Deeper Learning - How can it revolutionize African education and prepare students for the future workforce?

Abstract

The term 'Deep learning' is widespread today from the name of machine learning. On the contrary, another term 'Deeper Learning' from the area of education was prevalent a decade ago, but now it is becoming a fashionable phrase for educationists. It is not just a buzz word, but it also has a power to change the status quo of education and revamp it to the next level. Though, it has the potential to transform teaching and learning, it is still unsure how to gear it up in education and perhaps, a stronger and a new pedagogy is much needed here to usher into fourth industrial revolution. The purpose of this perspective paper is to find out and design a new pedagogical framework which can be utilized to carry out the process of deeper learning and prepare students for the future workforce. The chief mission is to improve deeper learning skills of students, and to make it, author decided to bring a new design for deeper learning. Executed with a 21st century pedagogy, deeper learning is the most effective approach to achieve and improve learning process of students and turn them into learning leaders instead of focusing more on their academic outcomes. The priority is to improve meaningful learning and its application. Application means transferring what one has learned into another situation which can be similar or completely dissimilar. However, before transferring, it is significant to have a meaningful learning, only then transfer can take place. This paper has emphasized on a new pedagogy which can improve the learning process of students through the use of digital technology. Because of the scarcity of research on deeper learning, author has analyzed deeper learning talk or articles, and determined to lead a new DL (deeper learning) Framework. Evidences were gathered concerning what researchers and schools are doing along with authors' own perspective to bring deeper learning in teaching and learning, then a new pedagogical framework was brought out. This perspective has great implications to improve deeper learning skills of students. Schools, College or Universities can use DL framework as a reference on how to use deeper learning approach in education.