Key Factors Changing 21st Century Education Essay

Driving Change in Education and their Impact

The 21st Century is characterized by significant changes that have contributed to the emergence of an ever-evolving environment. The changes have been brought by rapid developments and advancements that have taken place in the recent past. One of the major ways in which these changes have contributed to rapid developments is through the emergence of the need for individuals to possess certain skills and competencies in order to success in the ever increasing global competitive environment. This has in turn created significant changes in the education system and content in order for people to develop this core set of skills. Generally, there are various factors that have contributed to change in today's education and had considerable impacts on teaching and learning in the 21st Century.

Key Factors of Change in Education

As previously mentioned, the 21st Century environment has increasingly been characterized by significant changes and development that continue to transform modern society. These changes and increased complexities have resulted in the emergence of new demands and challenges in the existing education system. For instance, the rapid changes in the 21st Century have generated a growing awareness of the need to change and enhance students' preparation in order to promote productive functioning in the ever-changing and increasingly demanding environment (Bar-Yam et. al., 2002). This has in turn contributed to the need for professionals in the education field to examine the complexity of the education system and its impact in effective preparation of students in light of the rapid changes and complexities of modern education. The changes that have transformed education in today's environment are attributed to factors that are external to the field of education itself. Actually, most of these key factors driving change in education are brought by the rapid technological advancements.

Some of the key factors driving change in education and resulting in significant transformation of education infrastructure and system include

Technology

One of the most significant factors that drive change in education in the 21st Century is the rapid technological developments. Technological developments have had far-reaching effects on the 21st Century society and environment, especially communication. Actually, technology has had tremendous impacts on how people communicate and share information in the modern society. The far-reaching effects of technology have also been evident in the field of education, particularly because of increased adoption of technology in the classroom or learning environment. Digital technology has developed to become an important element in the classroom environment that is used by both teachers and students in the learning process. The increased adoption of technology in the learning environment is fueled by its impact on modern communications and the need to enhance the learning process. Teachers have increasingly adopted digital technology in the learning process to enhance their teaching techniques by changing how students receive, process, and send academic information. According to the findings of a recent survey, many teachers stated that technology can be a useful educational tool (Richtel, 2012).

Globalization

The second key factor driving change in education in the 21st Century is globalization, which has been brought by rapid technological advancements. Generally, globalization is regarded as a complex phenomenon with significant and wide range effects on the society (Bakhtiari & Shajar, n.d.). The impact of globalization on education is attributed to the fact that it is viewed as an irresistible and benign force for producing economic prosperity to people throughout the globe. The other reason for the impact of globalization on education is the role of education as the essential and foundational driving force of social, economic, and human development. Globalization has contributed to change in education by creating an environment where people need to develop certain knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to contribute and benefit from globalization. In order for people to effectively integrate into the global economy, they require knowledge and tools that are demanded by the modern ever-growing and competitive society. This need has been created by globalization and resulted in evaluation and transformation of the existing education infrastructure and system. Globalization has increasingly transformed education through affecting economics, culture, and science. The impact of globalization on these factors has in turn acted as the main reason for social change and scientific progress.

Social Change

Social change is the third major force driving change in education and is largely attributed to the impact of technological developments and globalization on the society. The 21st Century is characterized by an environment where people are increasingly connected across the globe and technology continues to have significant impacts on the kind of work people engage in. Moreover, the rapid developments in the past few years have created a world where there is increased movement of workers between countries while young people are continuing to play a greater role in competition in the global economy. Therefore, technology and globalization generates social change in the working environment and in society, which in turn have huge implications for schools and education in general (Hallissy, 2013). Social change drives change in education by creating a growing need for education systems throughout the world to evaluate how teaching, learning, and assessment are organized. The evaluation of these important components in the education system is attributed to the need to enhance societal needs and demands in the 21st Century.

Impact on Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century

As evident in this analysis, the factors driving change in today's education have far-reaching effects on the society including education infrastructure and system. These effects are largely attributed to the need to ensure that people possess core set of skills that meet the demands and needs of the 21st Century environment. Moreover, the effect of these driving factors on teaching and learning is associated with the need to ensure that modern education effectively prepares students for life in the society in line with the ever-increasing changes. While some of the changes are positive, the impact of globalization, technology, and social change on teaching and learning in the 21st Century has been negative.

Technology has impacted teaching and learning by creating the need for education systems to capture the wide-ranging possibilities and opportunities for deep learning and offer and prepare students to deal with the amount and speed of information at their disposal ("Education for Today and Tomorrow," n.d.). Moreover, digital technology has created opportunities for people to engage in lifelong learning, which can be self-directed. Through flattening communication, distance, and space, technology has made it easier for people to learn without the need of being in a physical classroom. As a result, education systems across the globe are gradually moving away from over-dependence on teachers who prepare students for high-stakes exams and assessments. These systems have adopted an essentially different academic model that is centered on developing engaged connected global citizens who are life-long learners (Hallissy, 2013). The negative impact of technology on teaching and learning in the 21st Century is that it's hampering students' concentration spans and their ability to endure when facing challenging tasks.

The impact of globalization on teaching and learning in the 21st Century is that it enhanced the ability of people to acquire core set of skills that are demanded by today's knowledge society. This is primarily because globalization has increasingly created opportunities for people throughout the world to share knowledge, social values, technology, and behavioral norms that promote development at individual, organizational, and societal levels. In addition, countries that have benefited from technology have considerably invested in the education infrastructure and systems resulting in better equipped men and women with broad-based skills. This factor has also enhanced the availability of curricula and teaching through regional initiatives by lessening the need for expensive physical infrastructure while enhancing the need for more investments in communication facilities.

Social change has impacted teaching and learning in the 21st Century by promoting changes in educational goals, which in turn affects teaching strategies. Changes in educational goals have been brought by increased evaluation of existing education infrastructures and systems to meet 21st Century needs and demands. As a result, education systems have started focusing on creating innovators rather than acting as avenues for information acquisition. This has contributed to changes in curriculum and establishment of different core competencies for students to master such as critical thinking, problem solving, and agility (Swallow, 2012).

In conclusion, education in the 21st Century is largely different from education in the past centuries because of rapid changes that have characterized today's society. The major factors driving change in today's education include technology, globalization, and social change. These factors have created positive and negative effects on teaching and learning in the 21st Century by necessitating transformation of education infrastructure and systems.

References

Bar-Yam et. al. (2002). Changes in the Teaching and Learning Process in a Complex Education System. Retrieved from New England Complex Systems Institute website: http://www.necsi.edu/research/management/education/teachandlearn.html

Bakhtiari, S. & Shajar, H. (n.d.). Globalization and Education: Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.cluteinstitute.com/ojs/index.php/IBER/article/download/3461/3508

"Education for Today and Tomorrow." (n.d.). Change Learning Canada.…