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OUMH1603 Learning Skills For 21st Century - Capr20 PDF
OUMH1603 Learning Skills For 21st Century - Capr20 PDF
INTRODUCTION
OUMH1603 Learning Skills for 21st Century is one of the courses offered at
Open University Malaysia (OUM). This course is worth 3 credit hours and
should be covered over 8 to 15 weeks.
COURSE AUDIENCE
This course is offered to all students undertaking any programme with OUM.
As an open and distance learner, you should be able to learn independently and
optimise the learning modes and environment available to you. Before you begin
this course, please confirm the course material, the course requirements and how
the course is conducted.
STUDY SCHEDULE
It is a standard OUM practice that learners accumulate 40 study hours for every
credit hour. As such, for a three-credit hour course, you are expected to spend
120 study hours. Table 1 gives an estimation of how the 120 study hours could be
accumulated.
Study
Study Activities
Hours
Briefly go through the course content and participate in initial discussions 5
Study the module 60
Attend 3 tutorial sessions 9
Online participation 14
Revision 15
Assignment(s) and Examination(s) 20
TOTAL STUDY HOURS ACCUMULATED 120
COURSE SYNOPSIS
This course is divided into ten topics. The synopsis for each topic is listed as
follows:
Topic 1 discusses the skills expected for 21st century, roles of 21st century
learner, their learning environment and characteristics that make learners a 21st
century learner.
Topic 2 provides tips and strategies that will help learners write better essays in
assignments and examinations. In this topic, learners will be guided on how they
can apply their critical thinking, creative, communication and collaborative skills
in completing the assignment and preparing for examinations.
Topic 3 introduces the definition of numeracy skills and discuss the importance
of numeracy in todayÊs world. Besides, the relationship between numeracy and
mathematics will also be discussed in this topic. Learners will be introduced to
the term innumeracy and exposed to the three fundamental aspects of numeracy;
mathematical reasoning, problem solving and decision making. Learners will
learn to discover the numeracy continuum and discuss some ideas on everyday
life practices on numeracy.
Topic 4 begins with the description of the meaning of digital literacy and how
learners may develop their digital proficiency. In addition, the topic provides
proficiencies in digital literacy. Furthermore, learners are expected to adopt and
apply all the best practices and expectations highlighted in each of the
proficiencies.
Topic 6 starts with the definition of critical thinking, followed by explaining how
critical thinking skills can be improved. Besides, in this topic, learners will also be
exposed to the skills of critical thinking as well as the knowledge to distinguish
between deductive and inductive reasoning. Through this topic also, learners
will be able to classify the ways to assess critical thinking skills.
Topic 7 assists learners to gain communication skills and also how to become an
effective communicator. Learners will learn the essence and barriers of effective
communication.
Topic 9 discusses on Global Citizenship Education and its importance in the 21st
century. Next, this topic will focus on the roles of the state in globalisation.
International conflicts in the post-Cold War era will also be explained. Gender
equality in the 21st century from the political and economic aspects will mark the
end of this topic that relate to themes of the Global Citizenship Education.
Topic 10 begins by discovering the environment, its benefits and the importance
of conserving it. Moreover, in this topic, learners will learn about the concepts of
„green‰ and „green technology‰ which are needed in order to make informed
decisions. In addition, learners will have the opportunity to explore the concept
of sustainability and the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Learning Outcomes: This section refers to what you should achieve after you
have completely covered a topic. As you go through each topic, you should
frequently refer to these learning outcomes. By doing this, you can continuously
gauge your understanding of the topic.
Summary: You will find this component at the end of each topic. This component
helps you to recap the whole topic. By going through the summary, you should
be able to gauge your knowledge retention level. Should you find points in the
summary that you do not fully understand, it would be a good idea for you to
revisit the details in the module.
Key Terms: This component can be found at the end of each topic. You should go
through this component to remind yourself of important terms or jargon used
throughout the module. Should you find terms here that you are not able to
explain, you should look for the terms in the module.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
This is an introductory course. There is no prior knowledge needed.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Please refer to myINSPIRE.
REFERENCES
Cabral, L. (2006). Twenty-first century skills for students: Hands-on learning
after school builds school and life success. New Directions for Youth
Development, 2006(110), 155ă161.
de Bono, E. (1994). Teach your child how to think: Help them survive and thrive.
London: Penguin Book.
Dietrich, A. (2015). How creativity happens in the brain. (1st ed.). UK: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Eunson, Baden. (2016). Communicating in the 21st century. Qld, Australian: John
Wiley & Sons.
Rachel, S., & Graham, G. (2013). Teaching adult numeracy: Principles and
practice. Maidenhead, Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Explain the skills required by the 21st century learner;
2. List down the roles of a 21st century learner;
3. Describe the 21st century learning environment; and
4. Identify your characteristics as a 21st Century Learner.
INTRODUCTION
Do you know that you are living in the 21st century in accordance to the Gregorian
calendar? It started on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. So what
is the big deal about this century? It is in this era that digital revolution is
continuously taking place with instantaneous and infinite ways of using the
Internet. The Internet access is expanding widely. The majority of people in the
developed world have access to the Internet. A large number of the worldÊs
population owns mobile phones. With the surge of smart phones getting more
affordable, there are emerging trends in social media networking. I am sure you
have at least used WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, Pinterest
and/or YouTube, which are among the popular social media apps for modern
digital communication.
The advancement of technology has impacted our lives. The world is increasingly
living in a globalised society through the digital social networking. There is an
accelerating change in economy and technology in the society we live in.
Technology has penetrated our work place, learning institutions, social circles,
and in many varied ways. As such, government, educators and major employers
realise this and have identified key skills that are needed by learners for meeting
the demands of the changing workplace and society.
It is necessary that we equip ourselves with the right skills that will eventually help
us in meeting the demands of the 21st century. In the following subtopics of this
topic we will discuss the skills expected for 21st century, roles of 21st century
learners, their learning environment and characteristics that make you a 21st century
learner.
In the past, teachers presented information and learners absorbed the information
as part of their knowledge. Today, such practice will not be viable for learners in
the digital era. So, what should todayÊs learners do? Learners must take active role
in creating their knowledge and learning experiences. Technology has influenced
the way we learn, acquire information, think and interconnect. As a learner, you
are expected to have competencies in how to acquire, integrate and use the new
knowledge for solving problems and be able to apply the new knowledge in
different contexts. In a nutshell, you must have 21st century learning skills.
What are the 21st century learning skills? 21st century skills comprise skills,
abilities and qualities to be successful in 21st century society and workplaces.
Many of these skills are also associated with higher order thinking skills, which
are based on analytic reasoning, complex problem solving and teamwork. These
skills are useful in mastering knowledge in your academic content.
There are several frameworks discussing 21st century skills, but for the purpose
of this topic, we will focus on four dominant categories of 21st century skills
which are partially adapted from Framework for 21st Century Learning
(http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework). These categories are Learning
and Innovation, Digital Literacy, Career and Life Skills and Metacognitive Skills
as shown in Figure 1.1. Metacognitive skills were not present in the said
framework but it is included in our discussion because it is important for learners
to be mindfully thinking of their own thinking process. And, this skill can be
acquired through reflective thinking exercises and practising self-directed learning
strategies. Each of these categories has various types of skills as listed in Table 1.1.
Career and Life Numeracy skills ă able to reason with numbers and
Skills comprehend fundamental arithmetic or other mathematical
concepts and to apply these concepts in a range of contexts to
solve problems.
Global awareness ă a conceptual understanding based upon an
applicable knowledge of global and cultural perspectives such
as but is not limited to, environmental, social, cultural, political,
and economic relations.
Financial literacy ă possession of the set of skills and
knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and
effective decisions with all of their financial resources.
Health literacy ă the ability to obtain, understand, and use
healthcare information in order to make appropriate health
decisions and follow instructions for treatment.
Environmental literacy ă understanding of the environment
and the conditions affecting it to make responsible decisions
that consider oneÊs relationships to natural systems, in
particular air, climate, land, food, energy, water and
ecosystems.
Social skills ă ability to interact and communicate message
both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body
language and our personal appearance.
Visual literacy ă ability to interpret, negotiate, and make
meaning from information presented in the form of an image,
and interpretation of a written text.
Metacognitive Reflective thinking skills ă ability to know what has been
Skills learned and know what needs to be learned.
Self-directed learning skills ă ability to know which strategy to
be used to acquire knowledge.
A quick search on the Internet on 21st century skills often shows greater
importance given to the four core competencies, popularly known as 4Cs of
21st century skills which include, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and
communication. A simple understanding of these skills are:
(b) Creativity: you are able to innovate ingeniously or think outside the box.
(c) Collaboration: you are able to work together and interact to achieve a
common goal.
(d) Communication: you are able to convey ideas in the best manner.
Basically, these skills are intended to help you keep up with the 21st century pace.
Each skill is unique in how it helps you, but they all are essential in the age of the
Internet. You will be using most of these skills while doing the learning activities
of your academic courses. However in reality, there is no one skill that could be
applied in solo. You will soon notice that in order to solve a particular problem,
you will be applying a conglomeration of multiple sets of skills. In addition, certain
sets of skills will help you develop other skills as well. We will discuss more on
how you can develop and apply some of these skills in the coming sub topics of
this course. It will be meaningless to be informed about the skills and not apply it
in your learning.
ACTIVITY 1.1
Explain how each of the 21st century skills will benefit you in todayÊs
classroom.
(f) Be Independent
Do you learn autonomously? You are totally responsible for your decisions
related on your learning process. As an independent learner, you should be
aware of what strategies work as well as how to get resources and assistance
in your learning.
These are some of the many roles that will equip you to obtain educational benefits
in the 21st century. You are most likely to be involved with more than one of these
roles at any point of time during your learning. Let us reflect on the possible roles
you have taken while reading this topic. Can you identify them?
ACTIVITY 1.2
What are the roles a 21st century learner should be practising? Can you
think of roles other than those listed above?
Our society is a mixture of many different beliefs and cultures. Globalisation has
opened up the world and allowed us to connect in new ways. We view the world
and create our beliefs through our life experiences. Learning is about discovery,
not memorising facts.
For these reasons, elements of learning environment such as teaching and learning
activities and assessment methods should provide the platform that is more
centred on learners. An environment that excites learners to explore, understand,
experiment, develop and express their knowledge and beliefs.
(a) Help to create learning practices in achieving learning outcomes through 21st
century skills.
(b) Facilitate application of 21st century skills into classroom or online learning.
(c) Integrate technology tools and media rich resources for teaching instructions,
learning activities and assessment.
(d) Support learning communities that enable you to collaborate with your peers
and teacher.
(e) Enable you to learn in a real world context through projects or case studies.
ACTIVITY 1.3
You may wonder why it is important to know about the kind of actions that you
will be taking for learning. Well, as briefly introduced to you earlier in this topic,
this course will create awareness of the kind of skills that are essential for your
academic and lifelong success in the 21st century. Table 1.2 lists some of the key
characteristics of the 21st century learner. To make learning happen, you will take
responsibility and ownership of your learning while harnessing your capabilities
academically, socially and emotionally.
Do you consider yourself as a 21st century learner? Let us find out the key
characteristics that you may possess in Table 1.2.
These 21 characteristics in Table 1.2 will somewhat make you be more aware of
your attitude towards learning. If you want to prepare your success in education,
work and life, learning 21st century skills are essential.
SELF-CHECK 1.1
1. Explain the various types of skills a 21st century learner is expected
to have.
Ć There are four dominant categories of 21st century skills, which include:
ă Digital Literacy;
ă Metacognitive Skills.
As a 21st century learner you need to understand and fulfill your roles in order
to obtain educational benefits. However, you can only effectively play your
roles by applying the 21st century learning skills.
Cabral, L. (2006). Twenty first century skills for students: Hands on learning
after school builds school and life success. New Directions for Youth
Development, 2006(110), 155ă161.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Apply essay writing skills; and
2. Apply the tips and strategies of studying for examinations.
INTRODUCTION
One of the key components of your learning journey here at Open University
Malaysia will undoubtedly be assessment. Do you know why your learning needs
to be assessed? Well, assessment will help you learn. Moreover, when you know
how you are performing in a certain course, then you will be able to determine
whether or not you have understood the course material. Simply put, assessment
is a measurement that checks the extend to which you have achieved or mastered
the intended learning outcomes. It can also motivate you to learn.
In the university, your teacher will be assessing you through coursework and
examinations. Coursework can be in the form of essay writing assignments,
quizzes, portfolios, etc. While, examinations can be in the form of multiple choice
questions or essay type questions. Many times the feeling of anxiety will occur
when you are about to submit an assignments, take a quiz or sit for exams; this is
only natural or to be expected. Writing good essays can be challenging task for
many learners. They often have difficulties in completing a good essay. Learners
are not sure what is to be written and unaware of the importances of referencing
in the essay. Another frequent predicament faced is when some learners think they
have studied well but their final results do not bear this out. What could be the
reason for this?
In view of what we have discussed above, this topic aims to provide study tips and
strategies that will help you do better in essay writing and exams. You will be
guided on how you can apply your critical thinking, creative, communication and
collaborative skills in completing the assignment and preparing for the exams.
In the following subtopics, we will discuss the strategies of writing essay and
preparing for exams.
Majority of your courses may require you to write academic essays for assignment.
Writing an academic essay can be dreaded by many learners. Do you feel the
same? LetÊs change this mind set through these tips and skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgsHJdFoXvY
&feature=youtu.be
ACTIVITY 2.1
(a) Introduction;
(d) References.
Every section is important and all these sections should be written in an essay.
We will now look into what should be written under each section.
(a) Introduction
Your essay should start with an Introduction. Under Introduction paragraph,
you should provide an overview or a brief background on the topic of the
essay. Then, state the purpose of the essay and also the scope. The purpose
is to provide the reader the objective of your essay. And, the scope will briefly
tell the reader what you have written in the Main Content. An example of an
Introduction is shown in Figure 2.1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgV_zjnWpBU
&feature=youtu.be
The writing process of the essay will involve many of the 21st century skills
that you will learn in the coming topics. You will be required to think
critically on issues that you would like to address in the essay. Most likely,
you will need to search for information and review the content critically. You
will also need creative elements in the presentation, perhaps, through
writing style and graphics. The way the message is conveyed will involve
communication skills.
https://youtu.be/IYYGVoiiq_U
(c) Conclusion
The Conclusion should be the summary of your essay. Do not write new
ideas under Conclusion. A good conclusion should provide the reader with
a sense of completion or closure of the essay topic. The conclusion must show
progress in the development of the topic from the introduction and through
the main content. An example of a Conclusion is shown in Figure 2.3.
https://youtu.be/NBiiRrgZJfk
(d) References
Reference list (Figure 2.5) ă You need to write the list of all sources
cited in the text in your essay. The Reference list is written at the
end of your essay.
References that are cited in the text should also be written in the Reference list and
vice-versa. Both in-text citation and reference list should be written according to
APA (American Psychological Association) citation style. Besides APA citation
style, the other referencing styles are: MLA (Modern Language Association),
Oxford, Harvard and Chicago.
https://youtu.be/LbyJdMz-Ato
SELF-CHECK 2.1
1. What information should be included under „Introduction‰ of an
essay?
In this age, there are a lot of information available on the Internet which can be
accessed easily and freely. Unfortunately, some learners misuse it and copy other
authorsÊ writings in their essays. Copying another studentÊs essay is also called
plagiarism. Now that you know what plagiarism is, how can you avoid it?
