1. S
Comparing Frameworks for
21st Century Skills
Presenter – Bronwyn Wilson
EDUC9707

2. Reading
Based on the paper by:
Dede, C (2010). Comparing frameworks for 21st
Century skills (pp.51-75) in Bellanca, J& Brandt, R.
(Eds.) 21st Century Skills: Rethinking how students
learn. Bloomington:Solution Tree Press

3. Overview of presentation
S Summary of the reading
S Discussion groups
S Whole group sharing
S Conclusion and final summary
S Individual comments on slide share

4. Focus Question
Many groups have called for
students to learn 21st Century
skills, but what does this actually
mean and what has it got to do
with the use of technology?

5. Summary of main points
S The emergence of 21st Century skills has
produced the need to create various
frameworks to guide teaching and learning
and leading change in the digital age.
S Comparing and contrasting the frameworks
help us as educators and administrators
analyse the skills that are crucial to teach the
students so that they are successful life long
learners and to think about the implications for
implementation.

6. Summary of main points
S Connection to Kozma article led by Ronnie and our
class discussions on 21st Century skills in week 3.
S Technology plays a major part in the skills for the 21st
Century as the emergence of sophisticated ICT‟s are
the main driving force behind the skills frameworks.
S Digital Literacies created to show the connection
between the two.

7. Revision: 21st Century skills
The 21st Century is quite different from
the 20th Century in regard to the skills
people now need for work, citizenship
and self- actualisation (Dede, pg.51)
Primary cause for this is due to
emergence of sophisticated
Information Communication
Technologies (ICT‟s)

8. Rationale for formulating 21st
Century skills
S ICT capabilities are changing the work force and the skills
needed.
S Emergence of expert thinking – effective pattern making
and metacognition
S Collaboration – shifting skillset
S Amount of data available
S Organisational methods for finding information

9. Adding to our knowledge of 21st
Century skills
S Perrenial (valuable throughout history) and
contextual skills (unique to new millenium work)
eg Collaboration
S Degree vs type – skills such as collaboration are
21st century skills by degree, managing
information is a 21st Century skill by type.
S The crowded curriculum – major political
challenge is what to deemphasize to make room
for deep knowledge of 21st Century skills.

10. What are the Major Frameworks for
21st Century skills?
S Partnership for 21st Century Skills 2006 (Baseline for analysis
as it is more widely adopted than the other frameworks)
S enGauge Framework 2003
S OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development Competencies) 2005
S LEAP (National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and
America‟s Promise Essential Learning Outcome)
S ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) 2007
S Educational Testing Service ICT Digital Literacy Framework

11. Partnerships Framework 2006
S Partnerships Framework (2006) -baseline for analysis as
it is more widely used than other frameworks.
S Broad, detailed framework with areas such as Learning
and Thinking, Life Skills
S ICT Literacy
S Develop 21st century content knowledge and skills, in
the context of core subjects.
S Students use technology to learn context and skills to
enable them to think how to learn , think critically, solve
problems, use information, communicate, innovate, and
collaborate.

12. Summary of Comparisons
S Frameworks are generally consistent with each other.
S Less 20th Century curriculum –inquiry vs assimilation
S More emphasis on contextual skills and knowledge
S ICT‟s embedded in tasks for efficiency
S ISTE adds a sub-skill of „Troubleshooting systems and
applications”
S Students acting autonomously and taking risks.

13. Digital Literacy Frameworks
S “Much of what distinguishes 21st Century skills
from 20th Century skills is that a person and a
tool, application or medium, or environment
work in concert to accomplish an objective that
is otherwise unobtainable”. (Dede, 2006,pg 63)
eg. Wiki, Google docs to collaborate.

14. Digital Literacy Frameworks
S Follow on from EDU summit article and discussion from
last week.
S Created in part to show ways ICT skills are central to 21st
Century skills.(Dede, 2006, pg. 63)
S Jenkins‟ Digital Literacies – “emphasis on types of
intellectual activity performed by a person working with
the sophisticated ICT’s” (Dede, 2006,pg. 64)
S Some examples of digital literacies include – play,
performance, simulation, judgment, networking,
negotiating, sharing, thinking, co-creating

15. Assessing 21st Century Skills
S Big question: How do we assess these 21st
Century ICT and digital literacy skills?
S Various tests including performance tasks and
analytical writing tasks that measure skills such
as reviewing, evaluating and articulation of
complex ideas. (Dede, 2006, pg. 69)
S Key Stage 3 ICT Literacy Assessment – set in a
complex virtual world.

16. Discussion Questions
1. In your opinion, which skill or skills from the frameworks, if
implemented authentically, would have the greatest impact on
education, the curriculum and on how students learn? Which,
as educators challenge your own practice?
2. From the reading and your experience, how can we begin to
bring education up to speed in the area of 21st Century skills to
match other professions? What one specific action can you
take back to your site to raise awareness of these skills?
3. What does the implementation of 21st century skills have to do
with technology? How is your school/organisation embracing
the 21st Century skills in the area of technology? Give
examples for teaching, pedagogy and change management?

17. Conclusion
S Technology is an integral part of the 21st Century
skills due to the sophisticated nature of the ICT‟s
available.
S Our responsibility as educators and administrators
to embrace the skills and frameworks.
S Challenge – what will I do with this information at my
site?
S Summary of groups responses.

18. Reference
Based on the paper by:
Dede, C (2010). Comparing frameworks for 21st
Century skills (pp.51-75) in Bellanca, J& Brandt, R.
(Eds.) 21st Century Skills: Rethinking how students
learn. Bloomington:Solution Tree Press