Exploring the Pedagogical Meaning and Implications of the 4Cs “Super Skills” for the 21st Century through Bruner’s 5E Lenses of Knowledge Construction to Improve Pedagogies of the New Learning Paradigm

Read full paper at:
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=54177#.VPAoeCzQrzE

Author(s)

Charles Kivunja

Affiliation(s)

School of Education, The University of New England, Armidale, Australia.

ABSTRACT

As economies increasingly globalize and digital technologies assume ubiquitous presence and functional utility in peoples’ lives outside educational contexts, there is an increasing realization among pedagogues that education designed to equip graduates of the Digital Economy requires the teaching of new skills rather than the traditional core subjects. This realization has led to the emergence of what is called the New Learning Paradigm which postulates that students now need to be taught the skills most in demand in the 21st century. Those skills are epitomized in what The Partnership for 21st Century Skills calls the Framework for 21st Century Skills. Keys among those skills are what The Partnership characterizes as the 4Cs super skills.. What are those skills? Why are they essential for successful learning, teaching, assessment, working and living in today’s Digital Economy? How do they align with the full set of 21^st century skills? What are the pedagogical implications of these 4Cs super skills? This paper answers these questions in four steps. Firstly, it articulates the 4Cs super skills. Secondly, it explains the “Rainbow” framework of the full set of essential 21^st century skills as conceptualized by The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills. Thirdly, it outlines Bruner’s 5E Instructional Model and explains how it provides an excellent lens through which to approach learning, teaching, assessment and curriculum development for the 4Cs super skills in Kivunja’s New Learning Paradigm.

KEYWORDS

New Learning Paradigm, Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, 4Cs Super Skills, Bruner’s 5E

Cite this paper

Kivunja, C. (2015) Exploring the Pedagogical Meaning and Implications of the 4Cs “Super Skills” for the 21^st Century through Bruner’s 5E Lenses of Knowledge Construction to Improve Pedagogies of the New Learning Paradigm. Creative Education, 6, 224-239. doi: 10.4236/ce.2015.62021. 

 

