In U.S. education, deeper learning is a set of student educational outcomes including acquisition of robust core academic content, higher-order thinking skills, and learning dispositions. Deeper learning is based on the premise that the nature of work, civic, and everyday life is changing and therefore increasingly requires that formal education provides young people with mastery of skills like analytic reasoning, complex problem solving, and teamwork.
Deeper learning is associated with a growing movement in U.S. education that places special emphasis on the ability to apply knowledge to real-world circumstances and to solve novel problems.[1]
A number of U.S. schools and school districts serving a broad socio-economic spectrum apply deeper learning as an integral component of their instructional approach.[2]
History
While the term "deeper learning" is relatively new, the notion of enabling students to develop skills that empower them to apply learning and to adapt to and thrive in post-secondary education as well as career and life is not. A number of significant antecedents to deeper learning exist.
For example, American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformerJohn Dewey (1859–1952) made a strong case for the importance of education not only as a place to gain content knowledge, but also as a place to learn how to live. Like modern proponents of deeper learning, Dewey believed that students thrive in an environment where they are allowed to experience and interact with the curriculum, and all students should have the opportunity to take part in their own learning. Dewey's arguments undergirded the movements of progressive education and constructivist education, which called for teaching and learning beyond rote content knowledge.
In the 1990s, skills-based education saw a resurgence with the advent of the "21st Century Skills" movements and the "Partnership for 21st Century skills".[3] In 2012 the National Research Council of the National Academies issued Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skill in the 21st Century, a report on deeper learning re-elevating the issue and summarizing research evidence on its outcomes to date.[4]
Skills and competencies
According to labor economists Frank Levy of MIT and Richard Murnane of Harvard's Graduate School of Education, since 1970, with the economic changes brought about by technology and globalization, employers' demands for workers with routine, repetitive skills—whether manual or cognitive—have dropped steeply, while demand for those with deeper learning competencies like complex thinking and communications skills has soared.[5]
Research by Cassel and Kolstad found that by the year 2000 the top skills demanded by U.S. Fortune 500 companies had shifted from traditional reading, writing and arithmetic to teamwork, problem solving, and interpersonal skills.[6]
A 2006 Conference Board survey of some 400 employers revealed that key deeper learning competencies were the most important for new entrants into the workforce. Essential capabilities included oral and written communications and critical thinking/problem solving. The Conference Board findings indicate that "applied skills on all educational levels trump basic knowledge and skills, such as Reading Comprehension and Mathematics... while the 'three Rs' are still fundamental to any new workforce entrant's ability to do the job, employers emphasize that applied skills like Teamwork/Collaboration and Critical Thinking are 'very important' to success at work."[7]
In 2002 a coalition of national business community, education leaders, and policymakers founded the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (now the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, or P21), a non-profit organization. P21's goal is to foster a national conversation on "the importance of 21st century skills for all students" and "position 21st century readiness at the center of US K-12 education". The organization has released reports exploring how to integrate the Four Cs approach into learning environments.[8] Their research and publications included an identification of deeper learning competencies and skills they called the Four Cs of 21st century learning (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity). In a 2012 survey conducted by the American Management Association (AMA), executives found a need for highly skilled employees to keep up with the fast pace of change in business and to compete on a global level. The survey identified three of the "Four Cs" (critical thinking, communication and collaboration) as the top three skills necessary for these employees.[9]
Development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills
The ability to work collaboratively
Effective oral and written communication
Learning how to learn
Developing and maintaining an academic mindset.
