CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Education

ED. 110 (Building & Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum)

Module 2: 21st Century Skills

Most Essential Learning Outcomes

After finishing this module, the students should have:

1. identified the categories of 21st century skills;
2. cited ways on how to enhance the 21st century skills of learners;
3. explained how 21st century skills can be integrated into the teaching-learning process;
4. cited implications of 21st century skills to educators and pre-service teacher
preparation;
5. drawn relevant life lessons and significant values from the personal experience in
attaining 21st Century Skills; and
6. analyzed research on 21st century skills and their implications on the teaching-learning
process.

The 21st Century Skills

The 21st Century skills refer to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and
character traits that are deemed necessary in coping with today’s world and future careers and
workplaces.
The 21st Century skills may include the following: (1) critical thinking, problem-
solving, reasoning, analysis, interpretation, synthesizing information; (2) research skills and
practices, interrogative questioning; (3) creativity, artistry, curiosity, imagination, innovation,
personal expression; (4) perseverance, self-direction, planning, self-discipline, adaptability,
initiative; (5) oral and written communication, public speaking and presenting; listening; (6)
leadership, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, facility in using virtual workspaces; (7)
information and communication technology (ICT) literacy; media and Internet literacy; data
interpretation and analysis, computer programming; (8) civic, ethical, and social justice
literacy; (9) economic and financial literacy, entrepreneurialism; (10) global awareness,
multicultural literacy, humanitarianism; (11) scientific literacy and reasoning, the scientific
method; (12) environmental and conservation literacy, ecosystem understanding; and (13)
health and wellness literacy, including nutrition, diet, exercises, and public health and safety.

Learning and Innovation Skills

These are the primary skills orchestrated in the 21 st Century. They are attributes that
differentiate students who are prepared for complex life and work environments from those
who are not.

A. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. These may include effectively analyzing and
evaluating evidence, arguments, claims, and beliefs; and solving different kinds of non-
familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways.
Skill Sub-skills
1. Work together Establish clear definitions and agreements on the roles of partners
 effectively in a team in the collaborative process.
Keep communication open within teams to carry out tasks.
Carefully identify obstacles and address problems cooperatively.

Skill Sub-skills
2. Reason effectively Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as
appropriate to the situation.
Use systems thinking.
Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce
overall outcomes in complex systems.

Skill Sub-skills
3. Make judgments Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims, and
and decisions beliefs.
Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view.
Synthesize and make connections between information and
arguments.
Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best
analysis.
Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes.

Skill Sub-skills
4. Solve problems Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both
conventional and innovative ways.
Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of
view and lead to better solutions.

B. Communication. This pertains to articulating thoughts and ideas effectively using oral and
written communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.

Skill Sub-skills
1. Communicate Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and
clearly nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and
contexts.
Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge,
values, attitudes, and intentions.
Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g., to inform,
instruct, motivate, and persuade.
Use multiple media and technologies, and judge their
effectiveness a priori, as well as assess their impact.
Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including
multi-lingual).
Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and
communicate information.
Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS,
etc.), communication/networking tools, and social networks
appropriately to access information.
Exercise flexibility and willingness in making necessary
compromises to accomplish a common goal.
 Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value
the individual contributions made by each team member

C. Collaboration. It entails demonstrating an ability to work effectively and respectfully with

diverse teams.

Skill Sub-skills
1. Work together Establish clear definitions and agreements on the roles of partners
effectively in a team in the collaborative process.
Keep communication open within teams to carry out tasks.
Carefully identify obstacles and address problems cooperatively.

D. Creativity and Innovation. It denotes the use of a wide range of idea creation techniques to
create new and worthwhile ideas.

Skill Sub-skills
1. Think creatively Use a wide range of idea creation techniques, such as
brainstorming.
Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical
concepts).
Elaborate, refine, analyze, and evaluate their ideas to improve and
maximize creative efforts.

Skill Sub-skills
2. Work creatively Develop, implement, and communicate new ideas to others
with others effectively.
Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives;
incorporate group input and feedback into the work.
Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand
the real-world limits to adopting new ideas.
View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity
and innovation is a long-term, cyclical process of small successes
and frequent mistakes.

