Paradigm shift towards the 3rd wave learning in the era of digital transformation

In response to the challenges of globalization, technology breakthrough, and economic competition, many countries have already started to change their education systems from its traditional models towards new ones for enhancing the future competitiveness and development of their students and societies. In particular, preparing for huge impacts of new technologies (such as big data analytics, artificial intelligences, mobile technologies, virtual reality, 3-D printing etc.) and related transformations, this speech aims to advocate paradigm shifts in learning from the traditional site bounded paradigms of 1st wave and 2nd wave towards the future paradigm of 3rd wave. It provides a worldwide perspective to illustrate how the paradigms shape the major characteristics of education and its policy agendas in fundamental but different ways. It also explains how the 3rd wave paradigm characterized by initiatives of triplization (including individualization, localization, and globalization), contextualized multiple thinking (CMT), ecosystems and integration in learning can create unlimited learning opportunities for students to develop their lifelong capacity and creativity for sustainable development in the 21st century.
In the address, the pentagon theory of CMT (including technological, economic, social, political, cultural and learning thinking), the typology of integrated learning for creativity, and the theory of self-learning in learning ecosystems are also introduced for re-conceptualizing the nature and scope of learning in the era of digital transformation. It is hoped that the proposed theories can provide a new framework to facilitate paradigm shifts in policies and practices of learning, teaching and curriculum reform and broaden the possibilities and approaches in developing CMT and creativity of students in the new era. Copyright © 2019 The Regional Center of Educational Planning Organizing its 5th International Conference.