With the complex and ever-changing business and employment environments, learners are being prepared for jobs that may no longer exist, while others are not acquiring the skills needed for the in-demand jobs to which they aspire. Given the future of workplace demands, there are strong indications that non-degree certifications and…

Today's teenagers face a myriad of factors that impact their brains. From technology to trauma, the current brain of a teenager is physiologically altered by factors outside themselves. In order for today's educators to support their students, they require a foundational understanding of how technology and trauma impact the teen brain. Teenage…

Student learning outcomes, beyond the traditional, need to be crafted for the 21st-century learner. It is essential that each student develops a foundation of knowledge, but that is only the beginning. He or she must then have the opportunity to engage in learning that builds on that foundation. There must be enough time in the school day to allow…

Our current higher education institutional structures have become so ingrained that many of these structures have gone unquestioned for more than a century. While it is true that we have created, to a significant degree, new "functions" for higher education, many of our "structures" endure. Two major disruptors--the influence…

There are several definitions for the term "personal learning environment" (PLE); in this article, PLE refers to a group of web technologies, with various degrees of integration and interaction, that helps users and learners manage the flow of information that relates to the learning process, the creation of knowledge, and the…

Machines are eating humans' jobs talents. And it is not just about jobs that are repetitive and low skill. Automation, robotics, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) in recent times have shown they can do equal or sometimes even better work than humans who are dermatologists, insurance claims adjusters, lawyers, seismic testers in oil…

More than 15 years ago, Martorella (1997) asked what has now become a seminal question in the field of social studies and technology; that is, "Which way to the sleeping giant?" (p. 511). He suggested a number of roles that technology can play in the social studies classroom. Although these roles are certainly relevant in 2014, the roles…

In the two decades, since Staff and Educational Development Association was formed, educational development has become a mature and internationally recognised discipline, informed strongly by the scholarship of teaching. Writing about teaching, learning and assessment has helped to describe, distil, analyse and affect practice, and to change the…

Adult learning today takes place primarily within walled classrooms or in other indoor settings, and often in front of various types of digital screens. As adults have adopted the digital technologies and indoor lifestyle attributed to the so-called "Net Generation," we have become detached from contact with the natural world outdoors.…

Thanks to technology, the last 15 years have witnessed change on a scale unknown since the Industrial Revolution. Instant access to unlimited information--and the ability to share it with anyone, anywhere, anytime--has altered the world forever. On that, most educators agree. It's also where the consensus stops. Even as their students step into…

Students are coming to school with more and more exposure to digital tools, such as smartphones, tablets, and social networking apps (Rideout, Foehr, and Roberts 2010). Though teachers are trying to "catch up" with their students, many were not provided instruction in these skills during their preservice training, and technology is only one among…

Note-taking in lectures is often taken to be the distinguishing characteristic of learning at university. It is typically assumed that this is a commonsensical skill that students either have or will learn through trial and error. The data from a research project in one New Zealand university suggest that taking good notes is not a skill that…

Schools always have been charged with the task of producing good citizens--human beings with the necessary skills and knowledge to participate effectively as responsible members of society. In today's world of near-ubiquitous connectivity, in which ordinary people have almost instantaneous access to unlimited stores of information and the ability…

Technology has become an integral part of landscape of higher education. Students are coming to college with an arsenal of technological tools at their disposal. These tools are being used for informal, everyday communication as well as for formal learning in the classroom. At the same time, higher education is experiencing an increase in peer…

This article explores and discusses key conditions needed to develop skills for innovation. This article analyses five trends that can contribute to fostering the development of skills for innovation within and outside formal educational institutions. These key trends, identified through a literature review, are elements that foster learning and…