EDUCATION FOR LIFE AND WORK - Hewlett Foundation

Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century
18 EDUCATION FOR LIFE AND WORK
programs and (e) exhibits, museums, and other informal learning centers.
For learning in both formal and informal environments, identify
features related to learning these skills in education interventions in (f)
digital media.
HOW THE COMMITTEE APPROACHED THE CHARGE
To address these five areas of concern, the committee reviewed research
literature across several disciplines, including cognitive science, educational
and social psychology, economics, child and adolescent development, literacy,
mathematics and science education, psychometrics, educational technology,
and human resource development. The committee drew on recent
NRC workshops focusing on demand for 21st century skills, the intersection
of science education and 21st century skills, and the assessment of
21st century skills, as well as on papers commissioned for an NRC planning
process on behalf of the Hewlett Foundation. It considered the work
of the ATC21S project and emerging research on the relationship between
cognitive and noncognitive skills and abilities and adult outcomes (see
Chapter 3).
The committee met three times. The first meeting included an open
session with representatives of the FrameWorks Institute, which focused on
how the public thinks about education and early childhood development.
In the closed session of the first meeting, teams of committee members
focusing on each topic in the study charge delivered brief presentations
summarizing relevant research findings. These presentations and discussions
provided the basis for a preliminary draft of this report. At its second
meeting, the committee deliberated on the preliminary draft and decided to
focus the report on learning for transfer. Following the second meeting, the
committee and staff revised the preliminary draft extensively, and this new
draft was discussed at the committee’s third meeting. At the third meeting,
the committee also developed preliminary conclusions and recommendations
based on the draft. Following this meeting, the committee and staff
again revised the report. In a final teleconference, the committee discussed
and reached consensus on the conclusions and recommendations. The draft
report entered the NRC review process in February 2012. Following receipt
of review comments it was revised and publicly released in July 2012.
ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
Following this introductory chapter, Chapter 2 begins to address the
question of how to define deeper learning and 21st century skills, proposing
a preliminary taxonomy with clusters of competencies. Chapter
3 summarizes several different strands of research on the importance of
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.