Introduction: The 21st century learner
Arguably, the modern learner is not the same as the generations that went before them. Whether this is explained by the notion of young people being digital natives in terms of their engagement and use of technology (Prensky 2001) or simply that the instruments of modern education in use from pre-school level have changed to include technology, the learner generally arrives at university with a digital backpack of devices, skills and an already existing, or perhaps nascent set of connections and networks. Jenkins (2009) categorises these skills more widely, suggesting that modern learners possess a variety of skills that have emerged from their interaction with web 2.0 technologies, including (but not limited to) the skills of play (problem solving through experimentation), performance (discovery through the adoption of alternative identities), simulation (interpretation of models of real-world processes), appropriation (remix and reuse of media content in the form of ‘mash-up’), multi-tasking (focus shifting required by the situation), distributed cognition (the use of tools to expand skills and thinking capacity), collective intelligence (the use and validation of pooled knowledge to solve problems), judgement (evaluation of the reliability and validity of information), trans media navigation, negotiation and networking.
The skills of 21st Century Learner
Jackie Gerstein makes the case for a variety of skills that 21st century learners bring to their higher education experience. This list crosses over some of the more classical trans-disciplinary skills, but others that have evolved from technology usage.
Impacts on learning, teaching and assessment
This piece was published by Educause, a leading think-tank of digital and e-learning. It argues that 21st century learners bring specific competencies to higher education, which necessitates a rethink of both the way we teach, the way we assess but fundamentally, what we teach.
Participatory culture
Henry Jenkins (mentioned above in the introduction) has done a significant amount of research around what he considers the skills that are emerging in 21st century learners. He seeks to represent them as a statement of cultural intent and purpose which he calls participatory culture. This short video explores his ideas.
A vision of students today
Dr Michael Wesch, a lecturer at Kansas State University makes the case in this seminal video from 2008, that the 21st century learner is as much a construct of the behaviours and attitudes they possess as they of the skills they bring to bear in terms of the higher education. Interestingly, Wesch himself sees that technology use on behalf of the teacher is not the panacea to the problem raised by the students themselves.
Visitors vs residents
Finally, David White and Alison Le Cornu make the case that the way a person choses to live their life on-line has significant impacts on their behaviours, skills and attitudes which can and does permeate their higher education. A fascinating article from the open access ‘First Monday’ journal and a longer video if you are interested from Dave White himself will give you an insight into repositioning of the heavily challenged arguments of Prensky (2001).
