Everyone seems anxious about how learning is taking place in the new normal when the traditional face-to-face classes become trapped in the digital space. Prior to the forced migration to the new normal of learning, the 21st century learners were taught by the 20th century teachers in 19th century classrooms. There are doubts if the learning outcomes set by the educational authorities are achievable through the abrupt, and unintentional, shift to digital learning. The greater doubt comes from the parents who learnt differently in the past. But the greatest doubt may come from the teachers who were trained to teach differently and who are learning not only how to learn the use of digital technology but also learning how to teach learners, who know technology better, using these digital technologies. Content and pedagogical competencies of teachers are not sufficient as technological competencies become equally important.
Given the chance, the current learning environment is teaching our learners the intelligence that they actually need more in the future—digital intelligence. Facilitated properly to explore the learning opportunities in the new normal, the Gen-Z learners today may actually learn better in the current digital set-up than in the traditional classroom setting, especially within the context of the 21st century competencies that the future world of work will require.
Pandemic-induced acceleration of digital transformation
AT the onset of the First Industrial Revolution in 1784, the focus of human worth was on the body as the primary skillset was the physical skills. That was the early age of industrialization when steam and water were sources of power with the beginning mechanization that regarded humans as productive machines.
After less than a century, in 1870, the Second Industrial Revolution used electricity with humans participating in a more organized manner, like in assembly lines utilizing concepts of division of labor and management in a maturing industrialization concerned with mass production to meet the challenges of the growing world population. The focus of human worth shifted from the physical to the mental (mind) with primary skillset centered on the cognitive skills. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was then introduced in 1964.
The Third Industrial Revolution came in 1969 with the introduction of the computer and information technology in the modernizing age of electronics and automation. The primary human skillset shifted to the soft skills with focus on the emotions. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) was then introduced in 1964 while Adversity Quotient (AQ) and Spirituality Quotient (SQ) were introduced in 1997.
Before the onset of Covid-19, the world was bracing for and anticipating the great disruption brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe), which was feared to set the status quo on FIRe with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Big Data, Cyber-physical Systems, crypto-currency, and more disruptive technologies. This shifted the focus on the human spirit and values with human’s primary skillset as digital skills. Digital Intelligence (DQ) was introduced as early as 2006.
DQ: Intelligence for the future
The Unesco simply defined digital literacy as the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The future jobs will require digital competencies as all businesses, regardless of industry, will digitally transform. Hence, only the digitally competent will survive and only the digitally intelligent will thrive.
In order to prepare for the future, a public-private-civic-academic coalition in association with the World Economic Forum formed the DQ Institute that aims to bring quality digital intelligence education to every child. The DQI defines DQ as a comprehensive set of technical, cognitive, meta-cognitive, and socio-emotional competencies grounded in universal moral values that enable individuals to face the challenges of digital life and adapt to its demands. Thus, individuals equipped with DQ become wise, competent, and future-ready digital citizens who successfully use, control, and create technology to enhance humanity.
DQ has a framework with three levels, namely, digital citizenship, digital creativity and digital competitiveness. Digital Citizenship is the ability to use digital technology and media in safe, responsible and ethical ways. Digital Creativity is the ability to become part of the digital ecosystem, and to create new knowledge, technologies, and content to turn ideas into reality. And Digital Competitiveness is the ability to solve global challenges, to innovate, and to create new opportunities in the digital economy by driving entrepreneurship, jobs, growth and impact. The DQ framework has eight areas and 24 competencies all envisioned to enhance the future of humanity amid digital and technological advancements.
The future readiness of the persons with digital intelligence comes from their transformative competencies of taking responsibility, creating new value and reconciling tensions and dilemmas, as they anticipate, reflect and act in the future work and life.
The opportune time to develop DQ
The pandemic experience has accelerated humanity’s transformation to optimize the value of digital resources and technologies in the way we live. The use of digital technology may come as a necessity initially but shall become a prevailing lifestyle and a comfortable living style after more than a year of its consistent use. The pandemic has included everyone in the digital ecosystem.
The control of the digital technology results as choices and alternatives are made widely available, and as mastery of its use is achieved through constant use in a highly digital world. Our natural curiosity, especially of our younger population, as well as the emerging needs and evolving wants across all demographics will surely incite the creativity and innovativeness of techno-preneurs to create more and improve better the existing digital technologies. The VUCA world offers more problems towards solutions, uncertainties towards opportunities, as well as challenges towards victories.
The dominance of the purpose-driven millennials and socially relevant Gen-Z in the population and in the digital space will exert a positive traction towards more responsible and ethical use of digital technology, like in social media. They are well-informed and well-grounded generations that are assertive enough to be stewards of their causes. They will reclaim the future that rightfully belongs to them. And they are becoming ambassadors of digital intelligence.
In the past, the learners trusted their teachers to guide them to become the best persons they can be. Today, the teachers, parents and society need to trust the learners who are digital natives capable of bringing out the best in themselves towards the future that is totally different from yesterday and today. Onward to the future, the millennials and the Gen-Z’ers shall leave their footprints as well—digitally.
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