A Paradigm Shift In Education

In many cases, technology advances so fast that we can hardly keep up with it. However, this does not apply to the new generations. They grow up with a bottle in one hand and a tablet in the other. The education system no longer serves them. So it is time for a paradigm shift in education.

It’s not that some sectors of society are more interested in change than others. Instead, our children and young people have provoked this change. The way they understand and relate to the world has changed.

An education system that does not advance fast enough with the virtual but very real world can be a waste of time for students. And they will never get that wasted time back.

What paradigm shift in education are we talking about?

The traditional linear education system is simply not good enough anymore. In the past few years we could already feel the changes coming. Yet we have not given shape to it. People blame teachers, parents and the children themselves. The number of students dropping out of school is very high. They are bored in class.

We’re not talking about minor tweaks or adding to the system that already exists. We are talking about sweeping changes at the institutional level. Changes in the way teachers share information and changes in how students receive it.

Not only that, we also need to change the values ​​we convey to students and the way students acquire certain skills. Those things were not a priority in the traditional education system. However, today’s youth will need these skills in their adult lives.

Linear education versus horizontal education

Our children today learn more on the Internet and with their friends than in the classroom. The teachers no longer have all the information. Information can now also be found on screens and applications.

Children know how to look for information when they are interested in something. So they don’t have to wait for someone else to tell them.

In the coming years we are likely to see some profound changes in the role teachers play. In today’s society, students need teachers to guide them, not teachers to share information they already have.

Linear education is based on the transmission of information completely separate from any emotional meaning. This form of education assumes that the child is ignorant and partly “unfinished” and that the teacher must complete it. It emphasizes the difference between teacher and student. There is no dialogue, no creativity. Learning is fleeting and the learner is relatively passive.

However, the new trends in horizontal education offer a student-driven experience in which he himself seeks knowledge. It states that the student is able to think critically and shows that learning by doing is crucial.

In this case, teachers should therefore focus more on competence than on content. In addition, the teacher must know how to solve learning situations.

Emotions and motivation

We now have evidence of something we’ve suspected for a long time. Positive emotions improve our memory and comprehension. In addition , however, they also support the ability to learn. Positive emotions are able to do this because they strengthen synaptic connections and neuronal network activity.

Neuroeducation is therefore a valuable tool that can help teachers to further develop the skills and talents of their students. That, in turn, will facilitate the learning process. When teachers understand how the brain works and how it relates to behavior and learning patterns, everyone wins.

It is also very positive for teachers themselves to know how the brain works, how they manage emotions and process information. The era in which lessons are prepared on the basis of textbooks is about to end.

Facing the challenges of a paradigm shift in education

There is a serious shortage of trained professionals to meet modern business needs. This is because our labor market has changed significantly. Our old education system is based on the industrial revolution and the labor needs of that system.

However, we can no longer raise our children that way, because the labor market needs people with different skills. Instead of being very good at one thing, companies need people who can be intelligently innovative.

Creativity, teamwork, conflict resolution, critical thinking, leadership skills and innovative ideas are things that companies are looking for. It is therefore important to study the right thing and be able to do many different things.

That is the only way to face the future. A paradigm shift in education is looming, can you feel it?