Teaching in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Standing at the Precipice by Armand Doucet

Abstract

The purpose of Teaching in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is to provide an opportunity for award-winning frontline educators to provide inspiring examples of how a shift in practice can bring significant results. The book is written by six dynamic teachers who are internationally recognized Global Teacher Prize finalists. Each author provides an overview of their specific circumstance before diving into the topic they wish to cover. While one author explores how technology is influencing education and whether a computer could ever replace a teacher, another explores how technology can cause the equity gap to grow larger. Each author uses their experience to explore their given topic and to bring concrete examples of what they have done, or seen done, to highlight their point. They use Klaus Schwab’s (2017) concept of the fourth industrial revolution , a shift in education being driven by the pace of technological change, as the jumping-off point for their explorations. The book recognizes the importance of looking not only at what is done in classrooms, but also at the impact of technological changes (Shirley, 2018; Vestberg, 2018). The six authors each take turns exploring topics related to Schwab’s concept of the fourth industrial revolution while drawing on Shirley’s new imperatives for education. The book begins with an introduction continuing with eight distinct chapters and a concluding chapter: