News & insights

With the global work environment rapidly changing, the future of learning is having to adapt. In today’s world, to maintain a healthy career, we need to adopt a lifelong approach to education that is more flexible and dynamic, with equitable systems of preparation. And within this, technology plays a part.

At SAPE’s (Singapore Association For Private Education) annual conference on “The Future of Learning” conference held at James Cook University in October, Singapore’s educators heard from Efficacy and Research Manager, Ms. Goh Lih Ing, on the role of learning technologies in the future of learning.

However, merely adopting technological pedagogies into the classroom without proper understanding, implementation and evaluation, will not work. Over the next three to five years, as the future of employment unfolds, it will become increasingly evident that solely relying on technology will not make students more employable; it’s what makes them human that will sustain them throughout their career. Therefore, before introducing any new technological learnings, we need to identify why they are required in the first place and what problems exist that need solving? There is little point in merely introducing technology without a clear understanding of what and how it will help: it needs to be combined with critical thinking to comprehend the issue in hand and, more importantly, collaboration, so the best solution is introduced.

Collaboration is the cornerstone of technology implementation; it helps shift the education playing field from an instructor-led classroom style to a more dynamic and personalised work-based system, relevant for tomorrow’s workforce. We cannot be lone rangers and do everything ourselves, collaboration is a fundamental aspect of teaching, along with industry experience, experiential learning, problem-solving and working in teams.

Over the last ten years, there have been increasing studies highlighting the validity of technology-enhanced pedagogies. However, with mixed results from different deployment of technology in the classroom, how do we find the appropriate learning technologies that consistently produce positive outcomes? And how are those conclusions defined? Before any technology is introduced, there needs to be an appreciation that learning is complex and non-linear; learning objectives may not necessarily be hierarchical or sequential. For example, higher order thinking skills are unattainable without fundamental domain knowledge; thinking skills’ development is impossible without the foundational skills of a chosen discipline, at the same time rote learning is not enough on its own. For technology to play an important role in the classroom, there needs to be adequate understanding of how learning occurs and how technology can enhance this learning. Unless we possess a fundamental grasp of what the chosen technology can offer, the performance gaps it seeks to close or bridge and its overall purpose and goals - it’s worthless. Going forward, as educators, we need a clear direction and a systemic conception of learning technology.

 

Collaboration is the key to effective implementation

Success in the classroom is developed may be likened to an invisible triangle which links our interaction with the content and the student. If there is no engagement, there is no attention. If there is no attention, any instruction is futile, regardless of whether technology has been employed or not. Therefore, when introducing any new technological pedagogies, it’s not just about technical specifications but ensuring that every part of the “triangle” – the content, the instructor and the student is supported with an effective ecosystem along the innovation journey.

To do this, there needs to open discussions with each and every stakeholder. Although this is a challenging process, it’s necessary as it involves the dynamics and interplay of skills and knowledge. Without collaboration and agreed set of goals, stakeholder buy-in is also impossible. If there is a lack of belief among stakeholders that the product will solve their specific issue or reach their intended goal, it will be rendered useless – otherwise known as a white elephant.

 

The key factors that affect data

We can’t know if using technology in the classroom will actually help, unless there is a mechanism that facilitates the process of extracting data that help us understand technology’s impact and whether it’s making a positive difference. A mid to long term goal for using technology means that we may not expect immediate results, hence the need to attend to the leading indicators in the interim, and to be aware that some key factors can create disparate results. For example, when the same product is used by different people, differing outcomes are likely to occur. Also, with many conclusions based on prior knowledge and the actions of students and educators, results are never immediate, they take time. Therefore, when using any new technological methods, a sufficient test period needs to be in place. Although this can often be a slow process, the good news is that with success relying on collaboration and buy-in across the whole team, time is a crucial factor that can frequently provide this. Allowing for more time also delivers the opportunity to implement any necessary changes if early experiences with complex technology have highlighted issues.

Technology alone is not the answer

With a greater emphasis on learner-centred education in today’s classroom, we need to ensure that students remain interested and engaged. This means that the success of any new technology requires more than just the software, it must expand beyond this and enable learners to experience a broader education which supports a more fulfilling life; one that includes more options and choice and is able to cater to the changing needs throughout a person’s career.