Instructional reforms
Deeper learning practitioners have developed a number instructional reform methods and built a variety of classroom, school, and district models. While stressing robust content mastery, instructors ask students to "move beyond basic comprehension and algorithmic procedures and engage in skills that lie at the top of traditional learning taxonomies—analysis, synthesis, and creation," according to Harvard education scholars Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine.[12] "Students are treated as active meaning makers with the capacity to do interesting and valuable work now... the purpose of school is not so much to prepare students for a hypothetical future as to support them in engaging with the complex challenges that professional work at its best entails." In its 2012 report Education for Life and Work, the National Research Council identified the following research-based methods for developing deeper learning:[4]
Use multiple and varied representations of concepts and tasks
Encourage elaboration, questioning, and self-explanation
Engage learners in challenging tasks, with supportive guidance and feedback
Teach with examples and cases
Prime student motivation
Use formative assessment
Deeper examination of what "best practices" evidence shows connect teaching methods to the development of the Partnership for 21st Century Learning's 4C framework[13] and the competencies identified in the Hewlett model for deeper learning,[14] give a sharper picture of "what works" in terms of instructional strategies and tools. For instance, the Marzano Lab has identified the high effects of cooperative learning to develop collaboration, graphic organizers to advance critical thinking, feedback to sharpen communication, advance organizers to enrich entry activities in PBLs, etc.[15] John Hattie's meta-analysis of visible learning is even more specific. Strategies that promote metacognition, reflection, student feedback, creativity, inquiry and more support the type of teaching that most enriches mindful, deeper learning. In addition, his studies detail how surface teaching strategies such as lectures, worksheets, overly frequent testing and others do little for achievement or deeper learning.[16] For young learners, the Center for Childhood Creativity has identified the powerful role of creative thinking in the classroom.[17]
While evidence supporting the direct impact of education organized around deeper learning outcomes in driving academic achievement is not robust to date, it continues to build. P21 is leading an effort at the University of Connecticut to remedy this. As early as 2008 a study of seven hundred California students demonstrated that students exposed to math instruction designed to develop deeper learning competencies significantly outperformed peers taught through more traditional methods.[1]
Network of schools
A number of educational reform school networks across the country focus on developing deeper learning competencies.[18] While committed to deeper learning educational outcomes, these networks, however, vary in their instructional models and approaches to school design. Notable networks include Asia Society International Studies Schools Network, EdVisions Schools, and Envision Education.
Because of limits imposed by state and federal laws, public school districts face the largest challenges to bring deeper learning back into their schools. The Partnership for 21st Century Learning[19] initiated the identification of exemplar schools which were relying on inclusion of 21st Century Skills as a base component for bringing deeper learning experiences to all children. Some of these exemplar schools come from the reform networks, but many are schools and districts that targeted deeper learning instruction and outcomes as their mission but without the benefits in money, public relations and compliance given to charter schools.
To further advance the notion, P21 created a Blogazine to "connect the dots between 21st Century skills and deeper learning outcomes".[20] The blog articles are written pro bono by major educational writers who advocate for the paradigm shift to Deeper Learning as well as by a balance of school leaders, teachers, professional learning specialists and others who are incorporating deeper learning practices into their curricula, instruction, assessment and system change plans. In its second year, the no-fee online P21 Blogazine expanded into a three times weekly online journal.
As more schools, especially public schools, began to plan to integrate deeper learning, a group of Illinois advocates, aligned with P21, searched for assistance to scale best 21st century teaching practices into classrooms. Already successful exemplars in the US and abroad were relying on versions of project based learning (problem-based, inquiry-based, product-making, project- based);[21] there was great variation in effectiveness. After reviewing models from multiple sources, the Illinois Consortium for 21st Century Schools determined none were adequate for systemic integration into schools or systems. The consortium team, made up of volunteer, long experienced professional developers, classroom teachers, administrators and school change specialists, all with experience in public school reform, adapted and redesigned the most effective PBL models and designed a new school-wide approach of PBL that included explicit instruction and assessment of the 4CS as advocated by the Partnership, technology, reflection and a 5th C, cultural responsiveness. These elements were integrated into a PBL design cycle, called MindQuest21. Creative making was balanced with critical thinking to allow for teachers to challenge the narrow framework of the standards which ignored the creative C.[22]
The MindQuest21 approach was not an isolated example. As the P21 Exemplar identification program showed, more and more schools, often acting alone, sometimes in concert with other schools in a district, were shifting the learning paradigm from surface learning pushed by NCLB recall tests to deeper learning stimulated by entrepreneurial administrators and teachers. In a like manner, creative teachers who were able to defy the punishment threats of NCLB, did the same.[23]
Assessment
The majority of tests used in the current U.S. school system focus mainly on achievement of content knowledge and rely heavily on multiple-choice items, measuring primarily low-level knowledge and some basic skills.[24] A study by the RAND Corporation found that, in the 17 states studied, fewer than 2% of mathematics items and only about 20% of English language arts (ELA) items on state tests ask students to analyze, synthesize, compare, critique, investigate, prove, or explain their ideas.[24]
However, two federally funded multi-state assessment consortia—the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)[25]—were formed to develop next-generation assessment tools, to be launched in 2014–15. Research conducted by UCLA's CRESST show marked increases in the amount of higher-order skills to be assessed as measured by the Depth of Knowledge scale.[26] The Innovation Lab Network (ILN) of states,[27] coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers, convenes a smaller, informal consortium of ten states to develop strategies to create and deploy even more intellectually ambitious assessments. The performance assessments under development by participating states includes tasks that require students to analyze, critique, evaluate, and apply knowledge. The new tests also intend to encourage instruction aimed at helping students acquire and use knowledge in more complex ways.[24]
In September 2014, a report was released by the American Institutes for Research on a three-year, quasi-experimental comparison of traditional and Deeper Learning schools. The research findings demonstrated the following improved student outcomes: students attending deeper learning network schools benefited from greater opportunities to engage in deeper learning and reported higher levels of academic engagement, motivation to learn, self-efficacy, and collaboration skills; students had higher state standardized assessment scores regardless of student background; students scored higher on PISA-based Test for Schools[28] on measures of core content knowledge and complex problem-solving skills; students graduated on time at statistically significantly higher rates (9 percent); and after graduation students were more likely to attend four-year colleges and enroll in more selective institutions.[29]
A teaching method is a set of principles and methods used by teachers to enable student learning. These strategies are determined partly on subject matter to be taught and partly by the nature of the learner. For a particular teaching method to be appropriate and efficient it has take into account the learner, the nature of the subject matter, and the type of learning it is supposed to bring about.
