The 4 Cs of education are essential for a 21st century education

This is the fourth in a series of posts explaining the Acton Academy Principles of Education.

Education Principle #4: The 4 Cs of education are essential for a 21st century education

We must provide our students the tools to learn the fundamentals. The 4 Cs of education are equally vital in our Innovation age.  

• Critical Thinking

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Creativity

Critical Thinking

How will machine learning and artificial intelligence impact jobs and society in the 21st century and beyond? What impact does a major hurricane have on the economy of a region? How has the internet impacted our way of life? How will trade reform with China impact farmers in the United States? Are electric cars better for the environment? What does a weakening dollar mean for tourism in the US?

These are questions being discussed around the world today. It is critical for our education system to help children build the necessary skill set to engage in such discussions. Similarly, access to information is readily available and is a commodity now. Anyone can access and memorize Math and Science formulas - but are our children learning how to apply them in the real world? We need kids to go beyond memorizing Ohm's formula. They need to understand how electricity gets to our homes and businesses. It is of little value that our kids can memorize the quadratic equation. Can they think critically about how we apply these formulas?

Communication

In an age where business is global and knowledge is a commodity, it becomes even more imperative that our children learn to present and communicate their thoughts. 

We need to go beyond reading textbooks and taking tests. It's imperative for students to continually practice communication skills through building presentations, leading discussions among peers, and fielding questions from others.

At Acton, we focus heavily on this through daily Socratic discussions and public exhibitions where our learners have an opportunity to present their work.

Collaboration

Can you go through your day-to-day job without collaborating with your colleagues? Our education system allows students to do just that as they go from lecture to lecture taking notes from one class to the next. They can go days, weeks, months without any true project collaboration with their peers. In the industrial age, when our current public education system was developed, that may have been a fine model. In the industrial age, the idea was to create line workers who could work independently and follow tasks that were assigned. Today, in the innovation age, that's no longer how we work and that's not how our education system should be set up.

Creativity

Can our kids think outside the box or are they simply following tasks? If they need to find answers to questions, do they know how to go about researching for them? Can they solve a problem without a clear answer or make progress on a project without detailed direction? These are things corporate associates and entrepreneurs do every day. Are we preparing our children so they can do it even better?

At Acton, we recognize that fundamentals are critical. Equally important are the 4 Cs. If students only understand what's inside their books and how to pass tests and get good grades, they will be left short on their journey to be world-changers. You cannot be a world-changer if you can't think critically, communicate, collaborate or be creative / innovative. The 4 Cs of learning are as important as the basic fundamentals of education.

Want to learn more? See the research behind the principle.

Further Recommended Reading: NEA - Preparing 21st Century Students for a Global Society