However, despite the shifting of roles and occupations in the work environment, it is interesting to know that core values don’t change. Everyone has the opportunity to learn distinct skills and knowledge that are essential at every juncture of their career to remain relevant. With technology perceived as the enabler for learners to learn better, faster or deeper, such that they can pursue a rewarding life and career, more learning options derived from technology will assist in catering to a student’s shifting needs during each phase of their lives.

Indeed, technology has become an essential aspect of education, but for it to be successful, it needs effective planning, followed by cooperative implementation and clear evaluation. Technology must be used to enliven learning, enhance student outcomes and make education practices more efficient. With this in mind, the future of learning will include technology within the instructional system, but it will not be a learning intervention by itself.

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“Pearson Day 2018 – What Makes A Learning Process Great?” held in various cities including the country’s capital Jakarta. The event was attended by 250 educators, showing enthusiasm and shared hope for better education.

Find out what attendees learned as a result of attending Pearson Day Indonesia 2018.

Watch the video below to see the highlights.

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“Pearson Day 2018 – What Makes A Learning Process Great?” held in various cities including the country’s capital Jakarta, particularly addressed the importance of incorporating soft skills in today’s education, specifically English education. The event was attended by 250 educators, showing the enthusiasm and shared hope for better education.

Mario Herrera, an expert in children’s education who has been working with Pearson and authoring scores of English language learning books, emphasized in his presentations that a great and effective learning process is a result of the balance between hard skills and soft skills.

Would you like to learn more? Watch the video below.

 

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Student learning can be influenced by a number of factors: gender, culture, disabilities, socio-economic status, comfort level, or a combination of the above. Finding a way to help each student in your classroom learn may be a challenge – but it’s not impossible.

 

Celebrating all learners

Some students excel at sports, others at language, or maths. Some come into the classroom with confidence, others bring learning anxiety. Many will be novice learners, while others will display academic excellence at every turn. This is not a new phenomenon – it’s common knowledge that students are different, as are their learning needs. This diversity in student learning should not just be tolerated, it should be celebrated.

Differentiated instruction involves responding specifically – and with flexibility – to what students know. It involves changing the way the curriculum is presented to suit each student, rather than setting lessons in stone. It means providing multiple ways for pupils to learn new content, make sense of new ideas, and prove their understanding.

 

A cross-section of an Aussie classroom

Australia is home to more than 200 different languages and approximately one student in every four is learning English as an additional language (EAL). But the diversity doesn’t stop there. A recent national audit revealed that 19.4 percent of Australian students have a disability or learning difficulty. Students who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, non-verbal learning disability (NLD), autism, language disorder or auditory processing difficulties are all represented by this statistic. It’s important to note that 65.9 percent of children with disabilities (aged 5-14) attend regular classes in mainstream schools. This means it’s common for all teachers, not just special education teachers, to encounter students with disabilities and language difficulties.

In the last 10 years, there has also been an increase in primary school students presenting with high levels of anxiety. And let’s not forget our gifted learners – yet another group of students who require tailored tuition.

This data shows that a typical Australian classroom must be able to accommodate a range of learning needs and abilities. Whether a student presents with a language disorder or has recently immigrated to the country, it falls to teachers to move each of their students forward in their learning. This is a huge responsibility – and no easy task. It’s one thing to believe in differentiated learning, but how does one deliver differentiated instruction?

 

A classroom-based solution

Differentiated teaching starts with getting to know your students – their prior knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Once you have this information, student needs can be incorporated during the lesson planning process.

So how can you identify the areas where your students are struggling the most? Using an accurate and easy-to-use clinical assessment like WRAT-5 allows you to determine the academic level of your students. It can be used to assess and monitor reading, spelling, and math skills, and can help identify possible learning disorders. This type of early intervention allows for differentiated instruction to begin because once you know what your students know, you can tailor your pedagogy to their needs.

Results from the first round of tests can be used as a benchmark for future testing, creating a way for you to measure each student’s progress. Tracking student learning will enable you to keep delivering differentiated instruction, and set you well on your way to improving learning for your students.

This article is part of the Mind the Gap initiative that supports student wellbeing to improve learning outcomes. For more information about this topic, or any of the clinical assessments mentioned in this article, please feel free to contact Anisa Zulfiqar.

