It is a learning methodology in which learners are presented with a real-life problem or issue and then are asked to examine, research, and identify its main components. In a collaborative setting, through discussions, the exchange of ideas and research, learners develop a set of questions that have to be answered in order to solve the problem or issue.
Published in Chapter:
Educating the Future Workforce: Bridging the Gap Between Learners' Needs and Skills in Need
Sofia Mysirlaki (Doukas School, Greece & University of Piraeus, Greece) and Fotini Paraskeva (University of Piraeus, Greece)
Copyright: © 2018
|Pages: 20
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-3053-4.ch005
Abstract
The future workforce is a generation that was brought up in a technology immersed world, participating in communities, such as social networks and MMOGs and learning via e-learning platforms. These experiences have enabled them with a numerous set of needs and skills. Hard skills, such as computational thinking and problem solving, are thought to be crucial for the future labor marker, highlighting the importance of STEM education. Moreover, soft skills, such as collaboration and leadership, are considered to be essential for a person's both career and well-being. These skills and needs of today's learners can be utilized in order to engage students in technology based learning environments that meet students' needs and develop the needed skills for the future. However, education is often subject-oriented and focuses on the development of hard skills rather than soft skills. This chapter highlights the importance of these skills and provides a framework, based on Challenge-Based Learning and Activity Theory, for designing educational experiences for developing hard and soft skills.