Mobile Learning: A Handbook for Developers, Educators, and Learners (Wiley and SAS Business Series)

by Scott McQuiggan

Higher-order thinking skills are critical for thriving in today's digitally-connected society. The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (AT21CS) is a research project that advocates for greater adoption of teaching higher-order thinking skills. They categorize these skills as ways of thinking (e.g., creativity, problem solving); ways of working (e.g., communication, collaboration); tools for working (e.g., content knowledge, digital fluency); and living in the world (citizenship, cultural awareness).3 While it is important, arguably obligatory, to acquire content knowledge (i.e., a business leader might study economics or marketing), the way in which it is constructed and, consequently, how it is applied to new situations are the skills that make us marketable. In fact, according to a recent ranking by Forbes, the most desirable skills of today's workforce are critical thinking, complex problem solving, judgment and decision-making, and active listening. These skills beat out sales and marketing experience, programming fluency, and proficiency with computer and electronics.4 What separates experts from innovators is not content knowledge, but rather their fluency in higher-order thinking.