21st century trends in education: implications for learning and teaching in higher education

In the 21st century, challenges and demands are expanding and changing faster than ever before. Our environment is one of rapid communications, exposing huge potentials for increasing knowledge. How can higher education institutes prepare their students for the 21st century? Educators should recognize the need for approaches to learning and teaching in a rapidly changing society and, at the same time, be prepared to respond to a much more diverse student population. Some of the most significant influences in the world today are the changes to how we live and work which are brought about by technology, globalization and multinationalism. The nature of work is significantly changed by these trends. More people than ever before are working in service and information based sectors, having to manage both knowledge and technology. The divide between those who are benefiting from the change and those who are not, is growing and it will continue to do so. Inevitably, this environment marginalizes those who are unable to keep up. The capacity to manage, process and interpret information are as important as the 'three Rs' were for people educated in the 1950s (Luke, 2000). How well equipped are colleges and universities to develop this range of knowledge? Indeed, 'knowledge' is forecasted to be the economic 'currency' in global trends. Institutions of higher education are charged with the responsibility of transmitting 'knowledge'. At present, this generally involves the transfer of information from the lecturer to the students, using specified events such as lectures, assignments, examinations, etc. How efficient are these methods, which have remained unchallenged for the last century or so? Added to this, institutions have the responsibility of coping, not only with an increased diversity of student population, but also with a generation of students, known as the 'net generation', who are already accustomed to technology. If colleges and universities do not open themselves to ways of organizing teaching and learning, more flexible and progressive institutions overtake them. Such institutions are able to foster learning at any time and from any place. Peters (2000) and Evans and Nation (2000) commented: "to remain static in the changed and changing higher education circumstance is to court disaster or, at least, gradual decay".