Media literacy is an expanded conceptualization of literacy that includes the ability to access and analyze media messages as well as create, reflect and take action, using the power of information and communication to make a difference in the world. Media literacy is not restricted to one medium and is understood as a set of competencies that are essential for work, life, and citizenship. Media literacy education is the process used to advance media literacy competencies, and it is intended to promote awareness of media influence and create an active stance towards both consuming and creating media. Media literacy education is part of the curriculum in the United States and some European Union countries, and an interdisciplinary global community of media scholars and educators engages in knowledge and scholarly and professional journals and national membership associations.
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem found in trigger material. The PBL process does not focus on problem solving with a defined solution, but it allows for the development of other desirable skills and attributes. This includes knowledge acquisition, enhanced group collaboration and communication.
An electronic portfolio is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually but not only on the Web.
The Association of College and Research Libraries defines information literacy as a "set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning". In the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals' definition also makes reference to knowing both "when" and "why" information is needed.
Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Students learn about a subject by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, challenge, or problem. It is a style of active learning and inquiry-based learning. PBL contrasts with paper-based, rote memorization, or teacher-led instruction that presents established facts or portrays a smooth path to knowledge by instead posing questions, problems, or scenarios.
Employability refers to the attributes of a person that make that person able to gain and maintain employment.
Editing technology is the use of technology tools in general content areas in education in order to allow students to apply computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving. Generally speaking, the curriculum drives the use of technology and not vice versa. Technology integration is defined as the use of technology to enhance and support the educational environment. Technology integration in the classroom can also support classroom instruction by creating opportunities for students to complete assignments on the computer rather than with normal pencil and paper. In a larger sense, technology integration can also refer to the use of an integration platform and application programming interface (API) in the management of a school, to integrate disparate SaaS applications, databases, and programs used by an educational institution so that their data can be shared in real-time across all systems on campus, thus supporting students' education by improving data quality and access for faculty and staff.
"Curriculum integration with the use of technology involves the infusion of technology as a tool to enhance the learning in a content area or multidisciplinary setting... Effective technology integration is achieved when students can select technology tools to help them obtain information on time, analyze and synthesize it, and present it professionally to an authentic audience. Technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions—as accessible as all other classroom tools. The focus in each lesson or unit is the curriculum outcome, not the technology."
Discovery learning is a technique of inquiry-based learning and is considered a constructivist based approach to education. It is also referred to as problem-based learning, experiential learning and 21st century learning. It is supported by the work of learning theorists and psychologists Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, and Seymour Papert.
Higher-order thinking, also known as higher order thinking skills (HOTS), is a concept education applied in relation to education reform and based on learning taxonomies. The idea is that some types of learning require more cognitive processing than others, but also have more generalized benefits. In Bloom's taxonomy, for example, skills involving analysis, evaluation and synthesis are thought to be of a higher order than the learning of facts and concepts using lower-order thinking skills, which require different learning and teaching methods. Higher-order thinking involves the learning of complex judgmental skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.
Inquiry-based learning is a form of active learning that starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios. It contrasts with traditional education, which generally relies on the teacher presenting facts and their knowledge about the subject. Inquiry-based learning is often assisted by a facilitator rather than a lecturer. Inquirers will identify and research issues and questions to develop knowledge or solutions. Inquiry-based learning includes problem-based learning, and is generally used in small-scale investigations and projects, as well as research. The inquiry-based instruction is principally very closely related to the development and practice of thinking and problem-solving skills.
