Dr Linda Darling Hammond”s speech, “New Learning for a Rapidly Changing World”, sheds light on the evolving landscape of education in the face of rapid societal and technological changes. She is the Founder of the Stanford Centre for Opportunity Policy in Education and presently the President at Learning Policy Institute. She stresses the necessity for education to adapt and evolve in response to globalisation, technological advancements and shifting societal norms.

She highlights the fact that the expectations for learning are changing and so is the demand for skills. From traditional subjects like writing, arithmetic and reading in the 1970’s to teamwork, problem solving and interpersonal skills in 1999.

She quotes , “2/3 of today’s young people will enter jobs that don’t exist using technologies that aren’t invented to solve complex problems we have not solved. This is the challenge we have today”. Implying that as the nature of work changes so should the nature of knowledge.

Advocating for a learner-centered approach to education, she underscores the importance of catering to Individual student needs, interests, learning styles, rather than one size fits all for the society to succeed. This reflects a commitment to personalised learning and the recognition of individuals as active agents in their own education. She also advocates equity and inclusion in education, urging systemic reforms in teaching, curriculum, assessment systems and pedagogical systems.

Knowledge is growing at an exponential rate. What is important is one’s learning ability.

Dr linda stresses the need for schools that can move away from traditional learning methodologies, throwing out multiple choice, standardized tests to a new age learning where they teach kids to investigate, inquire, discover, using knowledge in new ways.

Her speech is substantiative in its exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing education in a rapidly changing world. By offering insights grounded in research and practical experiences she provides a compelling vision for the future of learning that is inclusive, learner-centered, and responsive to the needs of a diverse and dynamic society.

Sources

https://youtu.be/f14g0OG4mz0?si=A_PpSdE5TN23SZj1