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Learning in An Uncertain World: Transforming Higher Education for the Anthropocene

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Uncertainty: A Catalyst for Creativity, Learning and Development

Part of the book series: Creativity Theory and Action in Education ((CTAE,volume 6))

Abstract

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution rapidly changes how people live, work, and connect, and as the realities of the Anthropocene and a planet irrevocably marked by human activity come to impact all aspects of existence on Earth, our species faces great uncertainty. Social, economic, and environmental challenges, primarily of our own doing, pose grave risks with no certainties as to their resolution. In a world awash with rapid transformation, higher education has not kept pace with emergent needs. In order that higher education may help us survive, it must undergo evolution and transformation to suit the uncertainty of the Anthropocene. This chapter offers several preliminary recommendations for this endeavour. The higher education of tomorrow should be more flexible, creative, focused on critical skills, leverage constructivist pedagogical tactics, and be supported by earlier education that can help prepare students for a transformed higher education and the challenges of this epoch.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities and Creativity, Sheridan College, Oakville, ON, Canada

    Nathaniel Barr, Kylie Hartley, Joel A. Lopata, Brandon McFarlane & Michael J. Mcnamara

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  1. Nathaniel Barr
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  2. Kylie Hartley
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  3. Joel A. Lopata
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  4. Brandon McFarlane
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  5. Michael J. Mcnamara
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Correspondence to Nathaniel Barr .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Ronald A. Beghetto

  2. LEGO Foundation, Billund, Denmark

    Garrett J. Jaeger

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Barr, N., Hartley, K., Lopata, J.A., McFarlane, B., Mcnamara, M.J. (2022). Learning in An Uncertain World: Transforming Higher Education for the Anthropocene. In: Beghetto, R.A., Jaeger, G.J. (eds) Uncertainty: A Catalyst for Creativity, Learning and Development . Creativity Theory and Action in Education, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98729-9_18

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