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Response - Will on Tertiary Education

“Response title: Divergent learning”

One area for improvement in tertiary education is the inclusion of both convergent and divergent learning. Convergent learning, such as exams and essays, is common, while divergent learning, with multiple right answers, is less frequent. Ken Robinson's TED talk highlights the loss of creativity in education and the need for problem-solving in the age of automation.

Themes

  • Improving tertiary education
  • Incorporating divergent learning
  • Challenges in assessing creative responses
  • Ken Robinson's TED talk on creativity in education
  • Preparing students for the future of automation

Keywords

  • tertiary education
  • convergent learning
  • divergent learning
  • assessing
  • creative responses
  • Ken Robinson
  • TED talk
  • creativity in education
  • automation
  • problem-solving

Transcription

One thing I believe could be improved in the tertiary education system is the inclusion of not just convergent learning, but also divergent learning. Convergent learning, which is common in education, involves tasks such as essay writing and exams, where students are given a large pool of knowledge and are expected to distill and synthesize multiple perspectives. However, divergent learning is not as prevalent. This type of learning involves open-ended questions that have multiple right answers, without a standard method or correct pathway to follow. Divergent learning is challenging to assess, as creative responses can be subjective and difficult to judge as successful or unsuccessful.

There is a TED talk by Ken Robinson that addresses the issue of creativity being educated out of children. He explains how the education system's focus on convergent learning diminishes our natural inclination to be creative. In the 21st century, with increasing automation and the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it is crucial to teach students problem-solving skills and foster radical thinking rather than just evaluating their ability to distill information.

In summary, I believe it is important to incorporate divergent learning into tertiary education to prepare students for the complexities of the future.

Will

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