5W Model: Learning Environment in 21st Century

 

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5W Model: Learning Environment in 21^st Century

Marmar Mukhopadhyay

Introduction

 It is quite a popular theme for the last about three decades.  There are a large number of writings accessible on the net.  There is an equally good number of slides in the slide share domain. I have however not come across any futurological study on the learning environment in the 21^st Century. What we find are imagination projected on a future canvas. Mine is no different. We are actually already 2 decades old in the 21st century.  What remains is about 80 years. 

It's a generic concept. If we see it through the prism of Future Shock, it is a Utopia. 21^st century has Eritrea and Finland; or Niger with an average of 2-year schooling and Luxemburg or Norway - the richest countries in the world where people can afford almost anything they wish. Whose learning environment are we talking about, any way! It looks more of a romantic tryst with ideas.

Within India, Learning environment in Kolkata–Delhi-Bangaluru-Mumbai-Chennai is not the same. Within Kolkata – learning environments in new generation institutions like Adamas University and the oldest - my alma mater is not the same, though both share the space in the 21st century. We need to find a set of descriptors of the learning environment that can explain changing time – next eight decades of this century, and geographical space from Niger to OECD Countries.

 Majority of the authors portrayed the 21st century learning environment on the basis of technological developments.  As I understand, the learning environment cannot be shaped without the involvement of the people.  I see the 21st century learning environment moving on two legs - one is the 21st century learners, and second is developments in technology. 

21^st Century Learners

This is another popular theme among the Netwriters/Bloggers. Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton’s 21 Characteristics is the most comprehensive[1]. 21^st century learners are far more exposed to environmental stimulations due to digital media, limitless human networking. Many more brain neurons are regularly excited creating new synapses and brain patterns making them much smarter learners. They prefer to decide what and how they want to learn. Having landed at the Level 3 of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, their focus is on ‘making a difference’ rather than earning to survive or ‘live   happily ever after’.  They   confidently assert freedom; love risks and challenges and are ready to fail to innovate and create. Master of social media, they connect and collaborate naturally with others across the lands and seas.  They prefer to explore, experiment and discover knowledge and solution to perplexing problems than accept what is told to them.  Endowed with natural intelligence, they happily unburden their cognitive overload on artificial intelligence, machine learning, block-chain, augmented reality. They are the masters of Alexa and her next generations.  They are not ‘prisoners of geography[2];  they know they are global citizens.

Technological Developments

Technological developments are fast, disruptive and unpredictable.  Technology integration is predictable. Early indications are integration of Smart board, Clickers, video-aided education, PPT slide-presentation, clickers, Computer and video games, online education, blended learning improve  student learning outcomes.  Technology integrating teachers are doing better. Online education is doing better and makes a big promise.

New Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Block Chain Technology, Game-based Learning, Virtual Reality, Learning Analytics, Big Data, Mobile Apps, Internet of Thing, Adaptive Computer Testing, Bite Size Learning, Cloud Computing, Online ICT Tools, Open Education Resources are fast changing the contours of educational canvas. 

Digital divide in this age of digital learning is reality. There are three faces of digital divide. These are attitude, skill and access. Adults at home, institution and governance are at disadvantage. 21^st century learners possess better digital attitude and skills; thereby overcome deficiency in access. Adults in power centres have better access to digital devices; their poor attitude and skills   decelerate  unfolding the power of the learning environment.  

21^st Century Learning Environment: Agenda and the Challenge

The central  agenda of the 21st century learning  environment is to Create Lifelong  Self-learners.  Instead of mastery of a subject,  agenda is Mastery of the Art of Learning. With tremendous developments in technology, and knowledge revolution,  knowledge and information will suffer   obsolescence  faster than any time in the history.  Accordingly,  the biggest challenge of the 21st century learning environment will be to enhance  the conceptual complexity of the learner,  and continuous rebuilding of the cognitive structure to make it more and more capable of  abstract   and creative thinking,  leaving the concrete information to be stored in technological devices to be retrieved on JIT basis. In such a fluid unpredictable situation,  any description   or projection of the 21st century learning environment is fraught with risk of obsolescence  that may also  smack of misplaced romanticism. To be resilient and relevant for sometime at least, in this ever changing scenario,  I propose a 5W Model  where every component is also capable of changing.  In other words,  we need a model that  does not stand on here and now basis only,  but dynamic enough to change with the changing scenario.

5W Model

My 5W  Model comprises of 5 words -  Whenever,  Whatever,  Whichever,  Wherever, and Whomever.

I define the 21^st Century Learning Environment as Learn 

Whenever–Whatever-Whichever-Wherever-Whomever.  

21^st Century Learning Environment would include unnoticed, unintended incidental learning into an individual's  learning portfolio.

Whenever: Learning will no more be restricted to  fixed institutional time,   or the age of a person.  The 21st century learning environment will provide  learning opportunities anytime of the day,  anytime of the month and year not excluding Saturday-Sundays as non-learning days,  and anytime in life.  In other words,   the concept of learning at a particular time of the day,  and a particular number of days in a semester,  and in the first 25 years of life  would  no more  be valid.  People will  access  learning resources and learn anytime during the day,  or the year,  and any time during life. 

Whatever:   21st century learners  would have the opportunity of learning whatever she/he  wants to learn.  It can be a group of subjects from HASS  or STEM.  It can be phenomenon based multidisciplinary learning.  Learners can choose to learn forest fire,  Tsunami,  epidemic or pandemic, growing up, or scholarship. Learners can choose a full course on medicine or take  bite-size learning of diabetes or joint pain only. They would collect badges and accumulate at their sweet time and will.  

Whichever:  Learners would exercise freedom to learn the ways they  choose to. They may learn through  online  or face to face offline programs,  or blended learning.   They will  assess their own learning outcomes,  at their own style and pace, and instruments of their own choice. After all, self assessment is the most powerful source of feedback for improving learning outcomes.

 Wherever:  The geography of learning will be totally unbound.  It may be in the classroom;  or  home,  or Clubhouse; on the lush green meadows or in the sea or in the sky.  Learners will access   learning opportunities from local institutions, any university   and academic institution within the country or anywhere in the world. 

Whomever: The conventional concept of designated teacher would change to learn from anyone – people in white collar, yellow collar, blue collar or open collar; learn from their learning and experience, and expertise rooted in real situation through apprenticeship, tutorials, assistantships, etc. Teacher would provide the critical support in choosing appropriate person to learn from.

The 5W  model  indicates total freedom of the learner To learn whatever she wants to learn, whenever,  whichever and wherever. This is possible because of 21^st Century Learners’ will and zeal to learn and technological development that has successfully dismantled the geographical boundaries creating free access  to quality learning opportunities anywhere in the world via Internet and Open Education Resources.  

Conclusion

UNESCO’s International  Commission  on session on Future of Education: Learning to Become is in session. It is consulting everyone. I’ll wait for  the global collective wisdom about The Future of Education, and 21^st Century Learning Environment.

 

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[1] https://drsaraheaton.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/21st-century-learners/

[2] Title of a beautiful book by Tim Marshall