The online launch of the Chinese version of Building a System for Cultivating Creativity and the online lecture "System Assurance for Future Lifelong Learners" was successfully held on 17 December. The conference was organised by the Lifelong Learning Lab and the Future Lab of Tsinghua University, with support from Tsinghua University Lifelong Education Division, LEGO Foundation and LEGO Education.
Opening remarks were delivered by Xu Yingqing, Director of Tsinghua University Lifelong Learning Lab, Director of Tsinghua University Future Lab and Professor of Tsinghua University, Sarah Bouchie, Vice President and Global Program Director of LEGO Foundation, Jenny Nash, Head of Learning Outcomes Research of LEGO Education, Song Yingqing, Director of Teacher Education Institute of Beijing Normal University and Professor of Beijing Normal University, and closing remarks by Anne Ernst (An Siyuan), General Manager of LEGO Education China.
Opening speech
In his opening speech, Professor Xu Yingqing, Director of the Lifelong Learning Lab and the Future Lab of Tsinghua University, said that China has long proposed "building an education system that serves lifelong learning for all people, accelerating the development of a more flexible and open education system for everyone, suitable for everyone, and building a learning society". We should strengthen the exchange and co-construction between higher education and basic education, explore the integration of future talents from basic education to higher education in an innovative mode, and build a systematic learning guarantee system that is in line with the development of learners. We would like to take the opportunity of this online seminar to strengthen the exchange and discussion between Chinese and foreign scholars, researchers and practitioners, to fully absorb and construct knowledge, and to jointly explore how to cultivate talents with analytical thinking skills, practical skills, cooperation and communication skills, and a sense of lifelong learning.
Building a system for fostering creativity
Ms Sarah Bouchie, Vice President and Global Programme Director of the LEGO Foundation, mentioned in her speech in 2016, that the LEGO Foundation and Tsinghua University established the Lifelong Learning Lab to support "learning for fun" and creativity in China's education system. TULLL is uniquely positioned to engage and lead on creativity and 'learning for fun' in China and internationally, through a combination of product development, scientific research and interaction with families. The Lab has a unique insight into how children learn online in China and has published over 11 articles on play, creativity and social development and has identified online and offline tools that can help parents support their children's learning. On this occasion, the LEGO Foundation is delighted to join forces with Tsinghua University's Lifelong Learning Lab to launch the Chinese report "Building a System to Foster Creativity". Creativity supports individuals to become more active learners, nurture their imagination and curiosity and increase confidence and enjoyment of learning. Learning is more meaningful when individuals' learning goals are connected to the world around them and the things they care about.
Ms Sarah Bouchie believes that COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the education system and that the education system is at risk of regression. We need advocates to support a variety of skills, including creativity. She hopes that this online discussion will inspire you to use the report as an advocacy tool to make the case for change and demonstrate that it can be achieved, a resource that provides relevant insights on how to achieve change, a springboard to encourage debate, sharing of ideas and further research, and that the audience will actively engage with educators across sectors to advocate in the education system to ensure that core literacy and creativity are nurtured and valued, working together to ensure that children around the world can become creative, engaged, lifelong learners.
Building skills for the future: creativity is essential
In her presentation, Dr Jenny Nash, Head of Learning Outcomes Research at LEGO Education, shared how creativity and more interesting teaching and learning experiences can be integrated into the classroom. Based on the past fifteen years of teaching experience, Dr Jenny Nash believes that in the current context, we should reinvent the learning model and help students to cope with the challenges of the future through flexible solutions. Dr Jenny Nash believes that incorporating hands-on, open-ended learning into the curriculum, encouraging trial and error and iteration, making new concepts meaningful through inclusive learning, and making programming, robotics and STEAM education concepts fun through active participation, are three ways in which can help students gain creativity and other core skills.
New Literacies New Curriculum New Teachers
The theme of Professor Song's talk was "New Literacy, New Curriculum, New Teachers", which began with a review of the documents related to core literacy changes introduced at the national level in the past three years. This series of policies on human development reform must be implemented, and once implemented, they will inevitably enter the level of the curriculum, that is, the innovation of the school curriculum system on the basis of literacy. In terms of subject core literacies, our overall posture is that through the learning of the curriculum, we will be able to achieve the right values, essential character and key competencies, and the integration of the three to form the embodiment of literacy. In the process of advancing the curriculum, the development of student literacy, and in particular the development of innovation, requires an evidence-based approach to teacher development. Only creative teachers can nurture innovative people.
And innovation in teacher preparation is dependent on the advancement of research, and it is through evidence-based practice that we can continue to iterate on good practices in teacher preparation and continue to advance teacher preparation. It is only when teachers become the subjects of creativity and innovation that policies and curricula for the development of innovative talent can truly be put into practice.
Conclusion
In her closing remarks, Anne Ernst, General Manager of LEGO Education China, said that we are in a rapidly changing world, where the development of technology and artificial intelligence will greatly influence the future of the entire world. Technological innovation will fundamentally reshape the way we prepare students for future success. Creative problem solving and innovation are uniquely human traits and developing these skills is essential to help today's students stand out in the future against artificial intelligence and robots, and Learning through Play is one of the most effective ways to teach STEAM education. LEGO Education remains committed to fostering innovation in Chinese students. We sincerely hope to see the further development of more innovative ideas.
