21st Century Skills And Assessment In Global Economy

1. 21st Century Skills And Assessment In Global Economy Kiev, May 26, 2010 Dr. Mark Zelman

2. “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” --Alvin Toffler, American writer and futurist (1928- )

3. 21st Century Skills… Better Education or Lower Pay? What are they? Why do we need them? Who decides what comprises “21st Century Skills”?

4. 21st Century Skills for a global economy… • Flattening of the world • Globalization • Competition • Shift in work patterns and careers

23. How our students will compete in a new global economy? Problem Solving Science Reading Math 1st 14th 15th 15th 5th OECD Ranking 18th 18th 10th 24th 15th 24th 20th 29th 25th 35th 30th 35th 2006 2000 2003 2006 2000 2003 2003 2000 2003 Source: PISA 2000, 2003, 2006

25. The skills that are easiest to teach and test are also the ones that are easiest to: digitize automate and outsource

26. What Skills Are Now Required? • Routine Manual: Physical tasks that follow a set of rules Example: installing windshields on new vehicles in automobile assembly plants • Non-Routine Manual: Physical tasks that do not follow set rules or if-then do statements Example: cleaning a building • Routine Cognitive: Simple mental tasks that follow a set of rules Example: maintaining expense reports • Non-Routine Analytic: Solving problems for which there are no rule-based solutions Example: diagnosing a strange, unknown illness • Non-Routine Interactive: Interacting with humans to acquire information, to explain it, or to persuade others of its implications for action Example: a manager motivating the people whose work she supervises

27. What do these skills look like? • Gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing information. • Working autonomously to a high standard with minimal supervision. • Leading other autonomous workers through influence. • Being creative and turning that creativity into action. • Thinking critically and asking the right questions. • Striving to understand others’ perspectives and to understand the entirety of an issue. • Communicating effectively, often using technology. • Working ethically, firmly based in both your own society and the planet as a whole. (“21st century skills”)

28. What skills are most important for job success when hiring a high school and university graduate? Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2006). “Workforce Survey: Are They Really Ready to Work.”

29. Of the high school and university students that you recently hired, what were their deficiencies? Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2006). “Workforce Survey: Are They Really Ready to Work.”

30. What skills and content areas will be growing in importance in the next five years? Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2006). “Workforce Survey: Are They Really Ready to Work.”

31. 20th Century Education Model

32. 20th Century Skills Core Subjects • English • Reading or Language Arts • Mathematics • Science • Foreign Languages • Civics • Government • Economics • Arts • History • Geography

33. 21st Century Skills

34. 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Skills • Critical Thinking • Creativity • Communication • Problem Solving • Innovation • Collaboration

35. 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Skills Academic Content Standards Common Processes • Critical Thinking • Acquiring, analyzing and evaluating information to reach a conclusion • Communication • Using spoken, written or non-verbal language to obtain information or express ideas and arguments • Research • Planning and conducting an investigation • Includes defining information needs, using appropriate tools to collect relevant information, and comparing data to develop explanations

36. 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Skills Academic Content Standards Common Processes • Problem Solving/Design • Performance-based process involves framing, analyzing and synthesizing information • Collaboration • Interacting effectively with a diverse range of people to come up with news ways of thinking • Meta-cognition • Developing the awareness and the ability to control one’s thinking processes, in particular the use of problem-solving strategies

37. 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Skills Education in the Global Economy (EDGE) Committee • Critical Thinking • Understanding logical connections between ideas • Ability to solve problems systematically • Creativity • The capacity to make or express things that didn’t exist before or to solve problems in new ways • Innovation • The creation, development and implementation of a new product, process or service, with the aim of improving efficiency, effectiveness or competitive advantage

38. 21st Century Skills • Information, Media and Technology Skills • Information Literacy • Accessing information efficiently and effectively • Critically evaluating information • Media Literacy • Understanding how media messages are constructed • Examining how individuals interpret messages differently • Information, Communications and Technology Literacy • Using digital technology and communication tools to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information

39. 21st Century Skills • Life and Career Skills • Leadership & Responsibility • Using interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and • guide others toward a goal • Productivity & Accountability • Meeting and high standards for delivering quality work on time • Demonstrating diligence and a positive work ethic • Flexibility & Adaptability • Adapting to varied roles and responsibilities • Working effectively in a climate of changing priorities

40. Creativity: The capacity to make or express things that didn’t exist before or to solve problems in new ways Source:The Christian Science Monitor (2009).

