Society

Technology has been the great facilitator for our time. As it advances, we continue to find new and innovative ways to integrate technology into our lives, and the education process is no exception. But while for years we may have been asking ourselves just how tech will come to enable better learning outcomes for our students, 2020 brought unprecedented acceleration, plunging educators into the deep end with entirely new, digital classroom environments. So now, as we embark on a new school year, and are largely back in physical spaces together, we can reflect on the frustrations, the problems, and the advantages of 2020, to establish the potential value of technology in education and determine what elements of the experience are worth bringing with us to the ‘back to normal’.

As we continue to develop the ways technology can assist the education process, moving teaching online to digital classroom environments is now a possibility. And in 2020, COVID-19 restrictions took us straight there. Now, whether as a way to fill our existing local classrooms with students spread far and wide, or to open ourselves up to entirely remote ways of teaching, digital classrooms are likely here to stay in some form, but can we ensure all students are set up to thrive within this new way of learning? In classrooms that are, virtually, big enough for everyone, are there students for whom  digital classrooms aren’t such a good fit?

Following a University of Melbourne survey into the struggles teachers faced when COVID-19 restrictions moved lessons online, one teacher remarked that the strains felt could be a real growth opportunity for Australian educators.

When considering that the average age of a teacher in Australia is 42 years old, it’s quite remarkable to reflect on and contrast the world in which they went to school, to the world their students inhabit today. As we entered 2020, teachers prepared lesson plans for coding, and were divided on how to address the influx of tablets and mobile phones into classrooms. In comparison, historians maintain that in 1980s Australia, the debate focussed on the possible health risks associated with calculators, and rather than learning to write code, students concentrated on securing their pen license.

In the article Transforming schools for a whole new world Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s Dr Marian Mahat suggested the COVID-19 pandemic offers a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to transform schools, moving towards an education system that is purpose built for the development of adaptable 21st century skills. Here, we find out how.

In this opinion piece, Senior Research Fellow Dr Marian Mahat at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE), considers what Australia’s education system needs to do to respond to the realities of a new post-pandemic world.

There are many qualities that define good leadership in typical times. These can vary from consistency in identifying, assessing and overcoming challenges, to interpersonal excellence and the ability to inspire. But there are some traits which hold particular relevance in times of uncertainty, when information is fractured and the time for decision making is shortened. In these circumstances ‘normal’ ways of working are compromised and these latter leadership skills become imperative in the workplace.

Innovation in the context of the fourth industrial revolution has become about more than ideation and invention – it’s really to do with adding unique value quicker and more frequently than the competition.

In the post-truth world, where society and social media in particular are awash with fake news, false rumours and out-of-context conversations, public opinion is increasingly shaped more by emotion and personal belief than objective fact. So how worried should brands and businesses be about the influence of this trend on their industries and operations? And what role does authenticity play in mitigating and managing both the threat and the fallout?

As careers and ways of working adapt to our social and economic needs, new ways of accessing and experiencing learning are also evolving. From microcredentials and degrees, to podcasts and TED talks, the diversification of education has made it easier for professionals to find what suits their needs best. Extra knowledge, deeper understanding and adaptable abilities can all help enhance professional resilience in the face of rapid change. But where to start when deciding on the most appropriate options for acquiring new and deepening skills and knowledge?

In the new normal, the virtual world has joined the real one. As we move our work lives online, it’s time to reimagine the way we interact to ensure positive workplace culture and productivity.

In the past decade, we have seen an unprecedented acceleration in our willingness to consider new ways of living and working. Technology continues to expand our horizons, sparking our inherent human ambition to craft our own careers. New generations are pivoting towards a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ approach to professional pursuits because of the thrill of flexibility, dynamism, and opportunity it provides.

The 100-year life has been steadily approaching for some time. Due to scientific advances, such as tackling infant mortality, cardiovascular disease and the reduction of smoking rates, around half of those aged 20 today are expected to live to 100 (Deloitte, 2018).

In this opinion piece Head of School for MSPACE, Simon Bell, at the University of Melbourne, reflects on the true value of extending education and how new ways to acquire new skills are unlocking payoffs both professional and personal.

The value of lifelong learning and upskilling has been amplified through a rapid change in macro forces such as technological breakthroughs, urbanisation, resource scarcity and climate change. As a result, the main question for many people is no longer should they undertake further education, but what the focus of their studies should be.

