1. The world is
changing-what
about
education?
Jorma Enkenberg
Professor (Emeritus)
University of Eastern Finland
jeeberg@gmail.com
@jormaenkenberg
In City of Lahti 30.8.2012
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2. ”Around the world, the three most
common pedagogical practices were
having students fill out worksheets, work at
the same pace and sequence and
answer tests. The use of ICT was limited.”
(Findings in an international survey from 23
countries; Pelgrim&Plomb 2008)
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3. A. Need for
changes…
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4. Features of our educational system
Fundamentally reactive (-> continuous
tuning, the structures are nopt
questioned)
Weakly self-regulated (->recurrent
ecological problems)
Basically rigid, does not sufficiently
appreciate the change,
experimenting, and research-based
development (Although example,
teachers have been trained to the
same curriculum as the scientists and
professors!)
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5. Builds its actions upon past work
(cf. path dependence)
Strives to consolidate its practices
(to standardize the operations),
when one should see in more
detail, question, action, and
improve performance)
Is poorly aware of the results of
the learning research (Although
teachers are trained in
University!)
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6. Unjustified beliefs (which are not
called into question)
All schools / colleges teach the same subjects
Pupils 'grouping is based on students' age
Some subjects are more important to others
Subjects’ learning is easily assessable
A comparison of the pupils is an essential part of the
learning process
All pupils have the same learning needs and interests
Politicians’ decisions made about the school /
education are based to a large extent on
beforementioned unjustified beliefs (Schank, 2011).
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7. B. Directions of
change…
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8. "A new culture of learning":
The world is changing faster than ever and our skill
sets have a shorter life
Understanding play is critical to understanding
learning
The world is getting more connected that ever
before In connected world, mentorship takes on
new importance and meaning
Challenges we face are multi-faceted requiring
systems thinking & socio-technical sensibilities
Skills are important but so are mind sets and
dispositions
Innovation is more important than ever – but turns on
our ability to cultivate imagination
A new culture of learning needs to leverage social &
technical infrastructures in new ways
Play is the basis for cultivating imagination and
innovation
(Thomas,D.&Brown,J.S., 2011)
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9. Learning in
different contexts
Learning takes place all the time throughout life
(life long). It also occurs widely in different
contexts of our lives (Life Wide), and the cultural
practices, in which we involve (Life deep).
Learning is often most effectively conveyd just by
participations in local cultural practices in their
own interest and in the direction of the selected
point of view.
( Banks, J., Ball, P., Gordon, E., Gjutierrez, K., Heath,
S., Lee, C., Lee, Y., Mahiri, J., Nasir, N., Valdes, G. &
Zhou, M. ,2007
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10. Socio-cultural nature of learning
Origin of coming to know and learning is social
and culturally based(Culture-specific ways of
thinking and action models).
Coming to know results from both external (bodily-
based; observable) and internal (hidden in the
mind; thinking) actions, interactions, negotiations
of meaning, guided by mediating tools, self-
learning, as well as joining into the Community.
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11. Teaching
objectives
"If we want our students and our children to
acquire the skills needed for knowledge-based,
innovation-centred communities, organizations
and societies, we must invest in learning
environments in which that kind of expertise is
prerequisite."
(Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. ,2003)
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12. …
"If the future of work and living is based on
collaboration, creativity, problem identification
and framing, and if they challenge us in
tolerance, change, and intelligence, which is
spread over the different cultures, discilplines
and tools, one should promote in education
transdisciplinary competencies that will
prepare learners to meaningful and productive
life in the kind of world. "
(Fischer, G. ,2008)
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13. Where we should have the
focus?
The problem of education is in focusing
of teaching on explicit knowledge.
Instead of that the focus should be in the
transmission of tacit knowledge in the
forms of doing and participation - in
appropriating a skillful behaviour.
Real, important knowledge and wisdom
is tacit, and hidden (embedded).
Explaining does not help in
understanding and mediating
meaningful knowledge and skill. .
Brown, J.S., Adler, R. (2008)
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14. ATC21S project (started with a group of more than 250
researchers across 60 institutions worldwide who
categorized 21st-century skills internationally into four
broad categories, funded by Microsoft, Cisco and Intel):
• Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-
making and learning (Ways of thinking).
• Communication and collaboration (Ways of working).
• Information and communications technology (ICT) and
information literacy (Tools for working).
• Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social
responsibility (Skills for living in the world).
Learning to collaborate with others and connect through
technology are essential skills in a knowledge-based
economy.
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15. Creativity and imagination are the key
elements of 21st century learning.
When we are engaging in a creative
actity, we are taking the familiar and
making it strange.
When we behave imaginatively, we do
just the opposite: we make the strange
familiar.
(Thomas,D.&Brown,J.S., 2011)

16. Use and process information
Be able to work with others
Apply acquired knowledge and skill
Speak foreign languages
Understand that the things take
longer to happen than you think and
happen faster than you thought
(Lauren Sommers, 2012); reflecting the
consequences of the structure of the
society and what we now know
about learning)

17. When teaching/education
has been succesful?
"Teaching succeeds, if as a result citizens are able
to participate successfully in the global economy,
able to synthesize and utilize digital information in
its various forms, to communicate this information
in various subjects as well as in information areas,
are able to interact with different people, and act as
responsible members of both in their own
organizations and in other communities to which
they are joined. "
(Weigel, M., James F. and Gardner, H. (2009).
Learning: Peering Backward and Looking Forward
in the Digital Era. Internal Journal of Learning and
Media. Vol 1 (1), 1-17)
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18. Charasteristics of constantly evolving
organisation/educational institution
Evolution Complexity
Ecology Self-management
Bottom-up Growth
Self-organisation Experiment
Enough good Update
Adoption Negotiation
Mutual understanding
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19. References
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G. Zhou, M. 2007. Learning in and out of school in a community of learners. Kirjassa Olson,
diverse environments. Life - long, Life -wide , Life - D.&Torrance, N. (toim.) The handbook of
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