires them to design Learn from failures -Ask students to reflect critically on learning experiences and work processes Improve their designs iteratively -Give long terms tasks rather than one-shot ones Implement their innovations -Give practice-based tasks Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Implement the appropriate styles of reasoning to different problems -Explicitly teach about reasoning styles Employ conventional and innovative ways to solve problems -Share stories of innovation Work on real world problems without right answers and known solutions -Use systems thinking and analyze how the parts make up a whole Talk about organization structures and management Make evidence-based decisions -Require formal references to each of their claims in their writing and discussions Consolidate alternative explanations -Conduct debates with conflicting scenarios Judge the credibility, accuracy, and relevancy of information and sources -Assign homework that require interpretation of publicly available data Communication and Collaboration Articulate their ideas clearly and effectively using multimedia and technology -Ask them to articulate ideas in different modes of communication, written, oral, nonverbal and visual Assume shared responsibility to create in collaboration with others -Benefit from cloud technology to create learning communities Challenge and improve others’ ideas -Involve peer review and argumentation in your lessons to improve their ability to give constructive criticism Incorporate feedback to their work Make compromises to achieve a goal -Roleplay different scenarios Value others’ contributions in a joint venture -Set classroom norms that promote listening When it comes to preparing students for lifelong learning in terms of professional training (and otherwise) in the digital era you should also consider these skills and how to develop them! Students should be able to… -You can… Metacognition and self-regulation3 Take responsibility of their own learning -Have students create their own learning programs Engage in reflective thinking -Create independent study opportunities Set attainable goals for themselves -Use self-evaluation reports to assess themselves and their success Choose appropriate strategies to achieve a goal -Promote trying out different approaches in their studies and recalling of similar prior experiences Monitor their own performance -Use summative evaluation and give constructive feedback until your students can monitor themselves Accomplish goals in a timely manner -Have students determine their own deadlines Digital competency4 Identify, locate, obtain, store, organize, and analyze digital information -Involve technological devices and environments while assigning, reviewing and communicating tasks Use digital tools to connect, interact, collaborate and share resources with others -Use online forums for discussion -Ask students to compile digital portfolios Create, integrate and rework digital content -Promote digital content creation as part of assigned tasks Conform to the intellectual property laws and defend their own rights -Use plagiarism checkers to make sure they abide by intellectual property laws Protect their digital identity and data -Evaluate hypothetical digital profiles and what they indicate about their owners Solve technical problems and find digital solutions for their needs -Ask for their support and suggestions for hypothetical or real technical problems References 1How will automation impact jobs, https://www.pwc.com.tr/how-will-automation-impact-jobs 221st Century Skills, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED519462.pdf 3Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.). (2015). The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. Cambridge University Press. 4Napal Fraile, M., Peñalva-Vélez, A., & Mendióroz Lacambra, A. M. (2018). Development of digital competence in secondary education teachers’ training. Education Sciences, 8(3), 104.