Plagiarism can be avoided by:
(a) Paraphrasing
Re-writing the ideas using your own words and acknowledge the author for
the ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsFcU1PH_8E
You may use systems that automatically generate APA citation for your references,
such as:
https://youtu.be/0X3iqxWr47s
ACTIVITY 2.2
SELF-CHECK 2.2
Q = Question ă Ask yourself questions on what you want to know from the
text
R = Read ă You read the text analytically and critically to look for the
answers to your questions that you have asked.
(b) Mnemonics
Mnemonics is a device such as formula, rhyme or acronym to help you
remember facts or ideas. For example, the mnemonic of the rainbowÊs seven
colours (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) could be written
as: Read Out Your Good Book In Verse.
ACTIVITY 2.3
Explains five ways of memorising facts that are effective for you.
The exam paper format includes parts in the paper and number of questions to be
answered under each part. For example, a particular exam paper may contain
3 parts: Part A (Answer all questions), Part B (There are 5 questions, answer any 3)
and Part C (There are 2 questions, answer only 1 question). Each part will have its
own instructions.
There are several types of questions which can be categorised into (a) Objective
Questions and (b) Subjective Questions as shown in Table 2.1.
Some exam papers may have a combination of different types of questions. For
example, Part A comprises short answer questions and Part B comprises essay type
questions.
How will you know what is your course format and what type of questions will
be asked? Check the course information on assessment available in myINSPIRE or
ask your tutor.
The common types of questions are Short Answer Question, Essay Type Question
and Multiple-choice Question. Both short answer and essay question are referred
to as subjective questions and multiple-choice question is classified as objective
question.
(iii) Mark the question that you are not sure and re-visit the question later.
(i) You should look for possible questions that could be asked for
each topic/chapter. It will be related to the learning outcomes of the
topic/chapter.
(iii) Make notes of important concepts that will answer any of these
question instructions: explain, describe, discuss, compare, analyse, etc.
Basically, it will help you plan an answer for a possible question in the
exams.
(i) Read and analyse the question carefully. Make sure you understand
the requirement of the question.
(ii) Plan your answer by jotting down key points, perhaps by using mind
map. Write a few key words under each point.
(iii) Write out the answer in the exam answer sheet. Use a new paragraph
for each main point.
(iv) Use numbering system for sub-points for better organised answer.
(v) For each point include examples to provide clarity on your explanation.
(vii) If you run out of time, at least write down your key points so that you
may get a few marks rather than leaving it blank.
(ix) Write neatly and proof read as you write. Examiner will not be able to
give marks if he/she cannot read your handwriting.
You should focus on: names, facts, terminologies, concepts and theories,
similarities and differences.
(i) Select the best answer. Read the question and all the options. All the
answers might be right, but there is only one best answer.
(ii) Eliminate the wrong answer. Start by identifying the wrong answer
rather than looking for the right one.
(iii) Look out for negatives. For example, „Which of these ⁄. is NOT ⁄.?‰
(iv) Be cautious of „All the Above‰ and „None of the Above‰. If you can
find one wrong answer, you can immediately eliminate the „All the
Above‰. If you think at least one of the answers is correct, then you can
eliminate „None of the Above‰.
(v) Mark the question that you are not sure and re-visit the question later.
SELF-CHECK 2.3
1. What are the mistakes you should avoid in your essay writing?
It is important for 21st century learners to master essay writing skills and
prepare well for exams.
There are several strategies that can help you do well for examinations, such
as know how to prepare yourself, apply effective memorising methods and be
familiar with the exam formats and type of questions.
As a learner you need to know how to study for and answer the 3 common
exam types of questions namely, short answer question, essay type question
and multiple-choice question.
Manoukian, J., & Chubb, J. (2013, November 20). Study Tips: Top 5 Memorisation
Techniques.
Retrieved from https://www.dal.ca/news/2013/11/20/study-tips--top-5-
memorization-techniques.html
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define the term numeracy and innumeracy;
2. Discuss the importance of numeracy in todayÊs world;
3. Describe the fundamental aspects of numeracy; and
4. Apply numeracy in basic day to day problems using appropriate
mathematical methods.
INTRODUCTION
The topic on numeracy skills is introduced to adult learners with the aim to
provide quality numeracy instruction and help them achieve the mathematical
knowledge and skills that will enable them to adjust to this growing societal
demand. All facets of adult life including family, education, employment and
community has made numeracy as an essential skill for 21st century success.
Adults with good numeracy skills are able to function responsibly in everyday life
and contribute effectively to the society. The current high level of interest in
promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has also
raised awareness of the importance of developing numeracy skills in the
population. We begin this topic by introducing the definition of numeracy and
discuss the importance of numeracy in todayÊs world. Later, we will discuss the
relation between numeracy and mathematics. Learners will be introduced to the
term innumeracy and exposed to the fundamental aspects of numeracy;
mathematical reasoning, problem solving and decision making. This topic will
further discuss the two types of mathematical reasoning; deductive and inductive
reasoning, PólyaÊs four stages of problem solving and the seven processes
involved in decision making. At the end of this topic, the concept of numeracy
continuum and everyday life practices are further explained. We will discuss some
examples of real life problems and learners should get some ideas and good
understanding on the numeracy in their daily life activities and hence, able to solve
them using appropriate techniques or methods using numeracy skills.
SELF-CHECK 3.1
How does numeracy complement literacy?
Why does literacy and numeracy matter in the 21st century learning?
3.1 NUMERACY
Numeracy is a way of connecting literacy and scientific principles. It is also known
as „the mirror image of literacy‰. Numeracy is defined as the ability to understand
and work with numbers (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.). Numeracy is considered as
fundamental mathematical skills which include the ability to understand and
analyse numerical information, express ideas based on numerical information and
to make the right conclusions and decisions. Fundamental arithmetics including
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are considered as basic skills in
numeracy. The important aspects of numeracy also include numbers and
operations, computation, measurement, geometry, statistics and probability.
ACTIVITY 3.1
Do you know that numeracy skills are useful not only for children in
the school but also for your job application? Discuss with your friends
the importance of numeracy skills and list 5 occupations (excluding
mathematics teachers) that definitely need at least some basic numeracy
skills.
With good numeracy skills, it helps us to function responsibly in everyday life and
contribute effectively to the society. Numeracy skills increases our opportunities
within the domain of work and creates foundations which can be built upon
through lifelong learning.
Working with numbers trains our mind to think logically and critically. Basic
numeracy by fact, is a logically derived system. When you are learning to
manipulate basic numbers, it will give you an entry into the thought processes that
critical thinking is built upon. Numeracy allows people to make comparisons in
their everyday life. „Can unplugging appliances when you are not using them
reduce your utility bill?‰
3.1.2 Innumeracy
Innumeracy is defined as a lack of ability to understand and use numbers in
calculations (Cambridge English Dictionary, n.d.). The effect of innumeracy on
peopleÊs lives is much less self evident than illiteracy. Innumeracy is commonly
seen in those suffering from poverty, poor education experience and childhood
deprivation of numeracy. Other studies have associated innumeracy with age,
gender and race. Research has shown that older adults have been associated with
lower numeracy skills compared to younger adults. Being innumerate affects
peopleÊs confidence and self-esteem.
3.2.1 Reasoning
Reasoning is a process of thinking information in a logical way in order to form a
solution or conclusion. It is required to help us to develop mathematically and
allow us to think critically. There are two types of reasoning in numeracy;
deductive and inductive reasoning. The process involved in deductive and
inductive reasoning is depicted in Figure 3.3.
Example 3.1
Inductive Reasoning
The first pen I took from my bag is black. The pen I took from my bag is black.
Therefore, all pens in my bag are black.
Deductive Reasoning
The first pen I took from my bag is black. All pens in my bag are black. Therefore,
the second pen I take from my bag will be black too.
SELF-CHECK 3.2
(b) The chair in the dining room is brown. The chair in the
bedroom is brown.
(a) All first semester students in OUM must take Learning Skills
course and Azman is in the first semester.
(b) All dolphins are mammals and all mammals have kidneys.
In the first stage, we need to understand the problem. Then, state the problem
using our own words, identify the objective of the problem and find the
information from the problem.
The third stage of Polya is carrying out the plan. This step is usually easier than
devising the plan. We will apply strategies as we defined in stage 2, check each
step of the plan as we proceed and record our work.
The fourth stage is look back. During this stage, we need to check the results of the
original problem, interpret the solution in terms of the original problem and
determine whether there is another method of finding the solution. This will
enable us to predict what strategy to use to solve future problems.
Most real life problems are normally written in text. Word problems often confuse
learners since the background information on the problem is presented as text
rather than in a ready-to-solve mathematical equation. It requires practice in
translating verbal language into algebraic language. If we are able to comprehend
the mathematical concepts addressed, then we can solve the problem. In solving
word problems, we need to translate the wording into a numeric equation and
then solve the equation using appropriate mathematical methods.
Let us apply the PólyaÊs four stages in solving the following word problem.
Example 3.2
Afiq, Zila and Maria were picking strawberries. Afiq picked twice as many
strawberries than Zila and Maria picked 2kg more than Zila. Together the three of
them picked 30kg of strawberries. How many kilograms of strawberries did each
of them pick?
Solution:
Table 3.1
Mathematical
Information In Words
Expression
Afiq Afiq picked twice as many strawberries than Zila 2x
Zila x
Maria Maria picked 2kg more than Zila x+2
Total Three of them picked 30kg of strawberries 30
To know how many strawberries picked by each of them, we need to find the value
of x first,
So, 2x + x + (x + 2) = 30
We solve for x:
2x x x 2 30
4x 2 30
4x 28
x7
Therefore, Afiq, Zila and Maria picked 14, 7, 9kg of strawberries, respectively.
SELF-CHECK 3.3
1. Pak Karim discovers some old tiles (1 feet by 1 feet) in his kitchen.
He starts to make different rectangles with them. He wonders what
are the biggest and the smallest perimeters that he can find for
rectangles with areas equal to 100 square feet. Help him.
2. Emilia and Alicia are comparing their heights. Emilia is 1.5 metres
tall and Alicia is 15 centimetres taller than Emilia. What is AliciaÊs
height in centimetre (cm)?
There are seven steps involved in the decision making process, shown in
Figure 3.5. Using a step-by-step decision making process can help us make more
deliberative, thoughtful decisions by organising relevant information and defining
alternatives.
Example 3.3
Let us say we need to buy a pair of shoes. We go to the store and see three pairs
that we like. The price tag for Pair A is RM220. Pair B and Pair C are RM320 and
RM250, respectively. The brand for Pair B is more well known than the other two
and has 30% discount . Which pair of shoes should we buy?
In making our decision, we can go through the decision making processes shown
in Figure 3.5. Let us see how we go through the steps.
ACTIVITY 3.2
You want to buy some cereal in the supermarket. A small box containing
500g of cereal costs RM8.50. A larger box containing 1,000g cereal costs
RM15. Which box of cereal should you buy?
Now let us consider this situation. You are organising a birthday party for your
son and ten people are invited to attend the party. All of your guests must get
enough of each food item. You need to calculate the total number of people and
serve your guest equal portions of the cake. In this case, you are using natural
numbers and division to ensure all people get enough food. Another example
would be when you do budgeting for your household. Numbers and operations
are very essential in adding and subtracting income and expenses.
Example 3.4
Encik Zamri is a beekeeper. Last year, he harvested 1,452kg of raw honey. This
year, he bought some new hives and increased his honey harvest by 2,385kg. How
many kg of honey did Encik Zamri harvest this year?
Solution:
From the information, En Zamri increased his honey harvest by 2,385kg this year.
„Increased‰ means added to. Thus, we use addition to find the answer.
Total kilograms of honey harvested this year => 1452kg + 2385kg = 3837kg.
Therefore, En Zamri harvested 3837kg of honey this year.
Example 3.5
In an entrepreneurship workshop, there are 1500 participants with 875 of them are
female, how many are male?
Solution:
We have the total number of participants. Some of them are female. To find the
number of male participants, we use subtraction.
Example 3.6
Zainal filled 50 plates with cookies. He put 5 cookies on each plate. How many
cookies did Zainal use?
Solution:
We can use multiplication to find the total number of cookies used.
Example 3.7
Pak Ali picked 350 guavas from his farm. He needs to divide the guavas into bags
to sell at the market. Pak Ali wants to put the same number of guava in 70 bags.
How many guavas can Pak Ali put in each bag?
Solution:
The problem states that Pak Ali needs to divide the guavas equally into 70 bags.
We can use division to solve the problem.
3.3.2 Patterns
Patterns and number patterns are the foundation in mathematics because they are
considered as the building blocks in understanding numbers. Recognising and
understanding number sequences help us to generate algebraic formulae. With
patterns, we can learn to predict the future and discover new things and hence
better understand the world around us.
Example 3.8
This example shows the use of patterns. Let us say it costs RM20 for admission to
a paintball game and an additional RM5 for every round of balls. This relationship
can be represented by the expression 5b + 20. Use this pattern rule to complete the
table of values below.
Solution:
Since the relationship can be represented by the expression 5b + 20, we verify first
the total cost for round 1 as follows:
b = number of rounds
if b = 1, Round 1 : 5 (1) + 20 = 25
Now using expression 5b + 20, we calculate the total cost for each round as
presented in the following table:
Fractions are regularly used in our everyday life situations. Let us say we went to
a department store to buy a new shirt and we see some deals giving half price
offers. In mathematical notation, the half can be written as ½; a fraction. We also
use fractions when we are using recipes in cooking and baking. For example we
may need ¾ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of butter and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Decimal numbers are important in money and measurement conversion. They are
also essential in understanding what proportion of a whole is represented.
Decimals are used when we require more precision values than the whole numbers
can provide. We use decimal numbers in our everyday life when we are dealing
with money, area, weight, length and many more. For example, we may say a
person has RM5.50 or a person is 74.5kg.
What does percent mean? The word percent comes from the phrase „per cent‰.
Cent is a root that means one hundred, so „per cent‰ literally means per one
hundred. It is used in various contexts in everyday life. We often see special deals
in stores such as 50% discount or 25% mark down. The capability of interchanging
between a fraction, decimal number and percentage is a skill that allows us to solve
problem in different ways.
Example 3.9
Alif works as a salesman in a property firm. If the commission rate is 4%, how
much commission does he make on property sales worth RM300,000.00?
Solution:
To find the commission, we will multiply the amount of sales by the commission
rate by 4%.
SELF-CHECK 3.4
Imagine you bought four items costing RM36.99, RM22.99, RM16.85 and
RM8.25 from an online shop and the postage is RM10.90. Round these
prices to the nearest RM and estimate for the total cost.
A group of 480 adults were asked to provide reasons why they decided
to enrol as OUM learners. Of the 480 learners, 240 learners justified they
want to enhance their career, 160 signed up with OUM due to its
flexibility and 80 enrolled because of the affordable fees offered.
Calculate the percentage for each group.
Example 3.9
The following infographic shows the population of Malaysian citizens by ethnic
group for the year 2017 and 2018.
Source: https://www.dosm.gov.my
Calculate the population of Malaysian citizens in the year 2017 and 2018. Comment
on the difference.
Solution:
Based on the infographic,
The difference between 2018 and 2017 = 28.77 million ă 28.74 million
= 0.03 million
3.3.5 Measurement
Measurement provides a standard for things and processes in everyday life. It is
essential in science and technical fields and to almost all everyday activities.
Calculations involving weight, height, area, volume, time are required in real life
contexts and enable us to work out accurate amounts. If we want to bake a cake,
we need to know how many grams of butter required in the recipe and definitely
we will use kitchen scale to measure it accurately. When we are monitoring our
body mass index (BMI), we need to measure our own body weight and height
using measurement tools accurately.
Example 3.11
Mary buys a reel of thread for sewing. There are 10 metres of thread on the reel.
She uses 210 centimetres. How much is left on the reel in centimetres?