Skill Sub-skills
3. Implement Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to
innovations the field in which the innovation will occur.

Information, Media, and Technology Skills

People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-saturated environment

marked by the following: (1) access to an abundance of information; (2) rapid changes in
technology tools; and (3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an
unprecedented scale.

A. Information Literacy. It refers to accessing and evaluating information critically and

competently and managing the flow of information from a wide variety of sources.
Skill Sub-skills
1. Access and evaluate Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
 information Evaluate information critically and competently

Skill Sub-skills
2. Use and manage Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem
information at hand
Manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources
Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues
surrounding the access and use of information

B. Media Literacy. It underscores understanding both how and why media messages are
constructed, creating media products by understanding and utilizing the most appropriate
media creation tools, characteristics and conventions.

Skill Sub-skills
1. Analyze media Understand both how and why media messages are constructed
and for what purpose
Examine how individuals interpret messages differently, how
values and points of view are included or excluded, and how
media can influence beliefs and behaviors
Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues
surrounding the access and use of media

Skill Sub-skills
2. Create media Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools
products characteristics and conventions
Understand and effectively utilize the most appropriate
expressions and interpretations in diverse, multi-cultural
environments

C. Technology Literacy. It pertains to the use of technology as a tool to research, organize,

evaluate, and communicate information.

Skill Sub-skills
1. Apply technology Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and
effectively communicate information
Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS,
etc.), communication/networking tools and social networks
appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create
information to successfully function in a knowledge economy
Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues
surrounding the access and use of media

D. Life and Career Skills. Today’s life and work environments both require more than
thinking skills and content knowledge. Cultivating the ability to navigate the complex life
requires students to develop the following life and career skills: (1) flexibility and
adaptability; (2) initiative and self-direction; (3) social and cross-cultural skills; (4)
productivity and accountability; and (5) leadership and responsibility.
Flexibility and Adaptability
 Skill Sub-skills
1. Adapt to change Adapt to varied roles, job responsibilities, schedules, and contexts
Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities

Skill Sub-skills
2. Be flexible Incorporate feedback effectively
Deal positively with praise, setbacks, and criticism
Understand, negotiate, and balance diverse views and beliefs to
reach workable solutions, particularly in multi-cultural
environments

Initiative and Self-Direction

Skill Sub-skills
1. Manage goals and Set goals with tangible and intangible success criteria
time Balance tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-term) goals
Utilize time and manage workload efficiently

Skill Sub-skills
2. Work Monitor, define, prioritize, and complete tasks without direct
independently oversight

Skill Sub-skills
3. Be a self-directed Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore
learner and expand one’s learning and opportunities to gain expertise
Demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels towards a
professional level
Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process
Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and
power

Skill Sub-skills
4. Be responsible to Act responsibly with the interest of the larger community in mind
others Consider others’ ideas and viewpoints
Look for other’s welfare and safety in all circumstances
Assist others in times of their downfalls and setbacks

Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

Skill Sub-skills
1. Interact effectively Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to speak
with others Conduct oneself in a respectable, professional manner

Skill Sub-skills
2. Work effectively in Respect cultural differences and work effectively with people
diverse teams from a range of social and cultural backgrounds
Respond open-mindedly to different ideas and values
Leverage social and cultural differences to create new ideas and
increase both innovation and quality of work
Productivity and Accountability

Skill Sub-skills
1. Manage projects Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and competing
pressures
Prioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the intended result

Skill Sub-skills
2. Produce results Demonstrate additional attributes associated with producing high-
quality products, including the abilities to:
- Work positively and ethically
- Manage time and projects effectively
- Multi-task
- Participate actively, as well as be reliable and punctual
- Present oneself professionally and with proper etiquette
- Collaborate and cooperate effectively with teams
- Respect and appreciate team diversity
- Be accountable for results

Leadership and Responsibility

Skill Sub-skills
1. Guide and lead Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and
others guide others toward a goal
Leverage the strengths of others to accomplish a common goal
Inspire others to reach their very best via example and selflessness
Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and
power

Skill Sub-skills
2. Be responsible to Act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in
others mind

Integrating 21st Century Skills in Teaching-Learning Process

The following elements are the critical systems to ensure student mastery of 21 st
Century skills: (1) 21st Century standards; (2) assessments; (3) curriculum and instruction; (4)
professional development; and (5) learning environments. These must be aligned to produce a
support system that produces 21st Century outcomes for today’s students.