As recent events have shown, to most, diversity matters. But can it really contribute to the bottom line of a business and its operational strength, as well as to long overdue shifts in how we learn from and engage with one another? In short, yes.

Associate Professor in Organisational Studies, Management and Marketing Susan Ainsworth, Associate Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of The Policy Lab, Leah Ruppanner, and Dr Andi Pekarek, Lecturer in Human Resource Management (HRM) in the Department of Management and Marketing, share their expertise to help us understand where the world of work is heading and what needs to happen to ensure it benefits everyone.

Remote working was already on the rise in the pre-pandemic landscape. But with social distancing forcing the hand of management across the board, it has become THE ways-of-working trend of 2020, and appears to be well on the way to greater mainstream penetration for the foreseeable future.

Even if widespread recovery from COVID-19 exceeds expectations, reference to ‘pre-’ and ‘post-’ pandemic ways-of-working is becoming part of the vernacular of our industries and the organisations that make them up.

In this opinion piece, Associate Professor Kate Tregloan, Director of the Built Environments Learning + Teaching (BEL+T) group in the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, considers the value of design thinking in these topsy-turvy times and beyond.

The ethical judgement of a business has always been important in guiding its approaches and shaping the perceptions of the people who engage with it, be that employees, customers or communities. However, in recent times, ethics has been pushed to the forefront of corporate and communications strategies to combat the rise of cancel or call-out culture.

There’s no denying that strong soft skills are increasingly attractive to employers looking to support more technical operations with more humanistic qualities.  But as well as being highly transferable and adaptable across industries digitally and socially transforming, can these types of skills actually improve individual productivity and with that career trajectory?

Dr Jeanne Marie Iorio and Dr Jayson Cooper of the University of Melbourne share why we need to re-think early childhood teaching in Australia to foreground and value Indigenous Worldviews – both for the benefit of all children and as a responsibility of living in contemporary Australia. (Dr Jeanne Marie Iorio and Dr Jayson Cooper are both non-Indigenous scholars).

Sometimes businesses evolve due to desire – to diversify, to improve or to innovate in search of success or greater levels of it – other times through necessity – when the forces of consumption or competition, supply or demand make change essential, to prosper or survive.  The velocity of technological change society is experiencing has already deemed foresight and flexibility core capabilities for the modern organisation, who need to be willing and able to apply both in preparing for what they suspect will be next.But what about their response when caught unsuspecting and unawares by the speed, scale or severity of a challenge?  Are they ready or could they never have been, not enough anyway?

In this opinion piece, Dr Victor Sojo of the University of Melbourne’s renowned Centre for Workplace Leadership within the Faculty of Business and Economics explores how and why business leaders should be fostering empathetic thinking and related soft skills in the name of growing and managing a diverse team for business success.

In the past there were those people, teams, functions and companies that were dependent on creativity and those that were based on knowledge.  The age old tussle between art and science.  In the modern world, art and science must co-exist. By bringing the two together, businesses can offer a competitive advantage.

In today’s rapidly evolving modern world, an ability to define, develop and deploy fresh, flexible thinking and doing is perhaps more important than ever. With technological advancement and automation at play, we strive to maintain our own sense of self and wellbeing on one hand and enhance relevance through resourcefulness on the other.Hence, the positive effects of creativity for individuals and industries, plus the nature of the relationship between its presence in and out of work, have received growing interest in recent years. It seems the more we understand its inherent problem-solving and psychological benefits, the more we can move to harness these across the board to build creative capability.

One of the biggest issues facing developed nations in the 21st century is the dramatic shift in demographics to an ageing population. The Australian Treasury’s 2015 Intergenerational Report confirmed that if projections are correct, the number of Australians aged 65 and over will close to double by the middle of the century. What implications does this have for the workforce, and how can businesses respond?

Choosing the right university and course is important. The University of Melbourne offers a wide range of community services courses, with unique opportunities to progress your career.

What's in and what's out for the future of teaching and training.

Positive psychology in schools is exploring how best to apply the science of wellbeing in key learning environments - helping students develop skills for life.

The cost of going to university can be a real obstacle. For some it’s simply a matter of lacking family resources to fund their studies, while for others the worry of getting into debt is a disincentive to enrol in the first instance.

Tech giants like Google and Facebook are increasingly coming under scrutiny from competition authorities and governments around the world. From Europe to the US, there are investigations looking into the impact of digital platforms and the possible use and effects of market power.