Solution:
Use metric conversion 1 metre = 100 centimetres
Thus Total thread on the reel = 10 100 = 1000 centimetres.
Mary used 210 centimetres means we need to subtract 210 centimetres from
1000 centimetres.
Therefore the thread left on the reel = 1000 ă 210
= 790 centimetres.
ACTIVITY 3.3
(a) Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.
(b) Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it
around your waist.
Source: https://www.heartfoundation.org
A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 whose only factors are 1 and
itself. It is considered as the building block of the number system. In real life
application, it is often used to encrypt information via communication networks
by mobile, to encode information that is sent wirelessly when making transactions
on our credit cards, debit cards, computers and many more.
Example 3.12
Florence the florist has 24 white, 42 red and 36 yellow roses. What is the greatest
number of identical bunches she can make that uses all of the flowers?
Solution:
We use the greatest common factor to find the identical bunches.
The greatest common factor (GCF) is the greatest factor that divides two numbers.
To find the GCF of three numbers:
(b) Multiply those factors that all numbers have in common. If there are no
common prime factors, the GCF is 1.
Prime factorisation of 24 : 2 2 2 3
Prime factorisation of 36 : 2 2 3 3
Prime factorisation of 42 : 2 3 7
Therefore, Florence can make 6 identical bunches by using all the flowers.
SELF-CHECK 3.5
Several daily life practices involves numbers and operations, patterns, fraction
and decimal numbers, measurement and multiple factors and primes.
Brooks, M; Pui (2010). Are individual differences in numeracy unique from general
mental ability? A closer look at a common measure of numeracy. Individual
Differences Research. 4. 8: 257ă265.
Rachel, S., & Graham, G. (2013). Teaching adult numeracy: Principles and
practice. Maidenhead, Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Describe the meaning of digital literacy and how you may develop
your digital proficiency;
2. Explain the proficiencies that form digital literacy; and
3. Adopt and apply all the best practices and expectations highlighted
in each of the proficiencies.
INTRODUCTION
Computing and communication technologies are now becoming an
increasingly important part of our daily life. This has created a digital
world where all are available at the touch of a screen. As a student, are
you confident enough to deal with digital technologies in your
learning? As a student, how would you enhance your proficiency to use the
digital technologies in an effective manner?
https://youtu.be/E_2pVrl87Nc
You need to have a good digital literacy or proficiency level in order to survive in
this digital world as depicted in the following video.
https://youtu.be/p2k3C-iB88w
The term „digital literacy‰ was first introduced by Paul Gilster, way back
in 1997. Gilster has defined digital literacy as „ability to understand and
use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it
is presented via computers‰ (Gilster 1997).
There are various definitions on digital literacy. Interestingly, all these definitions
put emphasis on computing and ICT (including Internet) components which are
the backbones of digital literacy. Digital literacy, by these definitions, encompasses
a wide range of skills. All these skills are important and necessary to succeed in
this digital world. Learners who lack the skills of digital literacy are at a
disadvantage as those who cannot write or read. You, as a student, have already
use digital technologies such as computers, tablets and smartphones. In fact, many
of you already know how to navigate and search information on the web and share
images on Facebook (which is a social media platform).
Remember that true digital literacy goes beyond these fundamental skills. It
is interesting to note that the term „literacy‰ is about development. Thus,
understanding digital literacy from this perspective is important as proposed by
Beetham and SharpeÊs (2010) in their digital literacy development framework. This
framework describes digital literacy as a „development process from access and
functional skills to higher level capabilities and identity‰.
Figure 4.1: Digital Literacy Development Framework by Beetham and Sharpe (2010)
This framework has four levels in which the lower portion of the hierarchy must
be satisfied before individuals can attend to the higher up needs. Thus, as a
student, you must develop from the base of the pyramid to its peak. In fact, you
may treat this development model as MaslowÊs „Hierarchy of Needs‰.
All of the above proficiencies will help you to reach the upper portion of the digital
literacy development framework (refer to Figure 4.1).
SELF-CHECK 4.1
1. State the meaning of Digital Literacy.
Many people have the misconception that computer literacy and ICT
literacy are the same. Actually, computer literacy refers to a person's
ability to use information technology devices and software. On the other
hand, information literacy refers to a person's ability to find and critically
evaluate resources to find quality information. Thus, computer literacy is a
subset of ICT proficiency (Bruce, 1998).
By the way, do you think that your knowledge on how a computer works is
enough for your ICT Literacy?
(a) Access ă knowing about and knowing how to retrieve and/or collect
information.
The components shown in Figure 4.3 are the foundational tasks that will lead to
ICT literacy. The International ICT Literacy Panel has further expanded this model
to more fully represent the complexity of ICT literacy as shown in Figure 4.4.
Figure 4.4 depicts the basic set of skills and knowledge that form the basis of ICT
literacy: ICT, cognitive and technical proficiencies.
Figure 4.4: The basic set of skills and knowledge that form the basis of ICT literacy
Source: Digital Transformation A Framework for ICT Literacy, A Report of the
International ICT Literacy Panel
1. Basic skills to operate a computer. You may refer to the link below
for more information on computer:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Computers_for_Beginners/The_B
asics
*Software
Purpose Resource
Type
Microsoft This a word https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/
Word processing Computers_for_Beginners/The_Basics
program that
users can type
with. It allows
users to type,
edit and save
documents.
Microsoft This software is https://www.tutorialspoint.com/
PowerPoint used to create powerpoint
presentation
files.
Microsoft It allows users https://www.tutorialspoint.com/
Excel to organise, excel/
format and
calculate data
with formulas
using a
spreadsheet
system.
*You may use any other suitable applications besides the above. There are
many open source applications that can perform the above tasks. The
choice is yours!
(c) ICT Proficiency ă the application and integration of technical and cognitive
skills will lead to ICT proficiencies. ICT proficiencies can be considered as
enablers that allow individuals to maximise the capabilities of technology.
We may expect that individuals with low cognitive proficiency but with
high technical proficiency would be able to perform particular technical
tasks in which they had been trained. However, they would probably
not possess the kind of generalisable skills or knowledge that could help
them work with new applications or perform novel tasks and they would
most likely not be able to acquire such skills independently.
On the other hand, people with high cognitive proficiency but low technical
proficiency would require technical training in order to develop ICT
proficiency but would be expected to do so and once engaged with ICT
would be able to acquire new skills and knowledge in a rather short time
and independently.
Are you confused? DonÊt worry. Information about ICT literacy and the
five components of ICT literacy described earlier is given in the following
video with examples.
https://youtu.be/Io2A6dVsHVQ
SELF-CHECK 4.2
1. State the definition of ICT Literacy.
ACTIVITY 4.1
Some of the figures in this chapter have QR codes that enable you to
watch the videos or to view the external resources directly from your
phone. If you are yet to experience this, then please explore on how you
can use it through your phone. Remember that this will contribute to
your technical proficiency of the ICT Literacy.
(a) Information has a broad domain: the scope of information is very broad.
Information can have different meanings in different scopes; and
Information is essential to our experience of the world. It also shapes our personal
beliefs and opinions. Information can be seen from different perspectives, such as:
(a) Which tools should you use to discover whether the library has the articles
or books that you need?
(b) Do you know the methods that you can use to search for the articles?
(c) What would be your options if the library does not have the articles or books
that you are looking for?
If you have no clue or answers for the above questions, then you really have to
improve your information literacy level. Information Literacy is a type of fluency
that you need to master ă not only by the student but everyone. The Presidential
Committee of the American Library Association (ALA; http://www.ala.org/)
pointed out that „Information Literacy is a survival skill in the Information Age‰
(ALA, 1989). This shows the importance of information literacy in this 21st century.
Now let us see the definition of information literacy.
Information literacy relates to information not just print, but also spoken word,
digital content, images and data. Information Literacy may be deployed in
everyday life without you knowing that you are making use of it ă for instance, by
checking hotel reviews or travel review websites.
FIVE main action components of information literacy are identify, find, evaluate,
apply, and acknowledge. The following video elaborates more on these
components with examples.
https://youtu.be/1ronp6Iue9w
Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It enables learners to
master content, become more self-directed, and takes greater control over their
own learning. Information literacy is also related to information technology skills.
Information technology skills enable an individual to use computers, applications
software, databases, and other technologies to achieve a wide variety of academic,
work-related, and personal goals. It is interesting to note that information literate
individuals tend to develop some technological skills. This is because information
literacy activities such as understanding, finding, evaluating, and using
information may be accomplished effectively through information technology
tools or applications. Information literacy initiates, sustains, and extends lifelong
learning through abilities which may use technologies but are ultimately
independent of them.
(f) Use information ethically and legally; and at the same time understand the
economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use and access of
information.
However, merely using the Internet to access information does not make you an
information literate.
In higher education, information literacy is not just about learning how to search
for an information using search engine or search information in a library database.
In fact, the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, created by
the Association of College and Research Libraries in 2015, listed SIX frames that
act as gateway to understanding, thinking about and practicing information
literacy by students like you. These frames are the critical gateway through which
students like you must use to develop genuine expertise within a knowledge
domain or discipline. The SIX frames are listed below in alphabetical order:
(a) Authority is constructed and contextual;
(b) Information creation as a process;
(c) Information has value;
(d) Research as inquiry;
(e) Scholarship as conversation; and
(f) Searching as strategic exploration.
https://youtu.be/hbe6xBibOL4
Each frame has TWO sections, namely knowledge practices and dispositions.
Knowledge practices demonstrates on how learners can increase their
understanding of these information literacy concepts. On the other hand,
dispositions address the affective or valuing dimension of learning. The following
web resource highlights the knowledge practices and dispositions for each of the
frames.
https://view.genial.ly/5bd9148f621f1111d30d1c06
SELF-CHECK 4.3
1. State the definition of Information Literacy.
ACTIVITY 4.2
Identify all the SIX frames of the Information Literacy Framework.
The 21st century education is all about application of technology in teaching and
learning. The influence of technology on teaching and learning is remarkable (just
observe around you!). The video below highlights how technology has shaped
teaching and learning.
https://youtu.be/nA1Aqp0sPQo
Nowadays, many lessons are delivered in digital format including the online
learning via Web/Internet. You, as a learner at Open University Malaysia that uses
technology heavily in teaching and learning, need to have confidence and
motivation in order to engage in online learning or online classroom.
TEL is often used as a synonym for e-learning or digital learning. When TEL is
applied in web environment, then it becomes online learning. Technology
enhanced learning can provide learning opportunities that are unconstrained by
time or location, support wider and more relevant learning experiences and
provide opportunities for students to take greater control of their own learning.
Nowadays, TEL is delivered primarily as online learning. The use of technology
can add value to your learning by enabling:
(c) Greater choice over the time, place and pace of study;
Figure 4.7 shows how some of the ever growing learning technologies that can
support the various aspects of learning, teaching and assessment via TEL. As a
student at Open University Malaysia (OUM), you will soon start using or applying
some of these tools.
Figure 4.7: Ever growing learning technologies that support the various aspects of
learning
Source: https://tel4dt.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/what-is-tel
(b) Use digital learning resources, such as video lectures and online quiz;
(c) Use digital media to take part in learning conversations with tutors and your
coursemates;
(e) Record learning events/outcomes and use them for self-analysis, reflection
and showcasing of achievement through e-portfolio or learning blog;
(f) Use digital tools to take notes, review and revise learning;
(h) Submit your assignment though electronic submission via myINSPIRE LMS;
(i) Participate in other forms of digital assessment; receive and respond to such
as live forum;
(j) Manage learning time and tasks; manage attention, engagement and
motivation to learn in digital settings;
(k) Work collaboratively with other learners by using digital technologies where
appropriate; and
Forum
Forum is an online discussion board where people can hold conversations in the
form of posted messages. A discussion forum is hierarchical or tree-like in
structure: a forum can contain a number of subforums, each of which may have
several topics. Within a forumÊs topic, each new discussion created or started is
called a thread, and can be replied to by many people. Forum is in the
asynchronous format (not real time), meaning it enables users to review and
participate in discussions with others at times convenient to them. OUMÊs
myINSPIRE has its own forum system that you can use to interact with your
coursemates and online tutor.
e-book
An electronic book (or e-book or eBook) is a book publication made available in
digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display
of computers or other electronic devices such as iPad or tablets. At OUM, e-book
is provided in the form of e-module through portable document format (pdf )
and accessible from various devices. The e-module can be viewed online or
downloaded into your device for offline viewing and printing.
Video Lectures
A video lecture is a recorded educational lecture posted in the course page of
myINSPIRE. Students may view the lecture online at a time which is convenient
for them.
Figure 4.14: Mobile learning has now become an important element in higher education
The terms „M-Learning‰ and „Mobile Learning‰ are usually used to refer to
teaching and learning with mobile technologies. Lately it has gained prominence
in the teaching and learning at the higher education.
OÊMalley et al. (2003) defined mobile learning as learning that take place when
the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or when the learner takes
advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies.
(a) Learner mobility: learners are able to engage in educational activities without
the constraints of having to do so in a tightly delimited physical location.
It requires nothing more than the motivation to do so wherever the
opportunity arises ă from books, electronic resources, places and people; and
(b) Mobile devices: portable, lightweight devices that are sometimes small
enough to fit in a pocket or in the palm of oneÊs hand. Typical examples are
mobile phones, smartphones (like the iPhone), palmtops, and handheld
computers like the iPad or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants).
(b) Duration ă short and concise courses that allows for broader participation;
Figure 4.16: myINSPIRE mobile app that supports both iOS and Android platforms
Mobile learning via myINSPIRE supports the „learner mobility‰ through the
learnersÊ mobile devices.
SELF-CHECK 4.4
ACTIVITY 4.3
Media Literacy is defined as the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and create
media in a variety of forms (https://www.medialit.org/media-literacy-
definition-and-more).
European Commission (2007) defined media literacy as the ability to
access the media, to understand and to critically evaluate different
aspects of the media and media contents and to create communications
in a variety of contexts
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52007DC0833&from=EN).
Regardless of the various definitions above, the goal of media literacy is to increase
awareness of many forms of media messages that we encounter in life. It should
help us recognise how the media filter our perceptions and beliefs, shape the
popular culture and influence personal choices. We need to provide critical
thinking skills and creative problem solving to become reasonable users and
information producers. Media literacy helps in:
(a) Promoting critical thinking;
(b) Understanding how media content affects culture and society;
(c) Identifying communication strategies;
(d) Recognition of the purpose of the creator of the media content;
(e) Recognition of misinformation and manipulation; and
(f) Creating and sharing your own media content.
There are FOUR important skills that help the viewer or reader to understand the
meaning of media literacy:
(a) Accessing media;
(b) Analyzing content;
(c) Being able to evaluate messages; and
(d) Being able to create media for self-expression and communication.
Media literacy typically lends itself to a deeper meaning and analysis of the work,
not necessarily just a direct understanding of fact represented in the work. Media
Literacy is the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and create media in a variety of
forms. Why media literacy is important? Watch the following video for the answer.
https://youtu.be/ZaMzYDe0taY
The classroom (be it physical or online) is a place where active production in all
media is a natural way to learn. It is a place where learners solve problems, not
only through reading and writing, but also through producing media contents
through digital means. The world that we live in requires new competence in old
communication skills, as well as in merging various media.
SELF-CHECK 4.5
1. Explain the meaning of media literacy.
3. Nowadays, social media are flooded with „fake news‰. What are
the reasons for this and how could we minimise this phenomena?
ACTIVITY 4.4
ACTIVITY 4.5
You have learned all the proficiencies of digital literacy, namely ICT,
information, digital learning and media proficiencies. With all these
knowledge that you have gained, explain how you would achieve
the higher levels of digital literacy development framework (refer to
Figure 4.1)?
