We are well into the 21st century now and the urgency for lifelong learning is growing especially regarding numeracy. There are major societal and policy pressures on education to prepare citizens for a complex and technologized society, in literature referred to as “21st century skills” (Voogt & ParejaRoblin, 2012), “global competences” (OECD, 2016a) or “the 4th industrial revolution” (Schwab, 2016). International research has demonstrated the economic and social value of literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills (Hanushek and Wöbmann, 2012; Grotlüschen, et al. 2016). With respect to numeracy (and/or mathematics) education, we explore the implications of these pressures to the mathematical demands at individuals living and working in modern life, and what is expected from numeracy education as society moves further into the 21st century. New means of communication and types of services have changed the way individuals interact with governments, institutions, services and each other, and social and economic transformations have in turn, changed the nature of the demand for skills as well.
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One of the core elements of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a survey of adult skills. The survey measures adults’ proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Furthermore, the survey gathers data on how adults use their skills at home, at work and in the wider community. The second cycle of PIAAC will take place in 2021 and 2022. Preparations have started by the Numeracy Expert Group in reviewing the numeracy framework used in the first cycle and designing items which will be used to measure the numerate capabilities and numerate behavior of adults.
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Understanding the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on mental health and digital interactions is crucial, but also difficult to study in times of physical distancing. This paper contributes to the understanding of well-being in The Netherlands during the pandemic by employing mixed-remote methods. Sentiments of the Dutch public expressed on X (formally Twitter) are analyzed with AI techniques. Additionally, co-creative toolkits and probes, such as diaries, were used with older adults and students for detailed in-situ capturing. The AI approach provides general insights, while toolkit studies can address interpersonal variation and provide non-automated individual feedback. Findings indicate that (1) the pandemic has impacted the expressed emotional states of ‘loneliness’ and ‘happiness’, (2) this varied over time, for example related to pandemic announcements, (3) there are differences between groups (such as young and old), and (4) the toolkits provided contextual self-reflective insights and active inspiration in support of mental well-being.
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