Education 4.0 Concerns and Challenges
Education 4.0 Concerns and Challenges
Education 4.0 is a response to the needs of the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), where humans and
technology are aligned to enable new possibilities. According to Frances James (2019) Education 4.0 is a
desired approach to learning that aligns itself with the emerging fourth industrial revolution. This IR focuses
on smart technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and machines; all of which now affects our everyday lives.
For universities to continue to produce human manpower, they must prepare their students for a world
where these cyber-physical systems are prevalent across all industries. This means teaching students
about this technology as part of the curriculum, changing the approach to learning altogether, and utilizing
this technology to better improve the university experience.
During the first industrial revolution (IR 1.0), water and steam were used to mechanize production. During
the second industrial revolution (IR 2.0), electric power was used to create mass production. During the
third industrial revolution (IR 3.0), electronics and information technology were used to automate
production. The fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0) is beyond an enhancement of the IR 3.0, in which the
advancement of new technologies blurs the lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. The
new technologies evolve at an exponential pace and there is no historical precedent that marked the
beginning of the evolution, hence being called disruptive technologies. These advancements are led by the
emergence of artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, bio and
nanotechnology, 3-D printing, material science, quantum computing, and energy storage (Diwan, 2017). IR
4.0 affects not only the business, governance, and people. It affects education as well, thus the name
Education 4.0 came into existence.
According to Fisk (2017), there nine (9) trends related to Education 4.0.
1. Diverse time and place
Learning can be taken place anytime… anywhere. Students will have more opportunities to learn at
different times in different places.
2. Personalized learning
Learning will be personalized to individual students. Students will learn with study tools that adapt
to the capabilities of a student.
3. Free choice
Students have a choice in determining how they want to learn. Though every subject that is taught
aims for the same destination, the road leading towards that destination can vary per student.
4. Project based
Students will be exposed to more project-based learning. As careers are adapting to the future
freelance economy, students of today will adapt to project-based learning and working.
5. Field experience
Students will be exposed to more hands-on learning through field experience such as internships,
mentoring projects and collaborative projects.
6. Data interpretation
Students will be exposed to data interpretation in which they are required to apply their theoretical
knowledge to numbers and use their reasoning skills to make inferences based on logic and trends
from given sets of data.
7. Exams will change completely
Students will be assessed differently and the conventional platforms to assess students may
become irrelevant or insufficient.
8. Student ownership
Students’ opinion will be considered in designing and updating the curriculum. Maintaining a
curriculum that is contemporary, up-to-date and useful is only realistic when professionals as well
as ‘youngsters’ are involved.
9. Mentoring will become more important
Students will become more independent in their own learning, thus forcing teachers to assume a
new role as facilitators who will guide the students through their learning process.
To cope up with IR4.0, it is about time that our educational institutions invest heavily and work overtime
integrating more advance and current technologies in their academic curriculum and teaching methodology.
The need to upgrade ICT infrastructures is absolutely a must.
In the advent of industrial revolution 4.0, there are jobs that no longer relevant. New jobs, careers, and
opportunities will emerge that most likely be catering to the digital age. To cope up with the challenges,
educational institutions have to be prepared to adapt and need to change their curriculum and delivery so
that graduates can fill in these jobs which are yet to emerge.
Implementing Education 4.0 in some schools faced not so warm welcome among educators due to a lack
of enthusiasm and passion (Colin, 2017). Sidiqqui (2007) also observed that some educators don’t primarily
see any benefits in having access to the new technologies of teaching and learning. However, Nagler
(2015) stated that teachers need to be a good role model to its learners as when they deliver the lesson
with enthusiasm suggesting that it is interesting, important, or worthwhile, learners are possibly to accept
the same attitude. Thought digital immigrant educators really need to adjust to the situation where digital
native learners expected them to be more sophisticated in giving them the knowledge they want. That is
why Burroughs (2017) insisted that educators in education 4.0 are always expected to stay relevant as long
as their institutions provide the pieces of training and support they need.
The Education 4.0 vision would be to give first priority to ensure that ALL students are well equipped to
secure productive employment in their chosen career pathway. The system would be technology-driven
and tightly aligned with the practical needs of the economy. It would be guided by business success
metrics: cost-effectiveness, quality, productivity, performance metrics, and responsiveness to the customer.
Since employers are the "customer" for qualified students, the business community would take the lead in
setting education system goals and work far more closely with the schools to ensure that those goals are
achieved.
To achieve its first priority of efficient job placement, Education 4.0 would infuse career development and
career literacy into education at all stages, starting at a much earlier age than is currently the case.
References
Diwan, P. (2017). Is Education 4.0 an imperative for suc-cess of 4thIndustrial Revolution? Accessed from
https://medium.com/.../is-education-4-0-an-im-perative...
Dunwill, E. (2016). 4 changes that will shape the classroom of the future: Making education fully
technological. Accessed from https://elearningindustry.com/4-chang-es-will-shape...
Fisk, P. (2017).Education 4.0 ... the future of learn-ing will be dramatically different, in school and
throughout life. Retrieved from http://www.thege-niusworks.com/.../future-education-young...
James, F. (2019). Everything you need to know about Education 4.0. Accessed from
https://www.qs.com/everything-you-need-to-know-education-40/
Hussin, A.A. (2018). Education 4.0 Made Simple: Ideas For Teaching. Accessed from https://search-
proquest-com.dlsu.idm.oclc.org/.../2121414...
Lawrence, R., Ching, L.F. & Abdullah, H. (2019). Strengths and Weaknesses of Education 4.0 in theHigher
Education Institution. Accessed from https://www.ijitee.org/.../papers/v9i2s3/B11221292S319.pdf
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