This has created a digital world where all are available at the touch of a screen.
The digital world has created the necessity for digital literacy.
Each of these proficiencies has its own requirements and expectations and you
as a learner must understand and adopt its best practices.
Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R. 2010. Digital literacy framework. JISC ă The Design
Studio. Retrieved from
http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/46740204/Digital%20litera
cy%20framework
Llida Review. (2009). Thriving in the 21st century: Learning Literacies for the
Digital Age. The Caledonian Academy, Glasgow Caledonian University for
JISC.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/projects/llidaexecsumjune2009.
pdf
Oliver, R., & Towers, S. (2000). Benchmarking ICT literacy in tertiary learning
settings. In R. Sims, M. OÊReilly & S. Sawkins (Eds). Learning to choose:
Choosing to learn. Proceedings of the 17th Annual ASCILITE Conference
(pp 381ă390). Lismore, NSW: Southern Cross University Press.
OÊMalley, C., Vavoula, G., Glew, J. P., Taylor, J., & Sharples, M. (2005). Guidelines
for Learning/Teaching/Tutoring in a Mobile Environment.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define the meaning of creativity, innovation and design thinking;
2. Describe the relationship between creativity and innovation with
learning;
3. Explain design thinking as a strategy for innovation; and
4. Adopt and apply tools for creativity and innovation.
INTRODUCTION
This topic provides an introduction to creativity, innovation and design thinking.
We will learn the meaning of these words in the context of this module, how they
fit together, and introduce some useful approaches and tools relevant for the
subjects.
Do you know that educators today consider creativity as among the highest form
of learning? Creativity has moved up in the world. Psychologists consider it
among the highest forms of self actualisation. Business executives consider it
among the most critical characteristics of modern leadership. And most
importantly, creativity is one of the 4CÊs (collaboration, communication, creativity
and critical thinking) of the 21st century survival skills. It is now more important
than ever that we start cultivating creative thinking among our learners, our
employees, our families, our societies and of course ourselves.
Today creative thinking is becoming a necessity in every job. A recent study from
Oxford university economists Dr Carl Frey and Dr Michael Osborne (2015),
predicted the future impact of technology on nearly seven hundred jobs. The
analysis showed that computers will be taking over any job that does not require
a personal touch. This means just to hold a job, everyone will rely on their creative
intelligence ă their ability to think flexibly and deliver solutions outside of
standard operating procedures.
A new study from Adobe (2018) also showed that, compared to other job skills,
problem solving and creativity have gained the most value in driving salary
increases in the last five years.
The good news for us is that since its inception as an instructional paradigm,
distance learning institutions like OUM has been characterised by creativity on the
part of the educators and administrators who strive to provide creative and
innovative learning experiences for their learners. At OUM, myINSPIRE LMS is
an example that technology can be influential in developing creativity amongst
learners and educators.
Before we proceed any further, let us just take a brief look at what creativity,
innovation and design thinking are all about. In a nutshell, creativity is related to
„imagination‰ and innovation is related to „implementation‰. You can also say
that creativity is the ability to produce and innovation is the introduction of new
things.
How about Design Thinking? Have you heard about this term before? Chances are
most of you have not heard about it. If you have, kudos to you, meaning youÊve
been keeping abreast with the latest technology and thinking skills. In short,
Design Thinking is a solutions-based process that uses creativity to solve complex
or poorly-defined problems, validated by real-world learning.
Still confused? Need more clarity? Another take of these concepts as shown in the
box below.
(a) Creativity is the spirit, the attitude and bravery to try something new, to
be open to the unexpected.
(c) Design thinking is the „how to‰, the approach, the mindset and
behaviours on the way.
We will delve deeper into each of these fascinating concepts in the subsequent sub
topics. But before that, let me entice you with a few quotes about the importance
of creativity as a 21st century skill. A lot of inspiring quotes, short stories from
artists, philosophers, scholars etc are shared throughout this topic to promote new
ways of thinking about creativity and innovation among us the learners of OUM.
President Obama has also recognised the critical need to measure twenty-first
century skills, calling on the nationÊs governors to: ... develop standards and
assessments that donÊt simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on
a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and
critical thinking and entrepreneurship and creativity.
(Obama, 2009)
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamas-remarks-on-education/
Ensuring that all people have a solid foundation of knowledge and skills must
therefore be the central aim of the post 2015 education agenda. This is not
primarily about providing more people with more years of schooling; in fact,
thatÊs only the first step. It is most critically about making sure that individuals
acquire a solid foundation of knowledge in key disciplines, that they develop
creative, critical thinking and collaborative skills, and that they build character
attributes, such as mindfulness, curiosity, courage and resilience.
(Andreas Schleicher and Qian Tang
Universal Basic Skills: What Countries Stand to Gain [2015, p. 9])
Source: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/universal-basic-
skills_5js32nmfrb8q.pdf)
You may also visit the link below to view a short video on Creativity in Education
(21st Century Education). You may scan the QR code below with your mobile
device OR just click at the hyperlink.
SELF-CHECK 5.1
1. What do you understand by the statement „Creativity has moved
up in the world‰?
In the 21st century, both creativity and innovation are given prominence as a must
have skills of the future and fundamental to all academic disciplines and
educational activities.
The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a very creative mind
to spot wrong questions.
(Anthony Jay)
Source: http://creatingminds.org/quotes/being_uncreative.htm
If youÊre curious to know why the word Innovator was once considered as an
insult in the early days, check out the link below:
Source: http://www.quotemaster.org/Creativity
Creative Differences
Ludwig van Beethoven is certainly one of the most creative composers who ever
lived with his most well-known creation, the Ninth Symphony. Another example
of creativity in action in recent years is Steve Jobs. Before his untimely demise in
2011, his passion for computers and connectivity led to the creation of Mac
computers and the iPhone. What about Marie Kondo? Have you heard about her?
She is the world-renowned tidying expert and famous for her KonMari Method
and „Spark Joy‰ catchphrase. She was selected as one of the Most Creative People
in Business for 2015!
These are three different individuals with three different types of creativity. You
might think before this, if youÊre creative in one area, youÊll be creative in all areas
too. However, thatÊs not how it works. According to Arne Dietrich, a professor of
cognitive neuroscience, in his research published in 2004 in Psychonomic Bulletin
& Review, he described four different types of creativity with corresponding
different brain activities. Think of it like a matrix (Figure 5.4).
Once you know about the „creativity matrix‰ as explained in detail in the
following Table 5.1, it will bring your understanding of the concept of creativity to
a whole new level. As such, please take your time to read and understand the
Creativity Matrix provided.
Figure 5.3: Three different individuals with three different types of creativity.
Source: https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/0/c/85/1/Ludwig_van_Beethoven-square.jpg
https://fineartamerica.com/art/drawings/steve+jobs
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/422142165051113335
Types of Creativity
Why do you think it is important for us to know the different types of creativity as
identified by Dietrich? In order to foster creativity in all aspects of our daily life, it
is important for us to understand the different types of creativity.
Example:
Personal breakthrough/crisis (Eg: you had a relationship break-up) and
then had a flash of insight about yourself via *AHA moment, having to
do with feelings and emotions.
Brain Works: The cingulate cortex is the part of the brain that processes
complex feelings that are related to how you interact with others, and
your place in the world. And the cingulate cortex is connected to the
prefrontal cortex (PFC). These two brain areas are active with this type
of creativity.
In a nutshell: Set those things aside and allow yourself a block of time to
focus on the challenge.
Example:
Thomas Edison is the first light bulb inventor in 1878. A feat he achieved
after numerous failures.
Brain Works: Creativity comes from the PFC in your brain. The PFC
allows you to do two things: pay focused attention and make connections
among information that you have stored in other parts of our brains.
Example:
A creative and quite powerful moment such as an epiphany, religious
experience, great artists and musicians moment.
In a nutshell: DonÊt be afraid to tap into your emotions and use passion
when working through a big challenge.
Isaac Type of Creativity: Spontaneous and Cognitive Creativity
Newton & Spontaneous and cognitive creativity requires you to stop thinking or
Gravity trying to solve problem, step away and do something else. This kind of
creativity does need an existing body of knowledge.
Example:
(1) The story about Isaac Newton thinking of gravity while watching a
falling apple.
(2) Imagine youÊre working on a problem or idea that you canÊt seem
to solve. Then you go to lunch and on the way back from lunch you
get a flash of insight about how to solve your problem.
Innovation
Innovation is everywhere and everyone can innovate. There are many innovations
in recent decades and in various areas (Eg. technology, education business etc) that
have brought significant changes to the modern world and make our lives so much
easier.
Source:
https://www.pioneermilitaryloans.com/blog
https://www.diygenius.com/innovation-is-doing-new-things-theodore-levitt/
Shawn Hunter (2013), author of "Out Think: How Innovative Leaders Drive
Exceptional Outcomes," defines creativity as the capability or act of conceiving
something original or unusual, while innovation is the implementation or creation
of something new that has realised the value to others.
(d) Creativity is bringing into existence an idea that is new to you. Innovation
is the practical application of creative ideas.
Source: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1388687
Basis for
Creativity Innovation
Comparison
Meaning Creativity is the bravery or the Innovation is the implementation
capability to try something new of something new or original.
or original.
Innovation is doing ă it happens in
Creativity is thinking ă it the world!
happens in your mind!
Process Imaginative Productive
Quantifiable No Yes
Related to Thinking something new Introducing something new
Monetary
No Yes
Requirement
Risk No Yes
If you feel the Comparison Chart in Table 5.2 is incomplete, still missing a few
salient points, you can add for yourself more basis for comparison. You may
discuss with your course mates and expand the table above to include your own
findings.
Let us move on to the benefits of creativity. Sylvia Duckworth (2016) created the
following sketch note stating 12 benefits of creativity.
People who are good at having creative ideas are good at seeing connections.
Be a Dot Collector
Think of yourself as a dot collector. Be open. Be a risk taker. Be bold. Collect as
many dots as possible, then push you outside your comfort zone and collect even
more. As an ODL Learner you should never ever stop growing your collection
of dots. You never know the magical ways youÊll connect them later.
You canÊt connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking
backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your
future. You have to trust in somethingăyour gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my
life.
(Excerpt from the Commencement Address delivered by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005 )
Source: https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/
Source: Nielsen, D. & Thurber, S. (2016). The Secret of the Highly Creative Thinker)
Amsterdam: BIS Publishers
If youÊre interested to know more about what Steve Jobs thinks about creativity,
do check out the video below.
One summer morning in the early 1970s, Bill and Barbara Bowerman were
fixing waffles for breakfast. Bill, the head running coach at the University of
Oregon, was bemoaning the fact that his runners didnÊt have track shoes that
could grip the new artificial turf.
At that moment, Barbara pulled a waffle off the hot waffle iron. Staring at the
waffle. Bill suddenly made a connection. The grid pattern on the waffle might
just create the perfect grip for the sole of a running shoe. He grabbed the waffle
iron and ran to his lab. By the end of the day, he had prototyped the shoe that
would earn him his first patent and launch his company to international fame:
The Nike Waffle Trainer.
The story is a perfect example of what happens at the moment a creative idea
is conceived. Coach Bowerman has been puzzling over his challenge for weeks
when an unexpected connection at the breakfast table unlocked it. In an instant,
the DNA of the waffle and the DNA of the running shoe combined in his mind
to bring something entirely new into being.
Creativity is just that: ability to bring new and valuable things into being. You
can cultivate that ability.
Source: Nielsen, D., & Thurber, S. (2016). The Secret of the Highly Creative Thinker.
Amsterdam: BIS Publishers
SELF-CHECK 5.2
4. What would you improve when you train your ability to see
connections?
ACTIVITY 5.1
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement ă and why? „You
canÊt teach creativity. Then again, creativity is all about reversing
assumptions.‰
ACTIVITY 5.2
Other times, you heard some of your friends are attending local art classes or going
for singing lessons over the weekend. That makes it sound as if creativity is a skill
that anyone can learn.
Confused? What do you think, learners? Do you think creativity can be learned,
practiced and developed or creativity is a natural gift, an innate talent? You can
have a healthy debate with your course mates to argue both sides. But even when
accepting that creativity can be learned, there are some people who are just more
creative than others, and much research has been undertaken to identify what their
characteristics are.
Among the most extensive list of characteristics of creative people was developed
by Robert Alan Black (1990/2008). Take a look at the list by him in the Table 5.3,
and wouldnÊt you say that these characteristics are also applicable for innovative
people. The fact that it might be quite difficult to find all these characteristics in
one person makes teamwork such an important aspect of creativity and
innovation.
Do you have all the characteristics or traits of creativity listed in Table 5.3? If you
do, wow, you are a highly creative person and deserved an award! IÊm joking of
course. Sense of Humor (No. 19) is also one of the characteristics or traits of
Creativity!
Table 5.3: Characteristics of Creative People (1990/2008 Robert Alan Black, Ph.D)
Source: https://numerons.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/01-32-traits-of-highly-creative-
people.pdf
If you are not too pleased with yourself that you only have a handful of creativity
traits above, donÊt feel bad, the truth is that all of us have tremendous creative
capacities! Do check out Table 5.4, for tips to be highly creative individuals.
The information shared here is rather limited, to read in detail about the 8 things
mentioned above, please visit this link at https://medium.com/the-mission/if-you-
want-to-be-highly-creative-do-these-8-things-390b81845b0a
Source: https://medium.com/the-mission/if-you-want-to-be-highly-creative-do-these-8-
things-390b81845b0a
Before we move on to the following subtopic, do take some time to view the
following videos as well as clicking the link provided below to read a good topic
on creativity as appeared in our local newspaper, not too long ago.
SELF-CHECK 5.3
List five important traits of creative individuals and explain each one of
them in your own words.
ACTIVITY 5.3
„As with all the learner attributes, cultural perspectives are also very
important when considering creativity. Confucian heritage cultures, for
example, tend to see creativity more as a collective exercise.‰ Do you
agree with this statement? Explain.
The Foundation for Young Australians (2016) reported that based on their study
of analysing job advertisements for three years, the demand for creativity has
increased by 65% (among the key skills with the biggest increase in demand!)
Innovative companies and organisations of the 21st century seek graduates/
potential employees that can think creatively and are able to solve problems
confidently.
Therefore, we need to develop learners who can generate ideas and think critically
and equip them with the essential skills for their future employment. We need
to develop creative and innovative thinkers in schools and higher institutions
today. For this to happen, we need creativity to be embedded in our education
curriculum. Being able to think creatively opens the door to opportunity.
In OUM, we need to incorporate creative thinking into our teaching and learning
environment (do refer to Activity 5.4) and develop creative and innovative ODL
learners who not only can generate ideas and think critically but who persevere in
the face of difficulty. We need to develop curious learners who have a zest for
learning and relish real-world challenges.
One cannot think creatively unless one has the knowledge with which to think
creatively. Creativity represents a balance between knowledge and freeing
oneself of that knowledge.
(Robert J. Sternberg)
Source: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/02/22/24sternberg.h25.html
ACTIVITY 5.4
Design Thinking gives you confidence in your creative abilities and a process for
transforming difficult challenges into opportunities for design. Design Thinking is
a powerful and reliable tool for innovation as shown in Figure 5.9. The basic
process of design thinking as a Strategy for Innovation is explained in Table 5.5.
Table 5.5: The Basic Process of Design Thinking as a Strategy for Innovation
We are coming to the end of this topic. I hope this topic has shed some lights to the
concepts of creativity, innovation and design thinking. Fortunately for us, there
are various creativity, innovation and design thinking tools and techniques out
there that can be used to generate new ideas and improve your creativity.
