To develop successful members of the global society, education must be based on a framework of the Four C's: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creative thinking.
In the last 30 or so years, there has been a well-researched and -documented decline in "routine" work, with a simultaneous rapid increase in jobs requiring communication, analytic, collaborative and creative skills. To adequately prepare students to meet this demand, it's vital to focus on the intertwined 4 C's of 21st-century learning.
What are the 4 C's?
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is all about looking at problems in a new way and analysing the "how" and "why" of an issue. These types of thinking skills examples include the ability to compare evidence, evaluate claims and consider information to make sensible decisions.
We are required to sift through an almost incomprehensible amount of information around financial, health, civic, environmental and work every day - this skill allows you to link disciplines and skills to evaluate a situation at a greater depth and explore a greater range of solutions.
One example of how critical thinking is essential for everyday life is made clear by the ongoing debate about climate change. Critical thinking allows us to go beyond the information provided at face value and instead consider the source of the information, the medium of the information, who benefits from the claim, and so on. This analytical approach to this - and all - situations helps us get to the root of the issue and take rational action.
Creativity
This skill is experiencing a boom as technology opens up the ways in which we can be creative and demands that we exercise the skill. Creativity isn't limited to artistic endeavours, it's about innovation and invention, and is available to everyone. In the competitive 21st century, an innovative and creative approach is essential for personal and professional success. Critical and creative thinking skills are closely linked - after using critical skills to analyse a situation, creative thinking is applied to find an original approach.
