The pedagogy of innovation: collaborative challenge-based learning

Abstract

The world of work is changing. Routine jobs are being overtaken by digital technology, automation and virtualisation. Training workers in higher level technical skills is no longer sufficient. Increasingly, the human contribution is most valued in unpredictable, ambiguous and uncertain situations in which employees must work together to deal with complex problems. Higher order skills, commonly called twenty first century skills, which are required for these new environments are variously defined but typically include critical and creative thinking, communication, teamwork, digital competence and personal and social skills such as emotional intelligence, adaptability and resilience. Yet commentary on the Australian VET system suggests that these skills are not being adequately developed: see for example Commonwealth of Australia, 2017.