Tools/Techniques Description
I-CREATE A full set of creativity tools and techniques from I-CREATE
library. Check out their creativity technique search engine!
Read more at: http://icreate-project.eu/
Creative A lot of exercises about creative thinking can be found at
Thinking.net Creativethinking.net.
Read more at: http://creativethinking.net/exercises/
Human Centered Design-thinking based toolkits for creative problem solving.
Design by Ideo Read more at: http://www.designkit.org/
Koozai.com 8 creative thinking techniques and the tools to use.
Read more at: https://www.koozai.com/blog/content-
marketing-seo/eight-awesome-creative-thinking-techniques-
plus-tools/
Creative Tools Used Every Day By Google, IDEO, and Other Top Innovation
Firms
HereÊs 5 creativity tools from some of the top firms in the world, to stay
above the fray and keep those creative juices flowing.
3. Innovation Flowchart
4. Design Sprint
You canÊt use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
(Maya Angelou)
Source: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou
SELF-CHECK 5.4
People who are good at having creative ideas are good at seeing connections.
By training your ability to see connections, you improve your capacity to think
creatively.
Adobe, & Econsultancy. (2018). Digital intelligence briefing: 2018 digital trends.
(2018). [pdf]
https://wwwimages2.adobe.com/content/dam/acom/au/landing
/DT18/Econsultancy-2018-Digital-Trends.pdf
Black, Robert Alan. (1998). Broken crayons: Break your crayons and draw outside
the lines. Cre8ng Places Press.
Dietrich, A. (2015). How creativity happens in the brain (1st ed.). Palgrave
Macmillan UK.
Foundation for Young Australians. (2016). The New Work mindset. [pdf].
https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/The-New-Work-
Mindset.pdf
Frey, C., & Osborne, M. (2016). Technology at work v2.0: The future is
not what it used to be. [pdf]. Oxford Martin School and Citi.
https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/reports/Citi_GPS_Techn
ology_Work_2.pdf
Hunter, S. (2013). Out think: How innovative leaders drive exceptional outcomes.
Mississauga, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada.
Lambropoulos, N., & Romero, M. (2015). 21st Century lifelong creative learning: A
matrix of innovative methods & new technologies for Individual, Team &
Community Skills & Competencies. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science
Publishers, Inc.
Nielsen, D., & Thurber, S. (2016). The secret of the highly creative thinker.
Amsterdam: BIS Publishers.
Raines, S. (2012). Creativity and the arts with young children. Cengage Learning.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define critical thinking;
2. Explain how critical thinking skills can be improved;
3. Elaborate the skills of critical thinking;
4. Distinguish between deductive and inductive reasoning; and
5. Classify the ways to assess critical thinking skills.
INTRODUCTION
Many people would sooner die than think. In fact, they do.
(Bertrand Russel, 1989)
What do you think the above quote means? Is it that difficult to think?
We always think, but the level of thinking is different, depending on the situation.
Certain situations do not need us to think deeply while others involve deep and
critical thinking. Thus, in this chapter, we will learn specifically on critical thinking
skills and the ways to assess them.
ACTIVITY 6.1
Think of situations when you are awake and you do not have to think at
all, list them out. Discuss in your forum.
(b) Thoughts do not have anything to do with the truth of the present moment;
it is just what a person is thinking and not necessarily related to facts and
truth.
(c) Knowing, on the other hand, does not actually entail thought. For instance,
when someone asks your name, you instantly know your name and you do
not require thinking for that.
(d) Thoughts are the origin of doubts while knowledge can only be either true
or false.
Both are needed in critical thinking. With knowing, it will invite thinking. For
some of us, it may initiate critical thinking. Previously, proficiency in reading,
writing and arithmetic were essential for entry-level to the job market. However,
in todayÊs world, employers require more from employees, they require those who
can solve problems, innovate, collaborate, and communicate more effectively.
ACTIVITY 6.2
Take a few minutes and think about your own definition of critical
thinking. Discuss with your classmates.
We can find many definitions on critical thinking and they tend to be similar with
considerable overlap. Fisher and Spiker (2000, as cited in Halpern, 2014) found that
the terms, which are mostly used to define critical thinking, include judgement,
reasoning/logic, reflection, questioning, metacognition and mental process. Here
is a list of some generic skills of a critical thinker (Halpern, 2014):
(d) Give reasons for choices as well as varying the style and amount of detail in
explanations depending on who is receiving the information;
The critical part about critical thinking denotes the component of evaluation, and
it is sometimes conveyed as something negative, for example, when we say,
„Karim is a critical person‰. However, the evaluation should and can be a
constructive reflection of positive and negative attributes.
There are countless examples of the need for critical thinking; some are as follows:
We have to be mindful of the need to educate people to think critically since their
early age. Being critical thinkers will enable us to be more evaluative and make
better decisions.
ACTIVITY 6.3
Are you a critical thinker? Why do you say so? How to become a better
thinker? Discuss with your coursemates.
A number of research has also been done to measure change in thinking among
students in Malaysia. You can find those articles from the links below:
SELF-CHECK 6.1
1. What is the definition of critical thinking?
In Malaysia, there are also various products that claims to have significant impact
on peopleÊs mind. These products are increasingly bought by the masses since they
believe that it can improve their mind or their childrenÊs mind when consumed.
Some parents even claim that these pills can make their children to be well
behaved. These are some perceptions people have indicating we can become better
thinkers in a quick and easy way.
System 1 Thinking
Let us try a simple exercise to have a better understanding of this system.
How did you do? Did you answer 100 minutes? An intuitive response would be
that „5 = 5 = 5 so 100 = 100 = 100‰. However, if it takes a single machine 5 minutes
to make a single widget, even a million machines can make a million widgets in
5 minutes. The correct answer is therefore 5 minutes.
A study found that respondents who gave intuitive, fast and in this case, wrong
responses were less likely to delay rewards; for instance, that person will agree to
receive RM200 today than RM300 next week, hence proposing that people who
rely more on intuitive and quick thinking are different from people of slow
thinking in other important ways.
Intuitions are like visual illusions in some ways. They can sometimes assist us to
understand the world, however they are often misleading and it is a challenge not
to pay attention to intuitions. Look at the picture in Figure 6.2.
The two table tops appear to be very different in their size and shape, however, if
you take a piece of paper and cut it to fit one of the table tops, you will find that
the same piece fits well on the other table as well. This is a common visual illusion,
which is similar to thinking illusion. We must be aware that our intuition is
sometimes wrong and we can learn to correct it through repeated experience.
System 2 Thinking
Critical thinking is System 2 thinking; which is deliberate, slow and effortful. It is
also seen as the engine that drives System 1 thinking since the originality of that
fast recognition processes in System 1 started in a deliberate and effortful way.
System 2 involves considering evidence, evaluating risks, calculating probabilities,
and judging credibility. People can learn to think rationally as thinking can be
rational. We can learn from our mistakes, and by keeping track of them, we can
control and make them less likely to reoccur in the future.
ACTIVITY 6.4
Think of situations when you use System 1 and System 2 ways of
thinking. Discuss with your coursemates.
Learning to think allows us to take control of our lives since we can think how to
reason, solve problems, make decisions, and not let ourselves to be pushed around
by circumstances, emotions and other people.
In the next sections, we will be exploring some skills of critical thinking and
reasoning.
Jennifer is looking around a used-car lot and suddenly she spots her favourite
make of sports car. She asks the salesperson about the condition of the car, and
she finds that the condition is good, mileage is just right, the colour is her
favourite shining red and the price is affordable. She drives with delight.
However, when she reaches home, the car does not fit her garage. She has
forgotten to do a CAF.
Teaching CAF is a matter of adding more and more factors to be considered in the
list. Ask ourselves these questions:
Although there is a difference between important and less important factors, the
focus should be on finding out the factors to consider before a decision is made.
Most of the time we go ahead with our thinking without doing a proper CAF.
ACTIVITY 6.5
You are going for a job interview. What things do you have to keep in
mind? Do a CAF.
(a) Perception: The same thing can be looked at in many different ways.
(f) Design: Alternative designs, each of which fulfils the purpose of the design
(machines, buildings, posters, etc.).
At times, the traditional way does not work and we are forced to look for
alternatives. Sometimes we want to look for better ways in doing our work or
solving a problem, thus, we will look for alternatives. If we are told that there are
only two possible solutions for a problem, we might take a few moments to think
of other alternatives and we might find the alternatives. On the other hand, we
might not. However, it is always worth taking time to look for them.
ACTIVITY 6.6
There are three main characteristics in this skill of thinking (de Bono, 1994):
(a) Key questions: thinking habits should be started with a key question. For
focus and purpose thinking skill, we have to ask ourselves
(b) Setting the focus: we should set our focus and purpose and not only be aware
of them. Ask ourselves „what do we want to focus on? ‰ We should be able
to pick up and define different focus areas, and what do we want to do with
each focus area.
(c) Types of thinking: There are five broad types of thinking that we should be
aware of and the focus of each will lead us to be purposive in our thinking.
(i) Exploring: looking around, increasing our knowledge and being aware
of our surroundings or objects.
ACTIVITY 6.7
You are going to prepare a meal for three of your friends. List five things
that you might focus on.
We have been talking for an hour but I still do not know what we are trying to
achieve. Can we, please, do an AGO?
(de Bono, 1994)
AGO is related to the thinking habit of wanting to know the focus and purpose of
thinking at every moment, but the focus is more of the overall purpose or objective
and not moment-to-moment focus.
We do not have to make a distinction between aims, goals and objectives since
such distinction is not helpful and confusing in this sense. But as soon as we are
clear with the ideal outcome of our thinking effort, then we are clear of our AGO.
We can ask ourselves „what is the objective of our thinking?‰ or „what do we want
to end up with? ‰
There are two aspects that we can consider when we acquire this skill:
(b) Sub-objectives
We may also need to set sub-objectives in the pursuit of solving the overall
problem. This is related to breaking down the problem into smaller ones and
picking out focus areas.
From the theory that „all fish fly ‰, we narrow it down to collect observations to
address the hypotheses of „all guppies are fish‰ This ultimately leads us to be able
to test the hypotheses with specific data ă a confirmation (or not) that is „all
guppies fly ‰ which is our original theory.
In deductive reasoning, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
However, we must take note that for deductive reasoning to be correct, the
hypotheses or premises must be correct.
Inductive reasoning works the other way around, moving from some specific
observations about the world to broader generalisations and theories. Informally,
we sometimes call this a „bottom-up‰ approach. In inductive reasoning, we begin
with specific observations and measures, we start to distinguish patterns and
regularities, articulate some tentative hypotheses that we can explore, and finally
end up developing some general conclusions or theories.
(b) Statistical ă Draws a conclusion based on statistics. For example, „95 per cent
of swans are white‰ (an arbitrary figure, of course); „therefore, a randomly
selected swan will probably be white.‰
(c) Sample ă Draws a conclusion about one group based on a different sample
group. For example, „There are ten swans in this pond and all are white;
therefore, the swans in my neighbourÊs pond are probably also white.‰
In inductive reasoning, if the premises are true, the conclusion is probably true.
SELF-CHECK 6.2
(a) Through inquiry ă Asking questions and using the answers to understand
the world around us is a way that lead to critical thinking. Some of the
questions we can ask ourselves are (Gocsik, 2002):
(i) What are the strengths and weaknesses of ⁄?
(ii) What is the difference between ⁄ and ⁄?
(iii) Explain why/how ⁄?
(iv) What would happen if ⁄?
(v) What is the nature of ⁄?
(vi) Why is ⁄ happening?
(vii) What is a new example of ⁄?
(b) Through writing ă Writing can transform us from passive to active person
since it requires us to identify issues and formulate hypotheses and
arguments. We need to focus and clarify our thoughts before putting them
down on paper, thus taking them through the critical thinking process. Some
of the questions that we might be asking ourselves before we start writing
are (Gocsik, 2002):
(i) What information is most important?
(ii) What might be left out?
(iii) What is it that I think about this subject?
(iv) How did I arrive at what I think?
(v) What are my assumptions? Are they valid?
(vi) How can I work with facts, observations, and so on, in order to
convince others of what I think?
(vii) What do I not yet understand?
(i) A collaborative team has the likelihood to generate better results than
any individual;
SELF-CHECK 6.3
de Bono, E. (1994). Teach your child how to think: Help them survive and thrive.
London: Penguin Book.
Nooraini, O., & Khairul Azmi, M. (2014). Thinking skill education and
transformational progress in Malaysia. International Education Studies, 7(4).
https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v7n4p27
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Explain the essence of communication in our daily lives;
2. Discuss the functions of verbal and nonverbal communication;
3. Demonstrate on how to be an effective communicator; and
4. Identify the barriers of effective communication.
INTRODUCTION
Effective communication is not only confined to the ability to speak fluently.
Many people did not realise that to be an effective communicator, one must not
just know how to speak, but also to listen. Also, communication has become
one of the key component to acquire in 21st century learning. According to the non
profit organisation in the United States, The Partnership for 21st Century Learning,
P21 (www.p21.org/index.php), communication involves mediated and digital
communication, interpersonal, written and oral communication. This topic will
assist you to gain communication skills and also how to become an effective
communicator.
ACTIVITY 7.1
Have you ever played a game called „The Telephone Game‰? This is how
it goes; as many people as possible will stand in a straight line. All the
players must be close enough as the player in front has to whisper a
„message‰ to the next person behind him/her, but not too close that
players can hear each other whisper. The whispering will continue until
the last player in line, and the last player will say the message out loud
so everyone can hear how much it has changed from the first message
uttered at the beginning.
The situation above indicates that in life, „One cannot not communicate‰. This
axiom was coined by Paul Watzlawick (1967) in his theory of interpersonal
communication, called Interactional View. This axiom basically says that even
if you are not actually talking, or perhaps not doing anything, you are still
communicating. Communicating, including non-verbal communication plays a
huge part and even when you are not speaking, you are still expressing non-verbal
ques, such as facial expressions, the way you are standing and also your silence.
Maybe we are aware that we are communicating, but do you realise that you are
actually going through a process? One of the best ways to understand the
communication process is to understand the model as depicted in Figure 7.1. This
model depicts the process of communication.
From this model, there are several elements that need to be introduced to you as
follows:
(b) Messages: what are the information that the senders want to transmit to the
receivers. Messages could be written, spoken, non-verbal, graphics or visual.
(c) Encoding: a process of transforming a series of words and symbols, also non-
verbal signals into a message or content.
(f) Noise: anything that distorts the message or creates barriers to communication
e.g. sounds or noise, hearing impairment, mispronunciation etc.
(g) Feedback: response from message recipient, turning one-way into two-way
communication.
(h) Context: is the situation or which event that communication took place.
ACTIVITY 7.2
(a) Sender/Receiver
(b) Encoding/Decoding
(c) Noise
(d) Context
Once you understood the process of communication, and also which types of
communication, you can begin to understand why communication does or does
not work. At this juncture, it is only appropriate that we discuss the functions of
communication in our daily life.
Paynton & Hahn (2018), have outlined several functions of verbal communication
as follows:
(d) Verbal Communication Helps Us Shape Our Attitudes About Our Worlds
The way you use language shapes your attitude about the world around you.
When you label, describe, or evaluate events in your life, you use the symbols
of the language you speak. Your use of these symbols to represent your
reality influences your perspective and attitude about the world. So, it makes
sense then that the more sophisticated your repertoire of symbols is, the more
sophisticated your world view can be for you.
ACTIVITY 7.3
Do an observation for three days on your friend or your colleagueÊs
verbal messages and nonverbal cues. Your observations must include all
the nonverbal cues as mentioned in this module. Then, write a report
and suggest ways to improve the communication behaviours of your
friend/colleague.