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Research is increasingly telling us that children and adolescents who learn social and emotional (SEL) skills achieve better academic development, physical health, and quality of life. 90 percent of educators believe that SEL skills directly benefit their students’ performance, and 80 percent of employers believe that SEL skills are extremely important to achieving success in the workplace.

Learn about the five key skills you can start teaching, and how to implement an effective classroom system in your school.

 

What is SEL?

SEL is the process through which students acquire the knowledge and skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, empathise with others, cultivate positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. It provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and teaches students resilience and life skills. A recent meta-analysis revealed that adoption of SEL programs led to a 22 percent increase in social and emotional skills, and an 11 percent increase in academic achievement.

Separate studies have shown that having emotional and social skills can help increase the likelihood of high school graduation, readiness for postsecondary education, career success, positive relationships, and better mental health.

Setting students up for life: five key skills

If we expect students to be ready for life after school, then classroom instruction must include the following social and emotional skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Each social and emotional skill is listed in more detail below, along with an example of how it can be promoted in the classroom.
 

Skill	Activity
Self-awareness: the ability to identify your emotions and tie thoughts and feelings to behaviours, leading to an awareness of how your words and emotions impact other people.	Reflective tasks like journaling allow students to see their impact on the world.
Self-management: the ability to self-motivate, have self-control, and regulate your emotions.	Breathing exercises, taking a break, and counting to five are tools that can help a student deal with strong emotions or learning anxiety.
Social awareness: learning to embrace diversity and empathise.	Role-play a social justice issue, or conflicts that arise in the playground, like bullying.
Relationship skills: the ability to work cooperatively with other people to handle challenges and resolve conflict.	Project-based group work can help students learn to compromise and work cooperatively together.
Responsible decision-making: the capacity to consider the wellbeing of self and others, and ability to evaluate the consequences of various behaviours and actions.	Ask students to debate an issue, or make pros and cons lists to help them listen to, and respect, others’ ideas.

The importance of Response to Intervention (RTI)

RTI is a multi-tiered framework that can help identify students with learning difficulties and provide evidence‐based early intervention. A student's response to instruction and intervention allows you to recognise which tier and level of intervention is appropriate for the student. Students in tier 1 and 2 respond well to general classroom instruction, and may only need smaller group intervention to help them catch up to their peers.
 

RTI also aims to identify the students in tier 3, usually 5% of the class, who are struggling the most as they lag behind their peers by more than 12 months. Students in this tier usually go through tier 1 and 2 without making major progress, and will therefore require a referral to an allied health professional for intensive, individualised intervention.

This framework can also be used to identify students who have social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties, as well as academic difficulties. In this way, the RTI model can be helpful for improving learning of academic skills and social and emotional skills.

 

The Social Skills Improvement System – Social-Emotional Learning (SSIS-SEL) Edition

The good news is that social emotional learning skills can be taught and continuously improved using in-class assessment and intervention tool like SSIS-SEL. This assessment is based on the RTI model and provides evidence-based tools to screen, assess, and intervene for each of the five key emotional skills. The program can be used as a preventative framework for students who present minor to mid-range difficulties in tiers 1 and 2, and it can also be applied as a more comprehensive intervention tool for struggling students in tier 3. SSIS-SEL is a flexible clinical tool, it can be applied either as a classwide program, or as a targeted solution in smaller groups of students.

SSIS-SEL is the only system that incorporates key academic skill areas, allowing you to assess the same skills that you teach. Using this system, you can support the development of social and emotional skills in each of your students.

The screening assessment takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete, the full assessment takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and the intervention modules take up to half an hour to complete.
 

 

This article is part of the Mind the Gap initiative, aimed at supporting student wellbeing to improve learning outcomes. For more information about supporting your special education or classroom teachers with effective assessment tools like SSIS-SEL, please feel free to contact Anisa Zulfiqar.

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Globally, the way we work is changing. With 70% of jobs facing uncertainty, it will be employees with a mix of technical and soft skills that succeed. And we don’t need to look too far into the future to see that—it’s already happening across Asia. At Pearson’s conference on “The Future of Learning” held in Da Nang, Vietnam in February specially invited guests and senior Pearson staff discussed global trends and how they are impacting Vietnam and the region.

