21st Century Skills and Education

Book excerpt: Great events in history have always brought about great changes in the lifestyles of humans. Every invention, every great war and every discovery has challenged the ways in which people lived up until that point. The 21st century bears the effects of various advancements in several different parts of human life. Sometimes it is called a “space age”, sometimes an “information age”, or a “computer age”. Some people have called it a digital age, or new media age too. However it is named, the time in which we live has challenged the lifestyles of the past and has brought about new requirements in skills and practices. Media literacy, leadership, critical thinking, and problem solving, are among the new skills required by the 21st century. However, the relationship between these skills and education has not yet been fully established. To this end, this book discusses these skills through theoretical and empirical studies in the context of Turkey.