There are a few types of nonverbal communication but we are not going to discuss
in detail here, as you will learn in other modules throughout your study, such as
ABCC1103 Introduction to Communication and OUMH1303 English for Oral
Communication.
Paynton & Hahn (2018) has listed seven types of nonverbal communication such
as follows:
(a) Kinesics
The study of how we use body movement, facial expressions and eye
contact. Facial expressions are a primary method of sharing emotions and
feelings, and in some countries, eye contacts shows respect and honesty
while interacting or delivering messages.
(b) Haptics
Touch is the first type of nonverbal communication we experience as humans
and is vital to our development and health. We use touch to share feelings
and relational meanings such as hugs, handshakes or while kidding or
playful.
(d) Proxemics
The study of how our use of space influences the ways we relate with others.
Have you realised in some workplace, they provide big rooms for top
management positions while, middle and low positions workers are placed
in cubicles or compartments? It shows power and hierarchial structure
within the companies. On the other hand, there are also spaces we use to
form and maintain relationships. We use intimate space with those whom
we are close (family members, close friends and intimate partners) which
consists of spaces that ranges from touch to eighteen inches. Other than
intimate space is personal space, social space and public space.
(e) Chronemics
The study of how people use time. Are you the type of person that give high
value to time or not? Are you always punctual or really cherished someone
who are punctual to deal with? The way you use time actually depicted the
person you really are.
(f) Paralanguage
Involves vocal qualities such as pitch, volume, inflection, rate of speech and
rhythm. How we say words often expresses greater meaning than the actual
words themselves.
(g) Silence
When we do not use words or utterances to convey meanings. Silence is
powerful because the person using silence may be refusing to engage in
communication with you.
However, these skills of listening is becoming more important every day because
nowadays, we rarely listen and talk anymore, since the advancement of social
media and most of the communication processes focused around it (refer to
Figure 7.6 for Global Time Spent on Media, reported by World Economic Forum).
Referring to the chart above, a total of 61% of social media usage recorded
involving 15% of it through social networking. Social media also included talking
and listening online. Various quality of verbal, nonverbal and listening skills are
not there when experiencing through online.
Source: thequotes.com
(c) Listening to Others will Allow Them to Solve Their Own Problems
Management by listening: a term coined by Iuppa (1986) in Eunson (2016)
defined listening as allowing others to reach their own solutions by talking
through their problems. Most of us thought that listening to others is a waste
of our time, because the solution to their problems is pretty clear to us, but
this is a serious misconception that need to be changed.
SELF-CHECK 7.1
The more communication skills and knowledge you master, the more versatile you
will become as a communicator, and the greater will be the likelihood that you will
be able to communicate effectively in a range of situations. Communicating
differently not only gives you the opportunity to reinforce you message, but also
demonstrates your versatility and competence (Eunson, 2016).
ACTIVITY 7.4
Do you know that you are free to access Open Educational Resources
(OER) in Communication? You can search in www.google.com and it
will show you thousands of such access provided by various universities
around the globe.
SELF-CHECK 7.2
Discuss the barriers to effective communication. Provide relevant
examples.
There are five questions that you must asked yourself in order to be an effective
communicator. It is also important to identify and be aware of the barriers that
impede effective communication.
Eunson, Baden. (2016). Communicating in the 21st Century. Qld, Australian: John
Wiley & Sons.
Fluer, M. H., DeFluer, M. L., Kearney, P., & Plax, Timothy, G. (2014). Fundamentals
of human communication: Social sciences in everyday life (4th eds.). NY:
McGraw-Hill Education.
Hybels, S., & Weaver II, R. L. (2015). Communicating effectively (11th eds.). NY:
McGraw-Hill Education.
Paynton, Scott. T., & Hahn, Laura, K. (2018). Survey of Communication study.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Survey_of_Communication_Study
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define collaboration and collaborative learning;
2. Elaborate on the benefits of collaborative learning;
3. Compare collaborative learning and cooperative learning; and
4. Discuss about the assessment of collaborative skills.
INTRODUCTION
Let us start this topic with a question. How do you accomplish any task given to
you? You might be doing it alone and you might also sometimes do it with other
people. You might need some skills in order to work effectively with others.
Collaborative skill is one such skill.
Collaborative skill is an important learning skill for the 21st century learning.
Today there is more emphasis on working collaboratively as compared to working
alone, in order to achieve more. Working with others in collaboration creates
synergy which means that we could potentially achieve more when working
collaboratively. This synergistic work through collaboration not only helps us in
completing the work but also enhance our productivity.
Dede in his observation states that we do not only work with others through face-
to-face interaction but we can also work with others who are not physically near
us. The collaborative skill is therefore important as a 21st century skill.
ACTIVITY 8.1
1. Try to recall your own involvement with tasks done with others,
whether in school, work place or other context.
Dillenbourg, Baker, Blaye & OÊMalley (1995) describe three conceptual approaches
which benefits the individuals ă social constructivist, socio-cultural and shared
cognition.
The first approach is the social constructivist approach which stems from PiagetÊs
work. In this approach, collaboration is viewed as a catalyst for individual
studentÊs cognitive development (Chi & Wylie, 2014; Ernest, 1998; Handal, 2003).
The second approach is the socio-cultural approach which is inspired by Vygotsky
that sees social interactions become internalised as the individual learns (Rogoff,
1991; Wertsch, del Rio & Alvarez, 1995; Wegerif, Mercer & Daweset, 1999). An
instance of this concept is the Zone of Proximal Development whereby there is a
gap between what an individual can learn by himself or herself versus what he or
she could learn under the guidance of an adult or group of peers. The third
approach is the shared cognition (or Interactionist) approach. This approach
emphasises that social interactions are inseparable from individualÊs thoughts and
actions (Plucker and Barab, 2005; Van den Bossche, Gijselaers, Segers, Wottjer &
Kirschner, 2011). The benefit discussed here covers the thinking or cognitive
aspect, the social interaction with others which leads to learning and the shared
thinking through the interaction.
According to Johnson and Johnson (2009), there are three ways when individuals
take action in relation to the actions of others. An individual may be:
(b) Working against each other in a competitive setting to achieve goal that is
scarce and only attainable by one or a few; and
If we reflect on our own actions, we could be doing either one of these in our
interactions with others. We could be working with others, working in competition
with them or just working on our own.
These researchers (Johnson & Johnson, 2009) found through a survey they
conducted that collaborative learning results in;
(b) Better relationships through a more caring and supportive behaviour; and
Johnson and Johnson (1989) and Panitz (1999) list over 50 benefits for collaborative
learning. Laal and Ghodsi (2012) summarises these benefits into four major
categories, as follows:
In both the collaborative learning and cooperative learning approaches, the teacher
plays the part of a facilitator. Both of these approaches encompass active learning
and the experiences of learning are shared by the student and teacher alike.
Students also take more charge of their learning in both these approaches and their
cognitive skills are enhanced. Students articulate ideas in both these learning and
develop teambuilding skills through their social interactions.
The simplest way to see the difference in both these learning is that cooperative
learning involves each member using their skills and knowledge to help each other
and work together whilst in collaborative learning each member work separately
and come together for a common goal for the team as a whole. In collaborative
learning, the students organise and divide work among them. Each member will
then perform the task given and the sum of all the work will be brought together
as the team effort. In cooperative learning, each member is assigned a specific role
in the activities. Work is done together and that entails the overall team effort.
In collaborative learning, team members search for their own materials while in
cooperative learning, the facilitator supplies the information or help to direct the
members to where the sources can be acquired. The team as well as the members
of collaborative learning approach are more independent as compared to team
members of cooperative learning approach. The teacher is involved as the
facilitator in both these learning modes. However there is a difference on how
actively involved the facilitator is. The facilitator is generally more actively
involved in cooperative learning compared to collaborative learning. In
cooperative learning, the facilitator is heavily involved in listening and observing
the discussion and work being carried out. In fact, the facilitator also intervenes as
and when the need arises. In collaborative learning, the activities are generally not
monitored by the teacher. The students are left to make their own decisions but
they could get assistance if they request from the facilitator.
In cooperative learning, the work done by the group is submitted for the teacher
or facilitator to review and assess. The facilitator reviews and awards marks to
each member according to their efforts but generally the whole team will enjoy the
same marks. In collaborative learning, the members are involved in the
assessment. They do their own assessment as well as the assessment of their team
members. The facilitator plays a part in awarding the marks to the individual
member and also the team, taking into account the assessments done within the
team amongst its members. In short, the fundamental approach in cooperative
learning is teacher-centredness whereas collaborative learning is more student-
centred.
In collaborative learning, the success of the team performance depends on all the
accumulated success of all the team members. Every individual counts and the
contribution of each individual is both important for the individual as well as the
team. A member cannot strive just being excellent individually while not looking
at the performance of the team members. The good members must help develop
the weaker ones so that every member contributes to the highest possible. In
cooperative learning, some members could be good while others might be weak
and the good ones would be able to cover the weakness of the other members. This
is a good team work but those who do not want to develop can just play their
minimal role and sail along the wave created by the more hardworking members.
This could lead to an unbalanced level of performance amongst the members while
the team still looks good overall.
ACTIVITY 8.2
Research has also been done on the relationship of collaborative learning with the
other skills of the 21st century, particularly creativity and critical thinking skills.
There have been studies to investigate whether working in groups create more
creativity than individuals working alone. The findings are generally negative,
with most studies suggesting that people who work in groups tend to be less
creative than those individuals working alone on similar tasks (Diehl & Stroebe,
1987; Larey & Paulus, 1999; Thompson, 2003; West, Borrill and Unsworth, 1998).
Research found that critical thinking skill, which is another 21st century skill
when combined with collaboration shows that collaboration can help in the
enhancement of critical thinking skills. Gokhale (1995) compared individual
student performance and group performance. Students performed factual
knowledge recall tasks and critical thinking tasks as individuals and also as a
group. Both the individual and group approaches were found to be effective in
increasing factual knowledge. On the other hand, it was found that collaborative
learning was significantly more beneficial to enhance critical thinking and
problem-solving skills.
(a) Knowledge
Know how to plan, set, and meet goals and to monitor and re-plan
in the light of unforeseen developments
(b) Skills
Inspire others to reach their very best via example and selflessness
(c) Attitudes/Values/Ethics
In 2015, for the first time, the Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA), included a collaborative problem-solving component in the assessment.
Previously, in 2012, PISA only assessed individual studentÊs ability to solve
problems. The shift is made to address the growing emphasis on collaborative
learning and students who are able to work more effectively in team
environments.
ACTIVITY 8.3
The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) which is a national nonprofit
organisation in The United States that advocates for 21st century readiness for
every student, presented six education levels for collaborative learning initiatives.
Each of the levels is discussed with focus on three important aspects ă intervention,
assessment and evaluation. This section will discuss these aspects on the six levels,
namely; classroom, school, out-of-school, school district, state and national.
The first level is the classroom. The classroom intervention determines the
extent to which collaboration is being developed and modelled in classroom
environment. This should be supported by embedding opportunities for
collaboration into the classroom culture. For the assessment, collaboration should
be embedded into all aspects of student learning, curriculum and instruction. The
classroom facilitator should also address the diverse abilities of the students and
ways of collaboration. Evaluation in the classroom should focus on both the
student collaboration and team building skills. Results from regular assessment of
studentÊs growth should be reported to the parents.
The second level is the school. The school level intervention should examine
how collaboration is taught and demonstrated across classrooms and grades. The
school should focus its educational goals on collaboration as both, a process and
an outcome. The assessment of collaborative skills should be given high priority.
The school should develop a common vision, plan and strategy to be included in
teaching and learning.
The fourth level is the school district. At the school district level, the intervention
should include determining how resources are used to promote collaboration
in learning spaces and culture. Resources should be allocated as needed and
there should be encouragement of mediated interactions and blended learning
opportunities. As for the assessment, resources should be provided to schools to
incorporate collaboration into teaching and learning. Evaluation at this level will
include efforts to develop and support 21st century assessment data systems for
educators, parents and students.
The fifth level is the state. At the state level, there should be promotion of
teaching practices and learning environments that promote collaboration. As
for the assessment, the state should provide the districts with curricular
and instructional resources as well as professional development initiatives. The
evaluation at the state level should include the development of collaboration
rubrics to assess student growth. There should be efforts to incorporate evaluation
of collaborative skills in all assessments and promote collaboration as a critical
student outcome.
The sixth level is the national level. At this level, there should be continuous
support for the ongoing research on effective collaboration. Resources should be
developed to help promotion of collaboration for learning. For the assessment,
there should be efforts towards funding of research and development projects on
interventions which will increase the studentsÊ collaborative skills. The evaluation
effort at this level should support the development of high quality collaboration
assessments and rubrics.
ACTIVITY 8.4
SELF-CHECK 8.1
1. What is collaborative learning?
4. What are the main areas that can be measured using assessment of
collaboration?
In cooperative learning, each individual plays his or her role in part of the task
and work is done together while in collaborative learning, each individual
works on a part but may work separately. The parts are then brought together
to form the whole.
Students might be working in a group but that does not necessarily mean that
they are collaborating. On the other hand students may be working
collaboratively but not together in the same place.
The P21 proposes six education levels for collaborative learning initiatives,
namely; classroom, school, out-of-school, school district, state and national.
Collaborative skills will be an important asset in any learner of the 21st century.
Binkley M. et al. (2012). Defining Twenty-First Century Skills. In: Griffin P.,
McGaw B., Care E. (eds) Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills.
Springer, Dordrecht
Chatman, J., Polzer, J., Barsade, S., & Neale, M. (1998). Being Different Yet Feeling
Similar: The Influence of Demographic Composition and Organizational
Culture on Work Processes and Outcomes. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 43(4), 749ă780.
Diehl, M., & Stroebe, W. (1987). Productivity loss in brainstorming groups: Toward
the solution of a riddle. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53 (3),
497-509.
Hesse, F., Care, E., Buder, J., Sassenberg, K., & Griffin, P. (2015). A framework for
teachable collaborative problem solving skills. In P. Griffin ,& E. Care (Eds.),
Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills: Methods and approach
(pp. 37ă56). Dordrecht, NL: Spriinger.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1989). Cooperation and competition theory and
research. Edina, Minnesota: Interaction Book Co. Publishing.
Kuhn, D. (2015). Thinking together and alone. Educational Researcher, 44, 46ă53.
Kyndt, E., Raes, E., Lismont, B., Timmers, F., Cascallar, E., & Dochy, F. (2013). A
Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Face-to-Face Cooperative Learning. Do
Recent Studies Falsify or Verify Earlier Findings? Educational Research
Review, 10, 133ă149.
Larey, T. S., & Paulus, P. B. (1999). Group preference and convergent tendencies
in small groups: A content analysis of group brainstorming
performance. Creativity Research Journal, 12(3), 175ă184.
Maher, M. R., & Tinto, V. (Eds.) Collaborative learning: A sourcebook for higher
education. National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning &
Assessment, Syracuse University.
Michelene T. H. Chi, & Ruth Wylie. (2014). The ICAP Framework: Linking
Cognitive Engagement to Active Learning Outcomes, Educational
Psychologist, 49:4, 219ă243.
Noroozi, O., Weinberger, A., Biemans, H. J., Mulder, M., & Chirazi, M. (2012).
Argumentation-based computer supported collaborative learning (ABCSCL):
A synthesis of 15 years of research. Educational Research Review, 7(2),
79ă106.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2009). A. framework for 21st century
learning P21.Tucson, AZ. Available at: www.21stcenturyskills.org.
Van den Bossche, Gijselaers, Segers, Wottjer, & Kirschner. (2011). Team Learning:
Building shared mental models. Instructional Science: An International
Journal of the Learning Sciences, 39 (3), 283ă301.