Challenge-based learning (CBL) is a framework for learning while solving real-world Challenges. The framework is collaborative and hands-on, asking all participants to identify Big Ideas, ask good questions, discover and solve Challenges, gain in-depth subject area knowledge, develop 21st-century skills, and share their thoughts with the world.
Competency-based learning or competency-based education is a framework for teaching and assessment of learning. It is also described as a type of education based on predetermined "competencies," which focuses on outcomes and real-world performance. Competency-based learning is sometimes presented as an alternative to traditional methods of assessment in education.
In education, authentic learning is an instructional approach that allows students to explore, discuss, and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships in contexts that involve real-world problems and projects that are relevant to the learner. It refers to a "wide variety of educational and instructional techniques focused on connecting what students are taught in school to real-world issues, problems, and applications. The basic idea is that students are more likely to be interested in what they are learning, more motivated to learn new concepts and skills, and better prepared to succeed in college, careers, and adulthood if what they are learning mirrors real-life contexts, equips them with practical and useful skills, and addresses topics that are relevant and applicable to their lives outside of school."
Global citizenship education (GCED) is a form of civic learning that involves students' active participation in projects that address global issues of a social, political, economic, or environmental nature. The two main elements of GCE are 'global consciousness'; the moral or ethical aspect of global issues, and 'global competencies', or skills meant to enable learners to participate in changing and developing the world. The promotion of GCE was a response by governments and NGOs to the emergence of supranational institution, regional economic blocs, and the development of information and communications technologies. These have all resulted in the emergence of a more globally oriented and collaborative approach to education. GCE addresses themes such as peace and human rights, intercultural understanding, citizenship education, respect for diversity and tolerance, and inclusiveness.
Minerva Project is an educational organization that designs and delivers educational programs through educational and corporate partners globally. Its mission is reforming education through an interdisciplinary curriculum and fully active learning pedagogy delivered on a proprietary learning environment called Forum.
21st century skills comprise skills, abilities, and learning dispositions that have been identified as being required for success in 21st century society and workplaces by educators, business leaders, academics, and governmental agencies. This is part of a growing international movement focusing on the skills required for students to master in preparation for success in a rapidly changing, digital society. Many of these skills are also associated with deeper learning, which is based on mastering skills such as analytic reasoning, complex problem solving, and teamwork. These skills differ from traditional academic skills in that they are not primarily content knowledge-based.
Design-based learning (DBL), also known as design-based instruction, is an inquiry-based form of learning, or pedagogy, that is based on integration of design thinking and the design process into the classroom at the K-12 and post-secondary levels. Design-based learning environments can be found across many disciplines, including those traditionally associated with design, as well as others not normally considered to be design-related. DBL, as well as project-based learning and problem-based learning, is used to teach 21st century skills such as communication and collaboration and foster deeper learning.
The term learning environment can refer to an educational approach, cultural context, or physical setting in which teaching and learning occur. The term is commonly used as a more definitive alternative to "classroom", but it typically refers to the context of educational philosophy or knowledge experienced by the student and may also encompass a variety of learning cultures—its presiding ethos and characteristics, how individuals interact, governing structures, and philosophy. In a societal sense, learning environment may refer to the culture of the population it serves and of their location. Learning environments are highly diverse in use, learning styles, organization, and educational institution. The culture and context of a place or organization includes such factors as a way of thinking, behaving, or working, also known as organizational culture. For a learning environment such as an educational institution, it also includes such factors as operational characteristics of the instructors, instructional group, or institution; the philosophy or knowledge experienced by the student and may also encompass a variety of learning cultures—its presiding ethos and characteristics, how individuals interact, governing structures, and philosophy in learning styles and pedagogies used; and the societal culture of where the learning is occurring. Although physical environments do not determine educational activities, there is evidence of a relationship between school settings and the activities that take place there.
Phenomenon-based learning is a multidisciplinary, constructivist form of learning or pedagogy where students study a topic or concept in a holistic approach instead of in a subject-based approach. PhBL includes both topical learning, where the phenomenon studied is a specific topic, event, or fact, and thematic learning, where the phenomenon studied is a concept or idea. PhBL emerged as a response to the idea that traditional, subject-based learning is outdated and removed from the real-world and does not offer the optimum approach to development of 21st century skills. It has been used in a wide variety of higher educational institutions and more recently in grade schools.
↑ Murnane, Richard J.; Levy, Frank (1996). Teaching the New Basic Skills: Principles for Educating Children to Thrive in a Changing Economy. New York: Free Press.
↑ Cassel, R.N.; Kolstad, R. (1998). "The critical job-skills requirements for the 21st century: Living and working with people". Journal of Instructional Psychology. 25 (3): 176–180.
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