First The Good News

A recent report from Pearson and Nesta, in collaboration with Oxford Martin School, titled “The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030”, is encouraging the current—and future—workforce to “stop agonising and take action to skill up for the jobs of the future.” The result of a nuanced exploration of future employment trends, it suggests that while some jobs might become even more highly-prized in the future up to 70% could face uncertainty.

“First the good news—robots aren’t taking our jobs, but they are changing the way we work. Occupations like those in the education, healthcare, and the wider public sector may even see a rise in demand. For those in jobs outside those professions workers can boost their prospects by investing in developing the right skills,” Rod Bristow, Pearson’s President of UK and Core Markets explains.

Curriculum Changes That Support Innovation

In Southeast Asia, governments are already looking to use curriculum to support the development of these kinds of skills. In Vietnam, the revised national curriculum, now due to be implemented in 2019, contains competencies such as self-control and self-learning, critical thinking and problem-solving, and collaboration and communication.

“Things in this part of the world move very fast,” Ms. Nguyen Phuong Lan, the Chairwoman for EMG, one of Vietnam’s first private education companies, warns, “You can expect a lot of changes.” EMG was founded in Hanoi, in 2005, and the company has since expanded with offices now in Ho Chi Minh City. They have been perfectly positioned to see the changes that have been happening in Vietnam. “Global thinking and practice definitely applies to Vietnam. And there’s a lot of positivity going on in the way the government is looking to develop learners’ profiles in light of the demands of the 21st century,” she continues. “Students here have no choice but to grab the future [by developing] the skill to learn, unlearn and relearn. I think those are the most critical skills we can give to our young learners, and the changes to the curriculum should support that,” she adds.

The Millennial Generation’s Impact On The Workplace

It’s not just educators who are seeing signs of change. Employers in Vietnam are registering the impact the millennial generation is having in the professional sphere. “This generation, I feel, is more confident and adaptable in handling new situations and solving problems,” a senior representative for Vietnam Airlines’ Cabin Crew Division says. But he feels the changes aren’t all positive. “Work-readiness skills have developed considerably. Sometimes, however, this generation complete tasks quickly but with less accuracy,” he adds. “And when they feel they have enough experience they will change to another job. This is a challenge among companies in Vietnam today, and within my company too.”

Other companies are reaping the benefits of engaging in forward-thinking education programmes to train and retain their future workforce. Mr. Vu Hai Long, Director of FPT’s Greenwich Collaboration College, part of the FPT Corporation, the largest technology company in Vietnam, remembers: “Fifteen years ago, FPT Software faced genuine difficulty finding the right people—there was a real skills shortage. We decided to invest in education primarily to help support our own business, but our focus on learning has meant young Vietnamese have been able to achieve success here while also entering the international job market.”

“Embrace The Changes Happening Around Us”

“It’s our responsibility to embrace the changes that are happening around us and not be passengers on the ride,” Alan Malcolm, Pearson’s Head of Asia, says about his responsibility to support the changing landscape with digitally-driven education solutions. “We need to continue to deliver on our promise to help people to grow in this changing environment. It’s about balancing this digital transformation with what we already have as educators getting data and as much as we can from technology, rather than looking at it as something that is going to replace the [effective] teaching practices and the education that’s going on now,” he continues.

“Learning is such a personal thing, but it can also be incredibly social. It is complex, and there are contradictions, but we have to keep asking: How can we help people learn today? And how can we help them to continue to learn in the future? We are challenging ourselves, learners, and educators to think about that.” David Barnett, Pearson’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific, concludes about the changing education landscape in this region.

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Every year, the D&AD design, advertising, and digital awards attempt to find brilliant creative minds who can solve real-world problems. Their New Blood Awards category, in which companies like Pearson set briefs that teams around the world respond to, is aimed at students and recent graduates. At the Pearson Conference on “The Future Of Learning” in Da Nang, Vietnam in February, two winning teams from India and Malaysia explained the skills they needed to come out on top.

Responding To The Briefs

In Hindi, jugnoo means “firefly”. Across the 19,000 Indian villages that have never had power, children hunt the insects and then store them in jars. The bioluminescent light the fireflies emit helps them to study through the night. So Pearson, one of the sponsors of the D&AD New Blood Awards—a competition that asks students and recent graduates to respond to real-world creative briefs—asked: How can we really put the light of knowledge into every child’s life?