References

[1]	Adams, K. (2006). The Sources of Innovation and Creativity. A Paper Commissioned by the National Center on Education and the Economy for the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. Washington DC: National Center on Education and the Economy.
[2]	Amabile, T. M. (1998). How to Kill Creativity. Harvard Business Review, September-October 1998.
[3]	Anderson, L. W. (2003). Classroom Assessment: Enhancing the Quality of Teacher Decision Making. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[4]	Baird, J., & Stull, J. (1992). The Seven C’s of Communication. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
[5]	Bloom, B. H. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook 1: Cognitive Domain. New York: David Mackay Co.
[6]	Brady, L. (2006). Collaborative Learning in Action. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.
[7]	Brownell, M., Adams, A., Sinclair, P., Waldron, N., & Vanhover, S. (2006). Learning from Collaboration: The Role of Teacher Qualities. Exceptional Children, 72, 169-185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001440290607200203
[8]	Bruner, J. (1960). The Process of Education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[9]	Bruner, J. S. (1961). The Act of Discovery. Harvard Educational Review, 31, 21-32.
[10]	Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
[11]	Bruner, J. S. (1978). The Role of Dialogue in Language Acquisition. In A. Sinclair, R. J. Jarvelle, & W. J. M. Levelt (Eds.), The Child’s Concept of Language. New York: Springer-Verlag.
[12]	Bybee, R. W., Taylor, J. A., Gardner, A., Van Scotter, P., Powell, J. C., Westbrook, A., & Landes, N. (2006). The BSCS 5E Instructional Model: Origins, Effectiveness, and Applications. Colorado Springs BSCS. http://science.education.nih.gov/houseofreps.nsf/ b82d55fa138783c2852572c9004f5566/$FILE/Appendix%20D.pdf
[13]	Coulson, M. (2006). Developing Teachers’ Cognitive Clarity and Communication Style through an Inservice Training Program. Doctoral Dissertation, Newcastle, New South Wales: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle.
[14]	Cruickshank, D. R., & Kennedy, J. J. (1986). Teacher Clarity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 2, 43-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0742-051X(86)90004-1
[15]	De Bono, E. (1956). Six Thinking Hats. Cambridge: Little, Brown and Company.
[16]	De Bono, E. (1995). Serious Creativity. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 18, 12-18.
[17]	Deakin (2014). Critical Thinking. Deakin University, Vic. http://www.deakin.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/51222/ critical-thinking.pdf
[18]	Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2012). Strategies and Models for Teachers: Teaching Content and Thinking Skills (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
[19]	Entwistle, N. J. (2000). Promoting Deep Learning through Teaching and Assessment: Conceptual Frameworks and Educational Contexts. Proceedings of the Teaching and Learning Research Programm (TLRP) Conference, Leicester, 9-10 November 2000. http://www.tlrp.org/acadpub/Entwistle2000.pdf
[20]	Facione, P. A. (2011). Measured Reasons and Critical Thinking. Millbrae, CA: The California Academic Press.
[21]	Flewelling, G., & Higginson, W. (2002). A Handbook on Rich Learning Tasks: Realising a Vision of Tomorrow’s Classroom. Ontario: Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Queen’s University.
[22]	Fullan, M. (2000). Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform. London: The Falmer Press.
[23]	Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basics Books.
[24]	Gardner, H. (2000). Can Technology Exploit Our Many Ways of Knowing? In D. T. Gordon (Ed.), The Digital Classroom: How Technology Is Changing the Way We Teach and Learn (pp. 32-35). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Letter. http://www.msmc.la.edu/Include/learning_resources/ online_course_environment/blended_hybrid_teaching/exploit.pdf
[25]	Gates, B. (2005). What’s Wrong with US High Schools—And How We Can Make Them Better. Talk Presented at the National Summit on High Schools, Washington DC, February 26.
[26]	Gerald, R. (2015). The World beyond the Classroom: 21st Century Education, Technology and 4Cs. https://storify.com/RebeccaG27/4cs-in-education
[27]	Grovo, H. Q. (2015). Bite Size Is the Right Size: How Microlearning Shrinks the Skills Gap in Higher Education. New York: Grovo. www.trainingindustry.com/content-development/articles/ bite-size-is-the-right-size-how-microlearning-shrinks-the-skills-gap.aspx
[28]	Handsley, E. (2011). Good Practice Guide: Collaboration Skills-Threshold Learning Outcome 5—Promoting Excellence in Higher Education. Surry Hills, NSW: Australian Learning & Teaching Council.
[29]	IBSA (2009). The Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council of Australia; Developing Innovation Skills: A Guide for Trainers and Assessors to Foster the Innovation Skills of Learners through Professional Practice. East Melbourne, Victoria: Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Education.
[30]	Jobrack, B. (2013). The 5E Instructional Model: Engage Explore Explain Evaluate Extend. From Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. https://www.mnheonline.com/secondaryscience.pdf
[31]	Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. (2009). Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
[32]	Kagan, S. (1994). Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Resources for Teachers, Inc.
[33]	Kelly, F. S., McCain, T., & Jukes, I. (2009). Teaching the Digital Generation: No More Cookie-Cutter High Schools. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow Education.
[34]	Kift, S., Israel, M., & Field, R. (2010). Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project: Bachelor of Laws Learning & Teaching Academic Standards Statement December 2010, Australian Learning & Teaching Council. http://www.olt.gov.au/resources/good-practice?text=threshold%20 learning%20outcomes%20law
[35]	Killen, R. (2013). Effective Teaching Strategies: Lessons from Research and Practice (6th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
[36]	Kivunja, C. (2014a). Do You Want Your Students to Be Job-Ready with 21st Century Skills? Change Pedagogies: A Paradigm Shift from Vygotskyian Social Constructivism to Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Siemens’ Digital Connectivism. International Journal of Higher Education, 3, 81-91. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v3n3p81
[37]	Kivunja, C. (2014b). Innovative Pedagogies in Higher Education to Become Effective Teachers of 21st Century Skills: Unpacking the Learning and Innovations Skills Domain of the New Learning Paradigm. International Journal of Higher Education, 3, 37-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v3n4p37
[38]	Kivunja, C. (2015a). Redesigning the 3R’s and Core Academic Subjects to Improve Learning, Teaching and Assessment in the New Learning Paradigm. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, in Press.
