Plenary Keynote 1 – Pathways for Learning & Learners
Andreas Schleicher – Director for Education and Skills, OECD
Introduction and Vision
Uncertainty of the Future: Dr. Schleicher emphasizes that while the future is unpredictable, school leaders must prepare students today for the world of tomorrow, even though we cannot fully foresee it.
Role of Education: Education is the foundation of our society, culture, technology, and communication, and it has achieved remarkable things, despite ongoing challenges.
Current Challenges in Education
Disconnects in Society:
Economic vs. Planetary Resources: A growing disconnect exists between the belief in infinite economic growth and the planet’s finite resources.
Financial vs. Real Economy: There’s a gap between the financial economy and the real economy.
Wealth Inequality: Increasing economic polarization leads to social and political polarization.
Measurement vs. Well-being: There’s a disconnect between how progress is measured and the actual well-being of people.
Technological Possibilities vs. Social Needs: Advances in technology often don’t align with real social needs.
Impact of the Pandemic and Future Disruptions
Pandemic Lessons: The pandemic showed how small disruptions could fundamentally alter education systems. Future challenges, like climate change and AI, will be even more disruptive.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI challenges traditional education by automating tasks that were once uniquely human, forcing us to rethink what makes us human and how we can complement AI.
Preparing for the Future
Balancing Act: Finding the right balance between sustainability and adaptability in a volatile world is crucial. The past reliance on previous generations’ wisdom is no longer sufficient.
Importance of Adaptability: Routine cognitive skills are losing importance, while technology-intensive tasks are rising, necessitating a shift in educational focus.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education
AI’s Evolution: AI is rapidly improving, as demonstrated by its performance in PISA tasks, where it has begun to surpass human students in some areas.
Challenges and Opportunities: While AI can be a powerful tool, it also risks disempowering learners and educators if not managed properly.
Educational Transformation
Historical Comparison: Dr. Schleicher compares today’s digital revolution to the first Industrial Revolution, noting that education systems have not significantly changed since then, leading to a gap between skills provided and those needed in the workforce.
Future Pathways: Education must evolve to create pathways that prepare students to get ahead of technology and meet the demands of the future economy.
Holistic Education Goals
Purpose of Education: Education should help students find identity, meaning, and purpose, understand their talents, and recognize what society needs from them.
Agency in Learning: Developing students’ sense of agency, resilience, and ability to take action is crucial in today’s world.
Case Studies and Global Comparisons
PISA Insights: Dr. Schleicher presents findings from PISA assessments, showing differences in student happiness, agency, and resilience across countries like Japan, the UK, Albania, and Denmark.
Balancing Success: Denmark is highlighted as a country that balances academic success with student well-being, creativity, and social relationships.
Creativity in Education
Creativity Decline: Dr. Schleicher notes that 15-year-olds are less creative than 10-year-olds, indicating that education may be stifling creativity over time.
Importance of Creativity: Education systems need to focus on fostering creativity, questioning established wisdom, and developing students’ ability to think critically and creatively.
Drivers of Creativity
Growth Mindset: Encouraging a growth mindset is essential for academic success and creativity.
Sense of Belonging: Schools should foster a sense of identity and community among students.
Social-Emotional Skills: Skills like curiosity, persistence, stress resistance, and social skills are key predictors of creative thinking.
Resource Allocation and Educational Efficiency
Beyond Money: Dr. Schleicher argues that while money is necessary, it is not the sole determinant of educational success. Efficient use of resources and quality of learning experiences are more critical.
Time vs. Quality: The quality of learning experiences is more important than the quantity of time spent on learning.
Role of Technology in Education
Personalized Learning: Technology can make learning more personalized and adaptive, offering real-time feedback and reintegrating learning with assessment.
Ownership of Learning: Empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey is crucial for future success.
Integration of Learning and Assessment
Historical Context: Dr. Schleicher discusses how learning and assessment were historically integrated, and how the industrialization of schooling separated them, leading to superficial learning and teaching.
Reintegration with Technology: Today, technology allows for the reintegration of learning and assessment, providing continuous feedback and enhancing the learning process.
The Challenge of Technology in Education
Administrative Efficiency: Technology can reduce teachers’ administrative workload, allowing them to focus more on meaningful interactions with students.
Technology’s Double-Edged Sword: While technology has the potential to enhance learning, it can also detract from it if not used properly, as shown by the negative impact of excessive screen time on learning outcomes.
Digital Literacy: True digital literacy involves managing complexity and distinguishing fact from opinion, skills that are developed through deep engagement with complex texts, not through short online content.
Policy Implications and School Leadership
Smartphone Use: Dr. Schleicher discusses the challenges of managing smartphone use in schools, noting that bans have some effect, but the real challenge is integrating technology effectively into education.
Equity in Technology: There’s a risk that technology amplifies existing inequalities rather than serving as an equalizer, particularly when it comes to access and effective use.
Final Thoughts
Smart Education: Smart education isn’t just about using technology, but about how it can transform teaching and learning to empower both teachers and students.
Building Pathways: The ultimate goal is to build pathways to the future that ensure students develop the skills that make us human, rather than becoming mere subjects of digital systems.
