|
Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills
For this project, an ad hoc committee will conduct a synthesis study to define the set of key skills that are referenced by the labels “deeper learning,” “21st century skills,” and “college and career readiness.” These labels are typically used to include skills like critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, and learning to learn that can be demonstrated within core academic content areas and that are important to success in education, work, and other areas of adult responsibility. The committee will review and synthesize current research on the nature of deeper learning and will address the following:
1. Describe how these skills relate to each other and to more traditional academic skills and content in the key disciplines of reading, mathematics, and science.
2. Summarize the findings of the research that investigates the importance of such skills to success in education, work, and other areas of adult responsibility and that demonstrates the importance of developing these skills in K-16 education.
3. Summarize what is known - and what research is needed - about how these skills can be learned, taught, and assessed. This summary should include both the cognitive foundations of these skills in learning theory and research about effective approaches to teaching and learning these skills.
4. Identify features of educational interventions that research suggests could be used as indicators that an intervention is likely to develop the key skills in a substantial and meaningful way. In particular, identify features related to deeper learning for educational interventions in a) teacher professional development, b) curriculum, and c) assessment.
The conclusions and recommendations of the report would provide a common foundation for further research and policy work that seeks to improve the way these skills are developed in K-16 education. The primary messages from the report would be distilled into a short report brief that could be broadly disseminated.
Membership
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
James W. Pellegrino (chair), University of Illinois at Chicago
Greg J. Duncan, University of California, Irvine
Joan L. Herman, University of California, Los Angeles
Margaret A. Honey, New York Hall of Science, NY
Patrick C. Kyllonen, Educational Testing Service, NJ
Henry M. Levin, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY
Christine Massey, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Richard E. Mayer, University of California, Santa Barbara
C. Kent McGuire, Southern Education Foundation, GA
P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley
Edward A. Silver, University of Michigan, MI
Meetings
First Committee Meeting
March 26-27, 2011
NAS Keck Center, Washington, DC
Second Committee Meeting
June 16-17, 2011
NAS Beckman Center, Irvine, CA
Third Committee Meeting
September 13-14, 2011
NAS Keck Center, Washington, DC
|