The most obvious solution is to install power lines, but progress on the promise to bring electricity to all the country’s citizens still has a long way to go to be fulfilled. The Indian team, who are five students from Mumbai University, took a different approach inspired by the glowing fireflies of rural India. “Our solution had to be more cost-effective than installing power grids,” Karan Lakhe says. Karan, along with the team’s other members—Bhuvan Bali, Yash Ambre, Gaurav Bumb, and Mihir Padia—hit upon their award-winning idea to print textbooks with the kind of luminous material already used in novelty glow-in-the-dark items like T-shirts.

The team from Malaysia were attracted by a different Pearson brief: Design a product, service or campaign that will allow learning at scale. For the team’s two members, brothers Yap Yoong Ruey and Yap Yoong Jian, their solution was simple—to enable consumers to learn while they eat. “What if knowledge is made edible? Sounds unusual, but it’s refreshing, isn’t it? Imagine a learning company that helps people access knowledge with a universally accessible solution—food,” Ruey smiles. Their plan proposed to redefine global learning by embedding academic explainers into the packages of food and beverages. On a chocolate wrapper could be a bite-sized description of the civil rights movement; on a noodle cup an explanation of the causes and consequences of child labour.

Success Came With Challenges

For both teams, success in the competition was far from straightforward. “We are all from a similar background in media studies, and we all live in close proximity—which is how the team first formed. Once we had all settled upon the idea to print textbooks with special ink, it quickly became obvious that none of us had the scientific background to help us understand if that was even possible,” The Indian team’s Karan Lakhe says. “That was the toughest part of our journey. Many people around us were telling us that the idea wouldn’t work,” he adds. “To have a chance of success we needed advice from engineers, print experts, ink manufacturers, educators....”

“The thought of abandoning the idea never crossed our minds,” Mihir Padia joins in. “We didn’t give up, but we knew it would only work if we could ensure the production costs were low.”

For the Malaysian team there were different challenges. “This was actually my fourth attempt joining the competition and the first time my proposal was chosen,” Ruey says. “Coming up with creative ideas is easy, but finding the right one is hard. I tend to over-complicate things meaning there are too many steps involved in the consumer’s journey towards understanding my idea—thinking simply is very important as simplicity helps to convey the message clearly...but that’s easier said than done,” he shrugs.

Entry into the D&AD New Blood Awards this time meant there was a steep learning curve for the team. “We learnt not to connect personally to solutions. It’s always better to maintain a distance that allows objective critical assessments of the ideas. If it doesn’t work, you just have to discard the idea and move on to another until you get the right one,” Ruey explains.

Realising Award-Winning Ideas

The Indian team’s textbooks charge up under sunlight. Then, at night, the phosphorescent ink emits five nits of light. To put that in perspective, one nit is roughly equivalent to the light provided by a single candle. Added to that, the ink only needs brief exposure to sunlight to charge up. “The idea has universal appeal. Many countries face the problem of restricted access to education in underdeveloped regions,” Karan Lakhe continues.

“I would tell future entrants to the D&AD New Blood Awards that an idea doesn’t guarantee success, homework does. That’s how you discover whether your idea really can be done—talk to people, figure out the costs, then refine the idea until it perfectly satisfies the requirements of the brief,” he advises.

In the Malaysian team’s solution, consumers access information printed on product packaging and a QR code accessible by mobile device reveals a deeper dive into the topic. “To succeed we had to step back from the problem. We looked closely at our everyday routines. What did we do when we woke up? Where were we going?” Ruey explains. “Creative ideas come from daily life. Observe your surroundings, and always be empathetic,” he recommends.

With such refined responses to their creative briefs, how well did the teams’ education prepare them for this competition? “I felt well prepared—I am a graphic design major—but after university I’ve also had to learn things the hard way. Failure has helped shape who I am today,” Ruey says. “Personally, I would like to see creative thinking placed at the core of the curriculum,” he adds. “We were lucky too,” Karan says. “We had access to quality education. But, a more practical curriculum would help a lot of other youngsters who aspire to be innovators and change-makers in society. My school of the future? It wouldn’t have classrooms. I would want my students out in the real world, responding to real challenges,” he nods finally.

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