1. 21st Century Standards

1.1. Focus on 21st Century skills, content knowledge, and expertise.
1.2. Build understanding across and among core subjects, as well as 21st Century
interdisciplinary themes.
1.3. Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge.
1.4. Engage students with the real-world data, tools, and experts they will encounter
in college, on the job, and in life; students learn best when actively engaged in
solving meaningful problems.
 1.5. Allow for multiple measures of mastery.

2. Assessment of 21st Century Skills

2.1. Supports a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing
along with effective formative and summative classroom assessments.
2.2. Emphasizes useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into
everyday learning.
2.3. Requires a balance of technology-enhanced, formative, and summative
assessments that measure student mastery of 21st Century skills.
2.4. Enables development of portfolios of student work that demonstrate mastery of
21st Century skills to educators and prospective employers.
2.5. Enables a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system’s
effectiveness in reaching high levels of student competency in 21st Century skills.

3. 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction

3.1. Teaches 21st Century skills discretely in the context of core subjects and 21st
Century interdisciplinary themes.
3.2. Focuses on providing opportunities for applying 21 st Century skills across content
areas and for a competency-based approach to learning.
3.3. Enables innovative learning methods that integrate the use of supportive
technologies, inquiry- and problem-based approaches, and higher-order thinking
skills.
3.4. Encourages the integration of community resources beyond school walls.

4. The 21st Century Professional Development

4.1. Highlights ways teachers can seize opportunities for integrating 21 st Century
skills, tools, and teaching strategies into their classroom practice and help them
identify what activities they can replace/de-emphasize.
4.2. Balances direct instruction with project-oriented teaching methods.
4.3. Illustrates how a deeper understanding of subject matter can enhance problem-
solving, critical thinking, and other 21st Century skills.
4.4. Enables 21st Century professional learning communities for teachers that model
the kinds of classroom learning that best promotes 21st Century skills for students.
4.5. Cultivates teachers’ ability to identify students’ particular learning styles,
intelligence, strengths, and weaknesses.
4.6. Helps teachers develop their abilities to use various strategies (such as formative
assessments) to reach diverse students and create environments that support
differentiated teaching and learning.
4.7. Supports the continuous evaluation of students’ 21st Century skills development.
4.8. Encourages knowledge sharing among communities of practitioners using face-
to-face, virtual and blended communications.
4.9. Uses a scalable and sustainable model of professional development.

5. The 21st Century Learning Environments

5.1. Create learning practices, human support, and physical environments that will
support the teaching and learning of 21st Century skill outcomes.
5.2. Support professional learning communities that enable educators to collaborate,
share best practices and integrate 21st Century skills into classroom practice.
5.3. Enable students to learn in relevant, real-world 21 st Century contexts (e.g.,
through project-based or other applied work).
 5.4. Allow equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies, and resources.
5.5. Provide 21st Century architectural and interior designs for a group, team, and
individual learning.
5.6. Support expanded community and international involvement in learning, both
face-to-face and online.

Implications to Educators

The advent of 21st Century skill enhancement among learners brings the following
implications to educators in:

1. successfully complementing technologies to content and pedagogy and developing to

the ability to creatively use technologies to meet specific learning needs;
2. aligning instruction with standards, particularly those that embody 21 st Century
knowledge and skills;
3. balancing direct instruction strategically with project-oriented teaching methods;
4. applying child and adolescent development knowledge to educator preparation and
education policy;
5. using a range of assessment strategies to evaluate student performance and
differentiate instruction (including but not limited to formative, portfolio-based,
curriculum-embedded, and summative);
6. participating actively in learning communities, tapping the expertise within a school
district through coaching, mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and team-teaching;
7. acting as mentors and peer coaches with fellow educators;
8. using a range of strategies (such as formative assessments) to reach diverse students
and to create environments that support differentiated teaching and learning;
9. pursuing continuous learning opportunities and embracing career-long learning as
professional ethics; and
10. establishing a conducive learning environment where learners can freely express
themselves and explore their potentials and capacities.