[39]	Kivunja, C. (2015b). Teaching Students to Learn and to Work Well with 21st Century Skills: Unpacking the Career and Life Skills Domain of the New Learning Paradigm. International Journal of Higher Education, 4, 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v4n1p1
[40]	Kivunja, C. (2015c). Unpacking the Information, Media and Technology Skills Domain of the New Learning Paradigm. International Journal of Higher Education, 4, 166-181. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v4n1p166
[41]	Kivunja, C. (2015d). Teaching, Learning and Assessment: Steps towards Creative Practice. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. (In Press)
[42]	Kivunja, C., & Power, A. (2006). A New Dynamics Paradigm for Analyzing Structural and Cultural Dynamics in an Educational Organization. Proceedings of the AARE 2006 International Education Research Conference: Engaging Pedagogies, Adelaide, 26-30 November 2006. http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2006/kiv06144.pdf
[43]	Kompf, M., & Bond, R. (2001). Critical Reflection in Adult Education. In T. Barer-Stein, & M. Kompf (Eds.), The Craft of Teaching Adults (pp. 21-38). Toronto, ON: Irwin.
[44]	Kuhn, D. (2005). Education for Thinking. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[45]	Lin, K. C. (2014). Embracing 4Cs—“Super Skills” for the 21st Century. https://storify.com/clkoh/embracing-4c-s-super-skills-for-the-21st-century
[46]	Lippl, C. (2013). The Four Cs of 21st Century Skills. Zuluma Education Trends. http://zuluma.com/education-trends/four-cs-21st-century-skills/ #.VLEHY2SUdew
[47]	Lublin, J. (2003). Deep, Surface and Strategic Approaches to Learning. Belfield: Centre for Teaching and Learning, University College Dublin.
[48]	MCEETYA (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Melbourne: Curriculum Corporation, Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.
[49]	McNierney, D. (2004). Case Study: One Teacher’s Odyssey through Resistance and Fear. TechTrends, 48, 64-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02763533
[50]	Miller, S. (1990). Critical Thinking in Classroom Discussion of Texts: An Ethnographic Perspective. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA: ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED320886.
[51]	Muijs, D., & Reynolds, D. (2011). Effective Teaching: Evidence and Practice (3rd ed.). Los Angels, CA: Sage.
[52]	Mulnix, J. W. (2010). Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 44, 464-479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2010.00673.x
[53]	NCECT (2014). Defining Critical Thinking. http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/ the-national-council-for-excellence-in-critical-thinking/406
[54]	NETS (2007). Profiles for Technology (ICT) Literate Students, National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Excerpted from NETS for Students Booklet. http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/techresources/EETTLitCon/ NETS-s_2007_student_Profiles.pdf
[55]	P21 (2007). The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Skills Framework. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. http://www.youngspirit.org/docs/21stcentury.pdf
[56]	P21 (2008). Moving Education Forward. Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/p21_brochure_-final14.pdf
[57]	P21 (2009). P21 Framework Definitions. Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21).
[58]	P21 (2011). Framework for 21st Century Learning. Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). http://www.P21.org
[59]	P21 (2014). Learning for the 21st Century: A Report and MILE Guide for 21st Century Skills. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_Report.pdf
[60]	P21 (2015a). Our Mission. Washington, DC: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. http://www.p21.org/about-us/our-mission
[61]	P21 (2015b). Framework for 21st Century Learning. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework
[62]	P21 (2015c). We Are Taking Teaching and Learning Above & Beyond. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. www.p21.org/storage/documents/4csposter.pdf
[63]	P21 (2015d). Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework/57
[64]	Piaget, J. (1954). The Construction of Reality in the Child. New York: Basic Books. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/11168-000
[65]	Piascik, D. (2015). Preparing America’s Students for College and Career: Common Core Learning Standards. http://www.mspiascik.weebly.com/common-core-learning-standards.html
[66]	Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On The Horizon, 9, 3-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816
[67]	Randall, J. H. (1953). John Dewey, 1859-1952. The Journal of Philosophy, 50, 5-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2021535
[68]	Raphael, D. (2015). Collaborative Teaching Model. Baulkham Hills, NSW: William Clarke College.
[69]	Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). The Elaboration Theory: Guidance for Scope and Sequence Decisions. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory, Volume II. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
[70]	Saxena, S. (2015). How Do You Teach the 4Cs to Students (Part-1): Creativity and Innovation? Nioda Delhi NCR: Amity University. http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/ 914-how-do-you-teach-the-4Cs-to-students-part-1-creativity-and-innovation.
[71]	SBAC (2015). Preparing America’s Students for College & Career: The Common Core State Standards—A Commitment to Student Success. Washington, DC: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. http://www.svsd410.org/cms/lib05/WA01919490/ Centricity/Domain/31/Parent%20CCSS%20Presentation.pdf
[72]	Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up Digital: How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[73]	Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
[74]	University of Sydney (2014). Learning to Learn: Developing Critical Thinking Skills. Orientation Lecture Series, Sydney: University of Sydney. http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/documents/learning_centre/critical.pdf
[75]	Van-Gelder, T. (2001). How to Improve Critical Thinking Using Educational Technology. Melbourne: The University Melbourne, Department of Philosophy, 539-548.
[76]	Vygotsky, L. S. (1929). The Problem of the Cultural Development of the Child. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 36, 415-434.
[77]	Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[78]	Wood, D. J., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology, 17, 89-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x
[79]	Woolcock, M. (1998). Social Capital and Economic Development: Towards a Theoretical Synthesis and Policy Framework. Theory and Society, 27, 151-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1006884930135
[80]	Woolcock, M. (2001). The Place of Social Capital in Understanding Social and Economic Outcomes. Paper Presented at the Contribution of Human and Social Capital to Sustained Economic Growth and Well-Being, Ottawa.
[81]	Wragg, E. C. (Ed). (1984). Classroom Teaching Skills. London: Croom Helm. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203325445            eww150227lx