41. More Questions… How can 21st Century skills be assessed? Who is responsible for assessment? To whom will the assessment results be meaningful? How will assessment results be communicated?

44. Task 3 – Interpret and Synthesize Information from Graphs and Text This task asks examinees to evaluate and analyze a set of various materials related to the same topic — a brief reading passage and two charts or graphs. Examinees are asked to state the main claims of the reading passage and then to discuss the extent to which the data in the charts support or challenge those claims. [30 minutes]

45. Task (Interpret and Synthesize Information) – Skills Assessed • Construct a well-reasoned, logically compelling, and well-organized summary of information presented verbally and visually  • Identify, analyze, and synthesize complementary and contradictory data and assertions • Express ideas clearly and precisely, avoiding vague or fuzzy thinking

46. Importance of environmental versus economic concerns in deciding how to vote in the presidential election Figure 1. How important are environmental concerns? Increase size Close Close Increase size Figure 2. Percent who answer “A great deal” when asked how much they worry about the following environmental problems: How important are economic concerns? Economy versus environment Task 3 Directions: Read the following passage and analyze the two accompanying graphs. Write a brief essay in which you state the main claims of the passage and then discuss what information in the graphs supports and what information in the graphs challenges the main claims of the passage. When you are finished, click Done. Interpret and Synthesize Information 1. Importance of Environmental versus Economic Concerns in Deciding How to Vote in the Presidential Election Passage Most citizens of the country of “Alta” like to consider themselves environmentalists. They rank the environment among the top ten election year issues, and nine out of ten say that their concerns about protecting the environment will influence their vote for president. But at this point in the election cycle, voters also admit that they are not poring over candidates’ specific proposals. Rather, they are judging candidates’ environmental proposals in context with their character and leadership skills. When voters are asked to pick a label that best summarizes their intended vote, only 14 percent of Altans choose “the environment,” while 23 percent choose “strong leadership in economic matters,” and 29 percent choose “keep Alta on a steady course,” according to a recent poll. It’s unclear how concern for the environment will play out when voters seem to care—at least for now, anyway—more about the economy and stability. Although worry about environmental problems has declined in the past decade, Altans still have many environmental concerns ranging from the safety of drinking water to global overpopulation. The environment has not yet emerged as a central campaign issue, but most Altans are deeply troubled, saying that they are running out of time to save the planet from permanent damage. Most Altans claim that they recycle, that they avoid products suspected of causing environmental problems, and that they would pay more for such things as cleaner gasoline and autos with greater fuel efficiency. But very few of these people in fact are willing to carpool. To complicate matters, the current economic recession in Alta makes it likely that economic issues will play an important role in the election. Although the majority of voters do not believe that protecting the environment necessarily involves economic tradeoffs, if a choice were required, voters could possibly tend to side with the environment. 2. Percent who answer “A great deal” when asked how much they worry about the following environmental problems:

47. Notes for Readers Task 3 Interpret and Synthesize Information Main claims of the passage: Although most Altans (nine out of ten) say that they are concerned about the environment, they do not seem to consider environmental issues the most significant issue in the upcoming political election (compared to economic issues). Data in the graphs that could be used to support the passage’s claims: Figure 1: The survey indicates that the clear majority consider “environmental concerns” very important, which supports the claim that Altans are concerned about the environment. The data showing the importance of the economy supports the passage’s assertion that economics will play a major role in the election. Figure 2: The data suggest that worry about the environment has declined during the past decade, although many Altans still have concerns about the environment. Data in the graphs that could be used to challenge the passage’s claims: Figure 1: Significantly fewer than “nine out of ten” Altans consider the environment as “very important,” calling into question the passage’s claim about their concerns for the environment during the election year. Figure 2: The high percentage of Altans stating they “worry a great deal” about four of the environmental problems listed in the survey suggests that, in fact, the environment may constitute a central political issue.

48. Welcome to the Advanced Mathematical Reasoning Test

49. Mathematical Reasoning Capabilities • Problem Solving Strategies • Logical Reasoning • Mathematical Modeling • Patterns and Similarities • Estimation and Approximation

50. Reasoning Capability: Logical Reasoning Mathematical Content: Arithmetic (Number Theory) Question Type: Selection Response Click on a choice, then click on a box.