Tackling the educational state of affairs

An Educational Outlook

The predicament of the current educational systems

There is a lot of waste of learners’ talent and negative pressure current on them that current educational systems cause. Current educational systems are geared to prepare graduates who can fit into a workforce that serves the prevailing industries as they are now. There is a problem however, the technological revolution is disrupting the status quo of most industries triggering major changes in their modus operandi and human resources needs; it is also causing many industries to disappear and new ones to sprout. Moreover, while governments are struggling to create jobs, companies are struggling to fill vacancies. Economic growth is hence being constrained and the threat is serious to many economies, to the stability of many societies, and to the wellbeing of individuals.

The world does not need graduates!

Educational systems, curricula and learning environments need therefore to develop in a manner that caters for addressing the above situation. The educational systems that we need would prepare lifelong effective learners rather than graduates who are suitable for specific jobs. A lifelong effective learner is someone who is always on the lookout for and is able to identify what is important to learn, has the skills for independently developing a suitable ILP (Individual Learning Plan), and possesses enough self-discipline and awareness to be able to actually see the plan through to completion.

Written by: Saad Abou-Chakra

Using Transmedia in Education

Abstract

The positive effects of student engagement and motivation on student learning, have been supported by a great deal of academic research (Carini, R. M., Kuh, G. D., & Klein, S. P. , 2006, Zhao, C.-M., & Kuh, G. D. , 2004, Christenson, S. L., Reschly, A. L., & Wylie, C. , 2012, and, Leah Taylor & Jim Parsons, 2016). Knowing that transmedia has been successful in creating engaging environments, some educators have been developing transmedia projects to improve student engagement and motivation in order to enhance learning (Weinreich N. K. , 2006 and Roth, C., Vorderer, P., & Klimmt, C. , 2009, Raybourn, E. M. , 2014). This paper describes how transmedia learning is viewed by different researchers, analyses the ways it is being practiced by educators, and discusses its strengths and its drawbacks. This paper also explains how a transmedia learning campaign can be developed. The study targets educators who we believe need to learn about transmedia learning, and find out about how they can develop effective transmedia learning projects.

Keywords: transmedia learning, student engagement, motivation, enhancing learning

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation Bias

In an article where he quotes the psychologist Peter Cathcart Wason, the writer David Leonhard of the New York Times wrote about the Confirmation Bias phenomenon which asserts that we are biased to seek what agrees with our beliefs and that we do not want to find out that we are wrong. I strongly recommend this article for all educators, parents and students as it highlights a very important cognitive phenomenon. You can access the article through the link http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/03/upshot/a-quick-puzzle-to-test-your-problem-solving.html. The article describes a test that Wason performed which illustrates the Confirmation Bias phenomenon. I suggest that you access the link and take the test before you read Leonhard's article or the commentary below.