Beyond the 4C’s: Framing Our Understanding of Future Skills in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Innovation is changing at a rapid pace and this pace is accelerating more and more. With AI, machine learning and technological tools increasingly integrated into society, new and interesting possibilities are emerging. But, on the other side of the coin, there is fear around the possible negative impacts of these tools, including mass unemployment and a decreasing need for human resources. It’s important that curricular goals are refocused and skills are updated to ensure they match the world of tomorrow. Dr Micah Shippee believes our current framework for essential education skills needs to be updated for the modern era of the Fourth industrial Revolution, in which the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems are transforming society. He sees a need for education to evolve to become more globally focused and culturally responsive. Shippee sees significant challenges facing education, including balancing technological advancement with human-centred learning. As education becomes increasingly dependent on technology, there is a risk of existing equalities being exacerbated unless equitable access to devices and the skills needed to use them effectively are ensured. There is also the difficulty of maintaining the human elements that make education transformative which is becoming increasingly challenging as AI becomes more sophisticated.