Implications to Pre-service Teacher Preparation

There is a need to understand the key elements of optimum curricula that will help
pre-service teachers develop the dispositions, habits of minds, and confidence to enable
students to develop 21st Century skills in a range of core academic subject areas. The
program’s curriculum will be most beneficial to pre-service teachers if it is designed to
produce a deep understanding and authentic application of 21 st Century skills in all subject
areas

Instructional Models. Instructional models are an important component of any teacher

preparation program. AACTE (2010) pointed out that the integration of innovative and
research-proven teaching strategies, modern learning technologies, and real-world resources
and context are all imperative in:

1. Integrating “teach for understanding” principles. When pre-service teachers can

prepare and present lessons that can develop students’ essential concepts and skills
with the integration of technologies, the latter can reciprocally demonstrate critical
thinking and problem-solving in class.
 2. Creating rich practice teaching experiences. Strong practice teaching experiences
allow pre-service teachers to connect theory and practice.
3. Creating dynamic learning communities and peer mentoring networks. Pre-service
teachers benefit greatly from service-learning as part of their experiential learning
courses It provides time to reflect on relevant pedagogic strategies that enhance 21 st
Century skills in classroom practice.
4. Examining the role of content, pedagogy, and technologies in developing higher-
order thinking skills. The ability to teach for content mastery is a challenging task for
most pre-service teachers. Teaching for content mastery (1) supports a range of high-
quality standardized testing along with formative and summative assessments; (2)
emphasizes useful feedback on student performance; (3) requires balanced
technology-enhanced, formative and summative assessments; (4) enables the
development of student portfolios that demonstrate mastery of 21 st Century
knowledge and skills; and (5) enables a balanced scorecard to assess the educational
system’s effectiveness.

Learning Environments. The following are initiatives in creating 21st Century teacher
education learning environment: (1) Establish a 21st Century vision for learning
environments in the program and the university; (2)Ensure that the physical infrastructure
supports 21st Century knowledge and skills; (3) Practice flexibility in time for project-
based work and competency-based assessment; (4) Ensure technical infrastructure that
sufficiently supports learning; and (5) Strengthen networking engagement in the learning
environment.

Partnerships. The partnership forge with community leaders, business industry,

professional associations, government agencies, non-government organizations, other
institutions, parents, other stakeholders, and the community creates high impact
outcomes.

Continuous Improvement. Continuous improvement represents the willingness to commit

to revisiting the process over time. For AACTE (2010), any implementation effort should
include continuous improvement steps to wit: (1) identify measurable goals; (2) track
progress regularly against these goals; (3) communicate progress to all stakeholders; and
(4) engage all participants in refining and improving success over time.

Guide Questions for Discussion

1. Describe the categories of 21st Century skills.
2. How can the attainment of 21st Century skills contribute to the realization of
educational goals?
3. How can you prepare, plan, and deliver a lesson with an end goal of attaining the 21 st
Century skills?
4. How can you integrate 21st Century skills in the teaching-learning process?
5. What activities can help learners enhance their 21st Century skills?

Suggested Reading
To have a deeper understanding of 21st Century education, you may read Defining a
21st Century Education by Jerald (2009).
Assessment Task: Essay
Please refer to Assignment #2
References:

1. Alata, E.J. & Ignacio, E.J. (2019). Building and enhancing new literacies across the
curriculum. Rex Bookstore.
2. Ball, A., Joyce, H., & Anderson-Butcher, D. (2016). Exploring 21st century skills and
learning environments for middle school youth. International Journal of School Social
Work, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.4148/2161-4148.1012
3. De Leon, E. (2020). Building and enhancing new literacies across the curriculum.
LoriMar Publishing.
4. Jerald, C. (2009). Defining a 21st century education. Technical report for the Center for
Public Education. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
doi=10.1.1.460.8011&rep=rep1&type=pdf