Wegerif, R., Mercer, N., & Dawes, L. (1999). From Social Interaction to Individual
Reasoning: An Empirical Investigation of a Possible Socio-Cultural Model of
Cognitive Development. Learning and Instruction, 9 (6), 493ă516.
Wertsch, J. V., del Rio, P., & Alvarez, A. (Eds.) (1995). Sociocultural Studies of
Mind. New York: Cambridge University Press.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Discuss Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and its importance in
the 21st century;
2. Analyse the roles of the state in globalisation;
3. Explain international conflicts; and
4. Elaborate on gender equality in the world.
INTRODUCTION
The more global citizens there are, and the more active and effective they are,
the more progress the world will make.
(Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft)
Welcome to Topic 9. This topic will be divided into four parts. Firstly, this
topic will discuss on Global Citizenship Education and its importance in the
21st century. In the subtopic, learners will be exposed to the definition of
Global Citizenship Education, the objectives and lastly its importance. Next, this
topic will focus on the roles of the state in globalisation. The question to ponder is
whether the role of the state will be more powerful or the other way round due to
globalisation.
Equally important in this topic is international conflicts. You will be exposed to the
conflict between Iraq and Kuwait that occurred in the early 1990s as well as the
Syrian Civil War that has happened in 2011. These two conflicts are selected for
the purpose of discussion because the former happened right after the collapse of
the Berlin Wall, followed by the political and economic instabilities in the Soviet
Union which signified the road to the end of the Cold War. Meanwhile, the latter
was the on-going war that began in late December 2010 in Tunisia and spread to
many other Arab countries including Syria (2011) as a result of long-term suffering
by the oppressive regimes and discrimination and low standard of living. Finally,
this topic will delve into gender equality in the 21st century from the political and
economic aspects in Malaysia.
Consequently, in 2013, two main UNESCO events which are the Technical
Consultation on Global Citizenship Education and the first UNESCO Forum on
Global Citizenship Education held in Seoul, Republic of Korea and Bangkok,
Thailand respectively. The outcomes from both events were documented.
These two documents provided foundation works for GCED and in support
of GEFI. For further details of these documents, you may refer to these
websites http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002241/224115E.pdf and
http://www.unescobkk.org/education/news/article/unesco-forum-on-global-
citizenship-education/.
Two years later, in May 2015, in Incheon, Republic of Korea, the Incheon
Declaration was adopted at the World Education Forum (WEF). The Incheon
Declaration emphasised the commitment of the education community to
Education 2030. Meanwhile, on September 25, 2015, 193 member states of the
United Nations have formally adopted the 2030 Development Agenda, entitled
„Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development‰. The
adoption of this agenda along with a set of bold new Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) or also known as the Global Goals comprised 17 Goals, 169 Targets
and 232 indicators is aim to achieve a better and sustainable future for all
(Figure 9.1).
These 17 Goals are all interconnected that encompasses various global challenges
that we are facing now such as poverty, climate change, environmental
degradation, peace, inequalities and many others. Building on the principle of
„Leaving No One Behind‰, the SDGs asserted that everyone in this world should
be treated equally regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion
or economic or other status to sustain the better future for all. One of the Goals of
the SDGs is Goal 4 ă Quality Education. This Goal consists of ten targets, eleven
indicators. Target 4.7 specifically mentioned that:
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to
promote sustainable development, including, among others, through
education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human
rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence,
global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of cultureÊs
contribution to sustainable development
(Sustainable Development Goal 4; Target 4.7)
This target apparently highlights the importance of GCED and education for
sustainable development to the younger generation to prepare themselves to
become more knowledgeable, aware and concerned about global challenges in this
interdependent world for the next fifteen years.
So, based on the above definitions, it can be said that GCED empowers learners to
think, share and act for a more just, peaceful, inclusive and sustainable world.
The fundamental objective of GCED is to nurture respect for all, build a sense of
belonging to shared humanity and help learners to become responsible and active
global citizens. Nevertheless, the other aims of GCED are to empower learners so
that they can engage and assume active roles, both locally and globally; to face and
resolve global challenges and ultimately to become proactive contributors to a
more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable world (UNESCO,
2014). The GCED has three main conceptual dimensions which are cognitive,
socio-emotional and behaviour. The details of these three main conceptual
dimensions are explained in Table 9.1 below.
Importance of GCED
You may ask why GCED is important when there are so many issues happening
locally and at the same time, global issues concentrated mainly in the developing
world. Well, the importance of GCED is due to increasing pressure to expand
the role of education to address global problems. Hence, the role of education in
the 21st century should go beyond the usual topics traditionally taught in the
classrooms or lecture halls. Conversely, education that goes beyond the classroom
or lecture hall is what our „educated‰ societies should focus on in the 21st century.
The theories, concepts or even models that have been taught in the classrooms or
lecture halls provide us with the knowledge, yet these are not sufficient. Now, it is
time for us as a global citizen to practice and act upon the theories, concepts and
models in our daily lives for the sustainability of this world. For instance, the
education of sustainable development should not be taught per se, but it should
focus on how people should react and practice in their daily life. In fact, we were
taught a long time ago on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) of the environment.
However, it is 5Rs or even 6Rs now. The correct order of 5Rs is Refuse, Reduce,
Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. Meanwhile, the 6Rs are Reduce, Rethink, Refuse,
Recycle, Reuse and Repair.
Figure 9.4: The 6Rs are Reduce, Rethink, Refuse, Recycle, Reuse and Repair
Source: https://www.myprincegeorgenow.com/105317/reduce-reuse-recycle-are-tried-
and-true-but-now-add-rethink-refuse-and-repair/
The world that we are living in now is more complex and challenging. The world
has become more interdependent and interconnected. Any actions that happen
locally will have effects not only on our community, our city but on all of us, the
world itself. Therefore, we must understand each other, live as one global citizen
and prepare our younger generation to find the solutions for the challenges in this
interconnected world (Figure 9.5).
According to Toh Swee-Hin, Laureate of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education
in 2000: „Important entry points for GCED are peace education, human rights
education, education for international understanding, education for sustainable
development. They are like a river with many tributaries; in this river, we can mix
and learn from each other.‰ (UNESCO, 2014). Thus, the GCED will help us to
develop a caring attitude and empathy for others in this mutual environment. For
instance, human rights issues in the Palestine conflict has yet to be resolved since
the establishment of the „Israel‰ on 14 May 1948. This conflict is not about „their‰
conflict. It is „our‰ conflict. The systematic oppression and discrimination are
happening daily against the Palestinians. As a global citizen and through GCED,
we can play our roles to create awareness and make our community aware of this
issue.
Without a doubt, literacy and numeracy are important, but we must not only
emphasise on education that can be measured. Equally essential is to delve
into issues like, change, interdependence, identity and diversity, rights and
responsibilities, peacebuilding, poverty and wealth, diversity, sustainability and
global justice which contribute to, contemporary global issues at local, national
and global levels as informed, engaged, responsible and responsive global citizens.
Every year, we have more architects, accountants, engineers, dentists and many
others, but how many of these people are the agents of the positive change in this
world. How many of them are aware of the trade war between China and the US,
the Syrian Crisis, the ethnic conflicts in Yemen resulting in the food crisis, global
warming and many others? Hence, through GCED, we will be more emphatic,
compassionate, adaptable, tolerance of what is happening, be it locally or
internationally.
Consequently, there is a need that the themes of GCED should be embedded into
education syllabus of any course as it can cultivate respect for the world and
each other, to provide our citizens with the understanding of a diverse world,
to respond to the unfamiliar with empathy, to empower youth to lead our societies,
to embrace peace, to activate civil participation, to enjoy our differences.
According to former Education Minister of Malaysia, Dr Maszlee Malik, in line
with the Malaysian Education Development Plan to enable every student to
leave school as a global citizen, with core and universal values and a strong
Malaysian identity (http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/09/30/student-
exchange-programme-important-development-national-education-maszlee).
SELF-CHECK 9.1
1. Explain what „global citizenship‰ is in your own words.
ACTIVITY 9.1
1. Share an experience that made you feel a sense of belonging to the
global community.
Definition of Globalisation
The word „globalisation‰ is widely used, but what does it mean? First of all,
globalisation can be referred to as the growing interconnectedness of governments,
non-state actors and populations throughout the world through a variety of
political, economic, technological, cultural, environment and other interactions
(Klesner, 2014).
The original state role was created from the Westphalian Model, portraying the
state as the highest power with complete sovereignty, with an internal role to
provide to and govern for the people of the state and an external role as an actor
in world politics; the current role of the state is different politically, socially,
technologically and economically (Buchanan, 2012). However, globalisation has
altered the function of the state politically as it has strengthened the relationship
between the states and resulted in the dependency among one another. States were
created to be sovereign but now, due to globalisation, often give their sovereignty
away to „pooling‰ (Shaw, 2000, 185) in conventions, contracting, coercion and
imposition (Krasner, 1995/6).
Globalisation has resulted in the state that has to encounter the challenges beyond
their geographical boundaries. For instance, the Syrian Civil War which originated
with a peaceful demonstration by the Syrian pro-democracy activists on March
2011, after one of the 15 boys that were arrested was killed because the Syrian
armies brutally tortured him. President Syria, Bashar al-Assad has responded to
the mass protest by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning others
involved in the mass demonstrations. Due to globalisation, this incident has
spread across the world. Foreign interventions like Hezbollah, the majority of Shia
in Iraq and Iran has rented the support to Bashar al-AssadÊs regime, while, Turkey,
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have backed the insurgent groups against the Assad
government. These foreign interventions have caused the state not only have to
delve with the pressure of the internal civilians but also external interference. The
war itself excited European Muslims and led many to volunteer, often seeing
themselves as would-be freedom fighters rather than clandestine terrorists.
(Byman February 27, 2018). Inevitably, it started as the civil war, but now with the
backing of foreign interventions, this internal war has lasted for almost nine years,
and there is still no sign that this civil war will end anytime soon.
Today, there are many non-state actors like the United Nations (UN), World
Bank (WB), Multinational Corporations (MNCs) besides the state are affecting
international politics due to globalisation. The state remains central and important
in the international system, but its role is clearly transforming. The role of the
state has been transformed from the controller to the protector. This can be seen,
especially in the political and economic sector. Politically, the state will protect its
political system, while economically, the state will have to diversify its economic
activities in order to attract the foreign direct investor at the same time not
jeopardising its infant economy activities. For instance, China was once on its own
land, but in 1979, she implemented the Open Door Policy. This policy is to attract
foreign investors to invest and expand their businesses in China so as to speed up
the growth of her economy. At the same time, the political system remains as it is
since her independence in 1949, a unitary state with a one-party system controlled
by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which is also known as Communist Party
of China (CPC).
Globalisation has created imbalances between the states. Certain states become so
powerful and vice-versa. In fact, „in recent decades an imbalance has emerged
between successful efforts to craft strong and well-enforced rules facilitating the
expansion of global markets, while support for equally valid social objectives, be
they labour standards, the environment, human rights or poverty reduction,
has lagged behind‰ (UN, 2000, Millennium Report, A/54/2000). Consequently,
globalisation has opened up a developing countryÊs markets to skew competition
with multinationals which has ensured that most of the wealth of such countries
end up in the developed world. In exchange, the developing country is left with
more unemployment, poverty and diseases.
The states can become dominant if the citizens of the states can seize the
opportunities of globalisation. The citizens are required to access to higher quality
education system, information and communication technologies (ICT), social
security nets and many others. Meanwhile, the role of the government is equally
important too. The government can provide affordable access and good coverages
to these services to the citizens. Although it will be a daunting task for the
developing states due to lack of the facilities and accessibility, the government can
minimise the cost of globalisation by strengthening the state institutions and social
welfare policies for its citizens.
The negative impact that globalisation brings also cannot be neglected at all.
Globalisation increased the risk of the various countriesÊ economies, particularly
the developing countries where economic sovereignty and economic security are
faced with new challenges. The South-North economic gap further widens. Even
if in developed country, because of the change of economic structure, the
application of sophisticated technology leads to the lesser use of labour in the
production line. Consequently, it has resulted in a higher unemployment rate.
The trade protectionism of all forms has been on the rise. Some countries also take
the opportunity of globalisation, to promote their own values, the economic
regime and social systems to other countries forcefully and thus erode the values
of the receiving countries. If these issues cannot be solved, globalisation can be
perceived as an unhealthy development to the state.
In conclusion, the phenomenon of globalisation did not make the state becomes
powerless, but it actually expands and strengthen the roles of the state itself. The
state still remains central in the international system despite the challenges from
non-state actors as well as the phenomenon of globalisation. This is because, in the
world of global enmeshment, simply to achieve domestic objectives, national
governments are forced to engage in extensive multilateral collaboration and
cooperation. (Baylis, Smith & Owens, 2016). Undeniably, the roles of the state have
transformed, but no means to become „powerless‰. The state has to become more
proactive and dynamic or else the sovereignty of the state is at stake.
SELF-CHECK 9.2
1. In your own words, explain the definition of globalisation.
ACTIVITY 9.2
There are many conflicts that have happened and is happening now. For
discussion purposes, in this sub-topic, we will focus on two international conflicts;
the Iraq and the Persian Gulf War 1990ă1991 and the Syrian Civil War.
IraqÊs attack on Kuwait started with SaddamÊs decision to dominate the oilfield in
Rumaila (see Figure 9.6) which was supposed to have been shared by both
countries. However, Saddam went further by challenging KuwaitÊs independence.
Historically, Iraq had claimed Kuwait as part of its territory twice in the
20th century; in 1937 and 1961 respectively.
(a) There was a popular uprising in Kuwait, followed by a request for help from
„brotherly‰ Iraq;
(b) Kuwait had damaged IraqÊs economic interests by taking oil from the Iraqi
part of the Rumaila oilfield and exceeded its Organisation of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota, thus lowering the price of oil;
(c) The border between the two states was wrongly drawn; and
(d) Kuwait had no legal status and was historically on Iraqi territory ă its
19th province.
(Oo Cheng Keat, 2017)
Despite no official statistics of civilian deaths in the Desert Storm (Gulf War),
however, an estimated 200,000 lives, mostly Iraqi civilians and troops were killed
and wounded by intense bombardment.
Besides, the above causes that triggered the wave of civil war in 2011, there are
also other causes. One of the notable cause was the dissatisfaction over the Assad
familyÊs long reign of power since 1971 from Hafez al-Assad who formed an
authoritarianism form of government till his death in 2000. Subsequently, after his
death, his son Bashar Hafez al-Assad succeeded his legacy to rule the country till
present.
This war also symbolised discontent between two sectarians ă Sunni-Shiite. Syria
is 74% Sunni, but the Assad family is part of a Shiite sect known as the Alawites.
After the eruption of civil war in 2011, the vast majority of Alawites were giving
full support to the Assad regime for fear of discrimination if the Sunni majority
come to power.
So, what are the effects of this war? The effects of this war till present has caused
damaged to 104 heritage sites, including five of the six UNESCO World Heritage
Sites. Currently, this war has escalated causing the loss of lives of many innocent
civilians, while more and more people flee to other countries for survival. Besides,
crime cases has increased tremendously since many police stations are not
functioning well due to serious damaged as a result of bombing. Infectious
diseases have spread across the country due to poor sanitation and deterioration
of the living conditions.
The Syrian Civil War is an on-going war till today. There is no indication of when
peace can be attained in Syria despite the intervention and pressure by the United
Nations and other international communities.
SELF-CHECK 9.3
ACTIVITY 9.3
1. Based on the case study on the Iraq and the Persian Gulf War
1990ă1991, do you think the intervention of the US was legitimate?
Discuss.
