2. INTRODUCTION
The term 21st century skills in a overarching
description of the knowledge, skills, and
dispositions seen as prerequisities for success
in the global workplace of the future.
The purpose of this paper is to describe the
context and definition of 21st century skills,
and to illustrate how each skill may be
purposefully integrated into post-secondary
teaching.
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3. The Framework for 21st Century Learning describes the
skills, knowledge and expertise students must master to
succeed in work and life.
21st Century Skills Framework
4. 4CS OF 21 ST CENTURY LEARNING
Critical thinking and problem solving skills (which include
reasoning effectively)
Communication skills (effective oral, written and non-verbal
communication in a variety of forms)
Collaboration skills (working effective and respectfully with
diverse teams)
Creativity and innovation skills (include thinking that creates
new and worthwhile ideas)
5. Other frameworks for 21st Century Skills
Refer to their set of proficiencies as 21st century skills and identify them as ways of
thinking; ways of working, including communication and collaboration; tools for
working,including information and communication technology literacy; and ways of living
in the world, including local and global citizenship, career, personal and social
responsibility, and cultural awareness and competence.
The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
(NCREL, 2003) also identified four categories of
proficiencies that they label as 21st century skills.
These skills include digital, scientific, economic,
technological, visual, and multicultural literacy, as
well as global awareness, inventive thinking,
effective communication, and high productivity.
Another form of objection to 21st century skills is that some of them may be used
destructively. Finn (2015) suggested that critical thinking promotes a negative put-down
type of thinfing. Paul and Elder (2014) noted that 21st century skills can be destructive if
they are not infused with intellectual virtues such as empathy, humility, courage, fair-
mindedness, and perseverance. Warner (2014) suggest a return to more classical values.
6. People from ancient times also recognized the
importance of what we now consider to be 21st century
skills.
Socrates and Plato were advocates of communication skills,
intellectual development, and critical thinking.
21st Century Skills Not New to the 21st Century
Aristotle extolled the importance of collaboration and working in
partnership with others, as well as the individual and communal need
for invention or creativity.
7. Definition:
Critical thinking means to
reason effectively, recognizing
connections between systems,
concepts, and disciplines to
solve problems and make
decisions.
The following is required:
Clarity.
Accuracy.
Precision of expression.
Relevance of arguments
or questions.
Logic of thought.
Thinking with sufficient
depth and breadth to
consider complexities
and perspectives of an
issue.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
8. HOW CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO
POST-SECONDARY TEACHINGSocrates is reported to have said, “The unexamined life
is not worth living” (Brickhouse & Smith, 1994, p. 201).
The meaning of his statement could be refocused by
saying, “Unexamined values/ideas/concepts are not
worth holding.” Engaging students in personally
meaningful critical thinking can be as simple as
providing choice of a topic of personal interest within a
subject area, or creating models to deepen interest. For
example, a review of the literature could be assigned
on a topic of students’ choice, and requiring the
presentation of differing perspectives. For greater
depth, students would be required to identify
assumptions and the worldview that underlie each
perspective, while providing evidence of their analyses.
9. Definition:
Communication refers to the
ability to effectively articulate,
receive, and give feedback on
thoughts and ideas transmitted
orally, in writing, visually, through
use of technology, or via non-
verbal communication.
Communication also includes the effective use of listening skills to
interpret meaning, including the use of emotional intelligence to
infer values, attitudes, and intentions.
Communication Skills
10. How Communication Skills Can Be Integrated into Post-
Secondary Teaching
These skills can be integrated into post-secondary teaching
and could include the following types of student assignments:
• Deliver presentations, prepare reports, conduct meetings,
lead groups, demonstrating ideas using visuals, graphics,
multi-media, and other nonverbal means or technology
related tools.
• Review, evaluate, critique, and report on communications
efforts delivered by others, demonstrating accurate
interpretations of information, knowledge, values, attitudes,
and intentions. (Includes nonverbal communication.)• Collaborate and cooperate with
others on group projects that
require interpersonal skills.
• Other technology-related
projects/products to
demonstrate knowledge and
appropriate use of technology.
11. Definition:
As the ability to “work effectively in diverse teams, make
compromises to reach a common goal, and value each individual’s
contribution”.
Higher education faculty members need a
network of connections to assist them in
collaborating with others. Are adding a
social component to distance learning.
Distance learning tools from Blackboard
and Wimba were used to improve learning
experiences and increase interactions
between students and faculty. Social
learning is still in its infancy when used in
college classes; however, the need to
increase collaboration is pushing the use
of social media to accomplish those
objectives.
Instructors need to offer many
opportunities for collaboration in both
onsite and online classes.
Collaboration
Beneficts for collaboration in
online classes:
• Provide access to skills and
strengths.
• Develop skills.
• Solve problems and innovate
faster.
• Make work more efficient.
• Increase Job satisfaction.
12. How Collaboration Can Be Integrated into Post-Secondary
Teaching
P21 has made alliances with many key national organizations.
One of these is the Collaborative Online Research and Learning
(CORAL), a task force with members from various universities
who create and test models that integrate technology with
teaching and learning (NEA, 2012).
• Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the
Environment (GLOBE) is a program that works worldwide to
create a hands-on, school-based science and education
program.
• The Partnership in Learning has also developed many
classroom resources such as creating rubrics, using groups
effectively, creating online professional learning
communities, and translating good teaching practices to the
virtual classroom.
• In an effort to make online and onsite courses more relevant
to match the needs of 21stcentury students, many options
need to be tried. Motivation does increase when an
instructor includes experiences with social media, podcasts,
blogs, and other practices that require feedback and
13. Definition:
Creativity and innovation involve generating new and worthwhile ideas as
well as refining ideas that already exist. Creativity and innovation include
being open and responsive to new ideas recognizing that these qualities can
be enhanced through small successes and frequent mistakes.
Creativity and Innovation
• Creativity often involves working on a project with others and being open to
various perspectives. Creative people work toward being inventive and
original and view failure as an opportunity to learn from mistakes.
• Creativity is not only for the arts but should be embedded in math, science,
history curricula, and in all disciplines.
• Creativity isn’t something you’re born with. It’s partially a skill, but it’s largely
an attitude.
It’s used a wide range of idea-
creation techniques:
• Brainstorming.
• Mind mapping.
• Doodling.
• Diagrams.
14. • Instructors who want their
students (both online and
onsite) to be more engaged
and creative are beginning to
share their ideas on college
websites, at conferences, and
in journal articles.
• If instructors model creativity
in the way they structure
assignments, their students
will be more willing to take a
chance in trying something
new.
• Being the following some
examples of assignments in
all fields that motivate
students to solve real
problems, create innovative
projects, and engage with
topics in a fresh, new way.
How Creativity Can Be Integrated
into Post-Secondary Teaching
How Creativity Can Be Integrated
into Post-Secondary Teaching
• In today’s world of global
competition and task automation,
innovative capacity and a creative
spirit are fast becoming
requirements for personal and
professional success.
• Gardner described “the creating
mind” as one of the five minds we
will need in the future. To cultivate
such a mind, he wrote, “we need
an education that features
exploration, challenging
problems, and the tolerance, if not
active encouragement of
productive mistakes”.
15. CONCLUSIONWhile it is useful to distinguish between
specific 21st century skills, in practice
they are closely intertwined. For
example, one cannot engage in
meaning-making without some level of
critical thinking, without taking into
consideration the perspectives of others,
without interacting with others, or without
considering alternatives. True education
is seeing connections between ideas,
concepts, and disciplines in ways that
help students understand the
relationships and the relevance of ideas
to people and new situations.
