David Autor, The Polarization of Job Opportunities in the US Labor Market. Center for American Progress and The Hamilton Project, April 2010
5 C o M P U tAt I o n A L t h I n K I n G
DEFiNiTioN:ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning
As the amount of data that we have at our disposal increases exponentially, many more roles will require computational thinking skills in order to make sense of this information. Nov- ice-friendly programming languages and technologies that teach the fundamentals of programming virtual and physical worlds will enable us to manipulate our environments and en- hance our interactions. The use of simulations will become a core expertise as they begin to feature regularly in discourse and decision-making. HR departments that currently value applicants who are familiar with basic applications, such as the Microsoft Office suite, will shift their expectations, seeking out resumes that include statistical analysis and quantitative reasoning skills.
In addition to developing computational thinking skills, workers will need to be aware of its limitations. This requires an understanding that models are only as good as the data feeding them—even the best models are approximations
of reality and not reality itself. And second, workers must remain able to act in the absence of data and not become paralyzed when lacking an algorithm for every system to guide decision making.
Scratch is an interactive learning environment developed by Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MiT Media Lab. it teaches young people the fundamentals of computational method- ology in a fun, low risk environment.
http://scratch.mit.edu
6 n e W - M e d I A L I t e R A C y
DEFiNiTioN:ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for persuasive communication
The explosion in user-generated media including the videos, blogs, and podcasts that now dominate our social lives, will be fully felt in workplaces in the next decade. Communica- tion tools that break away from the static slide approach of programs such as PowerPoint will become commonplace, and with them expectations of worker ability to produce content using these new forms will rise dramatically.
The next generation of workers will need to become fluent in forms such as video, able to critically “read” and assess them in the same way that they currently assess a paper or
presentation. They will also need to be comfortable creating and presenting their own visual information. Knowledge of fonts and layouts was once restricted to a small set of print designers and typesetters, until word processing programs brought this within the reach of everyday office workers.
Similarly, user-friendly production editing tools will make video language—concepts such as frame, depth of field etc—part of the common vernacular.
As immersive and visually stimulating presentation of information becomes the norm, workers will need more so- phisticated skills to use these tools to engage and persuade their audiences.
Howard Rheingold’s Social Media Class- room teaches view- ers the vernacular of video.
http://socialmediaclassroom. com
7 t R A n S d I S C I P L I n A R I t y
DEFiNiTioN:literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines
Many of today’s global problems are just too complex to be solved by one specialized discipline (think global warming or overpopulation). These multifaceted problems require trans- disciplinary solutions. While throughout the 20th century, ever-greater specialization was encouraged, the next cen- tury will see transdisciplinary approaches take center stage. We are already seeing this in the emergence of new areas of study, such as nanotechnology, which blends molecular bi- ology, biochemistry, protein chemistry, and other specialties.
This shift has major implications for the skill set that knowledge workers will need to bring to organizations. According to Howard Rheingold, a prominent forecaster and author, “transdisciplinarity goes beyond bringing together researchers from different disciplines to work in multidis- ciplinary teams. It means educating researchers who can speak languages of multiple disciplines—biologists who have understanding of mathematics, mathematicians who under- stand biology.”4
The ideal worker of the next decade is “T-shaped”—they bring deep understanding of at least one field, but have the capacity to converse in the language of a broader range of disciplines. This requires a sense of curiosity and a willing- ness to go on learning far beyond the years of formal edu- cation. As extended lifespans promote multiple careers and exposure to more industries and disciplines, it will be particu- larly important for workers to develop this T-shaped quality.
The California institute for Telecommunications and information Technology (Calit2) at the University
Of California’s San Diego campus brings together researchers from STEM fields of science and engineering with art, design, and myriad other disciplines to tackle large scale societal problems.
http://socialmovement.org
8 d e S I G n M I n d S e t
DEFiNiTioN:ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes
The sensors, communication tools and processing power of the computational world will bring with them new opportuni- ties to take a design approach to our work. We will be able to plan our environments so that they are conducive to the outcomes that we are most interested in. Discoveries from neuroscience are highlighting how profoundly our physical environments shape cognition. As Fred Gage, a neurobio- logist who studies and designs environments for neuro- genesis (the creation of new neurons), argues, “change the environment, change the brain, change the behavior.”5
One recent study found that ceiling height has a consistent impact on the nature of participants’ thinking.6 Participants in the study were asked to rate their current body state or feeling. Those who were in the room with higher ceilings re- sponded more favorably to words associated with freedom, such as “unrestricted” or “open”. Those in the lower-ceiling room tended to describe themselves with words associated with confinement. This impact on mood was directly trans- ferred to mental processes; those in the high-ceiling group were more effective at relational thinking, creating connec- tions and the free recall of facts.
Workers of the future will need to become adept at rec- ognizing the kind of thinking that different tasks require, and making adjustments to their work environments that enhance their ability to accomplish these tasks.
Ceiling height can encourage open, expansive thinking.
C o M P U tAt I o n A L t h I n K I n G
Scratch is an interactive learning environment developed by Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MiT Media Lab. it teaches young people the fundamentals of computational method- ology in a fun, low risk environment.
DEFiNiTioN:ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for persuasive communication
Howard Rheingold’s Social Media Class- room teaches view- ers the vernacular of video.
t R A n S d I S C I P L I n A R I t y
The California institute for Telecommunications and information Technology (Calit2) at the University
Ceiling height can encourage open, expansive thinking.
t e n S K I L L S