Skills for innovation: envisioning an education that prepares for the changing world

Abstract

This article explores and discusses key conditions needed to develop skills for innovation. This article analyses five trends that can contribute to fostering the development of skills for innovation within and outside formal educational institutions. These key trends, identified through a literature review, are elements that foster learning and human capital development necessary for an innovative society. These five key elements are: (1) the mismatch between formal education and the challenges of an innovative society; (2) the shift from what we learn to how we learn; (3) the fluctuating relationship between digital technologies and contents; (4) the changing conceptions of space-time and the emphasis on lifelong learning; and (5) the development of soft skills. Finally, this article ends highlighting that the expanded learning and the development of skills for innovation are critical aspects for the future of education.

Keywords:

• learning
• innovation
• skills
• future
• creation
• critical
• society
• knowledge
• education

Acknowledgements

This work has been funded by the KNetworks project with the support of the ‘Atlantic Area Programme', a Transnational Cooperation Programme of objective ‘European Territorial Cooperation'.

Notes

1.  http://www.p21.org/