4. Discuss with your face-to-face tutor or e-tutor, what are the five
UNESCO World Heritage Sites that have been damaged in the
Syrian Civil War. Then, explain the importance of these heritage
sites for the younger generation.
So what is gender equality? Is it equality only for men? Is it equality only for
women? Or equality for both men and women? Well, gender equality simply
meant equality between women and men. However, in todayÊs world, sometimes,
gender is thought to be synonymous with women (Tickner, 2017, p. 266). Almost
simultaneously with gender, gender equality is also associated with women too.
These two statements are facts to be recognised. Globally, in 18 countries,
husbands can legally prevent their wives from working; in 39 countries, daughters
and sons do not have equal inheritance rights; and 49 countries lack laws
protecting women from domestic violence. For further detail, please log in
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/.
Moving on, when we talk about gender equality, what types of equality are we
referring to? There are many types of equality that we want to achieve to empower
all women and girls ă for example, equality to access to education; access to
healthcare. Also in terms of equitable allocation of employment and universal
suffrage which means every citizen above a certain age must be allowed to vote.
Besides, we also want to ensure all women and girls have the rights to social
security, rights to own property, fair trial in the court, rights of equality. No one in
the world should be robbed of their rights to profess the religion of choice, to
express their thoughts or opinions or even moving from one place to another.
Therefore, the importance of achieving gender equality within and outside the
household has been recently reaffirmed in the recently adopted Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs):
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld
The overall objective of gender equality is a society in which women and men
enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life.
Likewise, more women have been appointed to high positions in various fields
including Tan Sri DatoÊ Seri Utama Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat appointed
as the first women to hold the position as the Chief Justice of Malaysia; Latheefa
Koya appointed as MalaysiaÊs first woman to lead the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) (1 June 2019 ă 2 March 2020); Datuk Nor Shamsiah
Mohd Yunus as the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and many others.
Hence, we can see the change in Malaysia from the aspect of politics and
involvement of women at policymaking levels.
The average monthly salary for women is 4 % less than that of men despite having
the same qualifications, working hours, and job responsibilities. Often, the pay gap
becomes wider as the ranks go higher (Team Cleo, 2018).
Therefore, based on the above three aspects: Workforce, Employed person and also
average monthly salary ă it can be said that in Malaysia, men and women are
constrained by traditional and cultural norms which resulted in a gap of inequality
between men and women.
ACTIVITY 9.4
SELF-CHECK 9.4
There are three core conceptual dimensions of GCED, which are cognitive,
socio-emotional and behavioural.
The phenomenon of globalisation did not make the state becomes powerless,
but it expands and strengthen the roles of the state itself. The state still remains
central in the international system despite the challenges from non-state actors
as well as the phenomenon of globalisation
Iraq and the Persian Gulf War 1990ă1991 marked the beginning of the „New
World Order‰ after the end of the Cold War.
Syrian Civil War began in January 2011 is an on-going war till today. There is
no indication of when peace can be attained in Syria despite the intervention
and pressure by the United Nations and other international communities.
Baylis, J., Smith, S., & Owens, P. (2016). The globalisation of world politics: An
introduction to international relations (6th ed.). New York, N.Y: Oxford
University Press.
Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)
TOPIC 9 GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION 203
Byman. D. February 27. (2018). Six Counterterrorism Lessons from the Syrian Civil
War https://www.lawfareblog.com/six-counterterrorism-lessons-syrian-
civil-war
DÊAnieri, Paul, J. (2010). International politics: Power and purpose in global affairs.
Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Belmont, USA.
Halliday, F. (1994). The Gulf War 1990ă1991 and the study of international
relations. Review of international studies, 20 (2). pp. 109ă130.
Lesch, D. W. (2013). Syria: The fall of the house of Assad. Yale University Press.
McGrew, A. (2017). Globalization and global politics. In Baylis, J., Smith, S., &
Owens, P. (2011). The globalisation of world politics: An introduction to
international relations (5th ed.). (pp. 15ă36). Oxford, United Kingdom.
Tickner. (2017). „Gender in world politics‰. In p. 264ă278 Baylis, J., Smith, S., &
Owens, P. (2017). The globalisation of world politics: An introduction to
international relations (6th ed.). New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. State reasons for conserving the environment;
2. Describe major global environmental issues;
3. Explain the concept of green technology and its importance;
4. Discuss the concept of sustainability; and
5. Demonstrate ways to improve your ecological footprint.
INTRODUCTION
This topic „The Environment and Us‰, aims to introduce key concepts and prompt
discussions which allow us to re-evaluate our position in the environment. We
begin by discovering the environment, its benefits and the importance of
conserving it. We need to appreciate the intricate inter-relations among various
components within the environment. We need to expand our view from an
individual perspective that is confined to us and our home to a collective
perspective that concerns the global world as our surroundings. We have to
expand our responsibilities to play a part in conserving the environment. We must
identify the factors that affect the environment. What are the major environmental
issues that we are facing today? Immediate collective actions are needed to address
them.
Can we turn to technology for solution? What is green technology? You will learn
about the concepts of „green‰ and „green technology‰ in order to make informed
decisions. We shall also explore the concept of sustainability and the 17 sustainable
development goals (SDGs). You may recall a few SDGs from Topic 9. What do we
hope to achieve by 2030? What can be done from an individual perspective to
protect and conserve our environment? Do you know your own ecological
footprint? Let us explore these questions and do our part in creating a better
environment.
Ecology is the branch of science which studies how living things interact with one
another and with the surrounding physical environment. For convenience, a
segment of the biosphere is often identified as an ecosystem and is studied by
observing and analysing various interactions that exist within the system. An
ecosystem is a defined area where a community of living things (micro organisms,
plants and animals known as biotic components) interact with one another and
with non-living components (sunlight, temperature, water and others that are
referred to as abiotic components). An ecosystem:
(a) Has a community that lives and interacts with one another in a locale. The
term community in biology refers to an interacting group of various
organisms within a common location. A community can be broken down to
smaller groups by referring to populations which are characterised by the
number of organisms of a particular species.
(b) Has an arbitrary boundary that is defined according to the nature of the
study being conducted. A well-defined or sharp boundary is not possible in
reality. Nevertheless, there is a classification of major communities called
biome.
(c) Is referred to by its type of biomes. There are various biome classifications.
View attractive visuals of biomes at:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biome/
(d) Are analysed by tracing the movement of energy and matter. The rules of
nature where matter and energy are conserved are:
The cycle of matter and energy is best understood by analysing how the solar
energy that is absorbed by producers (plants including trees) is taken up by
primary consumers (herbivores and omnivores) and secondary and tertiary
consumers (carnivores). Dead and decaying materials are recycled by
decomposers. Energy in the form of heat is produced during the cycles and
conserved in the Food Web depicted in Figure 10.1.
Figure 10.1: Flow of energy among producer, consumer and decomposer (detritivores)
Source: https://ubisafe.org/explore/discomposition-clipart-food-
web/#gal_post_2175_discomposition-clipart-food-web-4.jpg
How about us, the human population? Where do we belong in the food web?
ACTIVITY 10.1
A tree interacts with other biotic components and abiotic components.
Suppose your neighbour sprays insecticide in his garden, will it affect the
tree in your garden? Discuss this problem with your peers in the online
forum. Extend your discussion to consider the pollution caused by the
use of chemical pesticides at a farm in your neighbourhood. Discuss
whether you should be concerned about activities and development
projects in your city, municipality or district.
Ecological services include provision of necessary resources such as the air that
we breathe, drinking water, and food. A large number of herbs and plants are
also useful as medicinal resources. Another important provision from our natural
ecosystem is raw materials such as timber. In addition to these Provisioning
Services, there are other services. The list by The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity (TEEB) („Ecosystem Services‰, n.d.) includes: Regulating, Supporting
and Cultural Services. TEEB is hosted by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
(c) Cultural Services cover benefits for recreation, tourism, aesthetic and
spiritual purposes.
Your ability to describe the natural environment, the interactions among various
components/elements within our ecosystem and the factors/conditions that can
affect the ecosystem is important. We need to understand how the human
population have been interacting with the environment and how we have
contributed to the environmental issues we are facing today. In using the
ecosystem services afforded by our natural environment, we have failed to realise
that there are others in our ecosystem, and we have failed to behave in a
responsible manner.
SELF-CHECK 10.1
(b) What are the features of an ecosystem and the services it offers?
(b) Land modification whereby changes occur but do not alter the type of land
cover due to activities such as logging.
Much of the worldÊs natural and semi-natural vegetated land cover (81%) was
turned into cropland between 1992 and 2015 (OECD, 2018). Deforestation is the
term used to describe the clearing of forest cover for other uses. Visit the Global
Forest Watch website to discover the current state of deforestation. You will learn
that Malaysia for example, has lost 25% of its tree cover (equivalent to 7.29 Mha)
since 2000.
Urbanisation (see sub-section 10.2.6) and Water Surface Changes are two other
drivers that cause land cover changes. We have lost our natural land and water
surfaces; and gained artificial land and water surfaces. Apart from the changes to
water surface caused by development of water dam (artificial water surfaces) and
land reclamation, the change in sea-level is also an alarming environmental issue.
What causes the sea-level to rise?
The world has warmed since 1860 from the period of the Industrial Revolution
(Harris, 2004). It is unlikely that the unusual rise in global average temperature is
due to natural forces alone. The global average temperature is expected to increase
at a much higher rate over the following decades along with other climatic
variables. Global warming is a symptom of climate change. Other signs of climate
change include droughts, storms and flash floods, snow melts and rising sea levels.
The sign of climate change are different from region to region. Climate change and
accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere bring about direct and
indirect impacts which include:
(a) Heat waves, cold waves and other extreme weather events such as flash
floods, droughts, landslides and wildfires;
Why are we losing our biodiversity? Land cover and water surface changes,
climate change, tourism, and pollution are some of the threats to the environment.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) developed at the 1992 Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro is one of earliest and most important global initiatives to
conserve our biodiversity. What are other efforts? How can we mitigate the loss of
biodiversity effectively?
10.2.5 Pollution
Pollution refers to the introduction of substances by humans that causes harmful
effects. Apart from air, water and soil pollution, we are also concerned about
pollution in the form of excessive heat, radiation, noise, and light. Human beings
are largely responsible for causing severe environmental pollution worldwide.
Why do we pollute our environment?
Pollution is pervasive and affects every being on earth, from the carbon dioxide
(CO2) in our atmosphere, to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCP) in our bodies to acid
on our land (Speth & Haas, 2006). Extensive use of chemicals is a major problem
in our environment. The sources of chemical pollutants vary from agriculture and
industries to transportation and households. For example, emissions from coal-
fired power plants pollute the air, and transforms into acid rain which then
pollutes the water and the soil. Acid rain is an example of transboundary pollution.
10.2.6 Urbanisation
Urbanisation refers to the process of changing social and environmental
landscapes („Urbanisation and Health‰, 2012). It is primarily driven by rural-
urban migration leading to the vertical and horizontal expansion of urban space
into buildings and artificial surfaces. Globally, an area in the size of the United
Kingdom (244 000km2) has been converted into built-up areas since 1990 (OECD,
2018). It might be difficult for some to see urban space (with clean and green
spaces) as an environmental issue. According to McGranahan and Satterthwaite
(2004), environmental burdens for maintaining such cities may well be in distant
locations, and displaced rather than eliminated. They highlighted the fact that „the
poorest urban population in the poorest countries tend to have the worst
environmental health conditions in and around their homes and also among the
lowest level of greenhouse gas emissions per person. The ambient environments
of heavily industrialised and motorised cities in the middle-income countries tend
to be highly distressed environmentally, with worst ambient air pollution
problems. And it is the populations of the wealthiest cities that have the largest
global environmental footprints, and that are the biggest per capita drivers of
climate change‰.
ACTIVITY 10.2
Select one global environmental issue, describe the issue, its causes, its
implications for the environment and human beings, and global policy
responses. Propose an initiative that your peers and you can do to
mitigate the issue. Working in a group allows sharing of resources and
covers more issues.
SELF-CHECK 10.2
Reflect and post your thought in the forum after watching the YouTube video
entitled Environmental Issues: Global Warming by Cracknell and Tam (2013) at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MVvnj-tS-s.
Upon completing this sub-topic, you should be able to investigate and analyse the
global environmental issues; and conduct critical analysis of the mitigation efforts.
green technology lies. Green technology refers to the use of science and technology
to conserve and protect the environment. It can lead to reduction of greenhouse
gases, and is an essential component of Green Growth Strategy. Green growth
refers to the fostering economic growth and development while ensuring that
natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on
which our well-being relies (OECD, 2018).
ACTIVITY 10.3
Discuss among your colleagues how green technology can emerge as a
solution for an improved environment. You may read the case study
provided under useful resources. In addition, you may share such
materials in the forum to enrich your discussion.
SELF-CHECK 10.3
What do these goals mean to you? What are the causes of the unsustainable global
society that we live in today? Are we part of the problem? How can we be part of
the solution?
The term „sustainable development‰ was defined in the 1987 Brundtland Report
as „development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of the future generations to meet their own needs‰ (The World Commission
of Environment and Development). SDGs represent such aspirations in various
interconnected areas. The sustainability revolution connects communities
(livelihood, education and culture), ecology/environment, and economy. The
need for a collective action is embedded in SDG17. There are numerous
movements all around the world that promotes awareness, knowledge, and
support for the revolution towards a sustainable global society. The Natural Step
is an example of a Non-Profit Organisation with such commitment (see
https://thenatutalstep.org).
ACTIVITY 10.4
Select one SDG, identify its targets, and discuss how you can take
collective actions towards realising the goal in your community. You
may use any of the targets to plan and carry out a project for the
Community Service course.
SELF-CHECK 10.4
3. List all 17 SDGs and explain how we can be a part of the solution
towards creating a sustainable global society.
ACTIVITY 10.5
Measure your own ecological footprint using the online tool hosted by
the Global Footprint Network at:
https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/
In considering you own ecological footprint, you need to evaluate your lifestyle in
many perspective, including your food consumption, purchases, production of
waste, energy consumption, accommodation and transportation.
If you like to review your food consumption, there are four fundamental questions
you must ask yourself.
(a) What is the percentage of fresh food in your daily food intake?
(b) What is the percentage of locally produced food in your daily food intake?
Rationale
(a) Fresh food compared to processed food uses far less energy, water, material
and other resources; and produce far less waste. Buy fresh and seasonal food.
(b) Locally produced food required less storage and refrigeration compared to
imported food. Buy locally produced food.
(c) Livestock farming has a much larger carbon footprint than vegetable farms.
Eat more fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts. Opt for vegetarian diet.
(d) Buy and cook according to your need. Reduce your food waste.
SELF-CHECK 10.5
Ć Environment refers to our surrounding which consist of the land, water and
air that we share with other living things.
Ć The biosphere is a thin layer around the earth occupied by living and
non-living things. It consists of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
Ć Land cover is the earthÊs surface covering, which ranges from bare to mosses,
lichens, grasses, scrublands, and evergreen forests.
Green technology is the use of science and technology to conserve and protect
the environment.
Cracknell H., & Tam, R. (2013, Jan 10). Environmental issues: Global warming
(PSA). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MVvnj-tS-s
Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE. (n.d.). (1987). Brundtland Report.
Retrieved from
https://www.are.admin.ch/are/en/home/sustainable-
development/international-cooperation/2030agenda/un-_-milestones-in-
sustainable-development/1987--brundtland-report.html
Harris, F. (ed.). (2004). Global environmental issues. West Sussex: John Wiley, &
Sons Ltd.
Robbins, J., Hintz, J., & Moore, S. A. (2014). Environment and society: A critical
introduction (2nd ed.). West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
OR
Thank you.