overview 33 Figure O.23 The types of skills needed in a modern economy Cognitive Social and behavioral Technical Literacy, numeracy, and Socioemotional skills and Manual dexterity and the use higher-order cognitive skills personality traits of methods, materials, tools, (for example, reasoning and instruments and creative thinking) Openness to experience, Technical skills developed through Raw problem-solving ability conscientiousness, postsecondary schooling or versus knowledge to extraversion, agreeability, training or acquired on the job solve problems and emotional stability Verbal ability, numeracy, Self-regulation, grit, mind-set, Skills related to specific problem solving, memory, decision making, and occupations (for example, and mental speed interpersonal skills engineer, economist, IT specialist) Source: WDR 2016 team, adapted from Pierre, Sanchez Puerta, and Valerio 2014. Note: IT = information technology. however. But technology can help here as well, as that traditional education systems do not teach Rio de Janeiro’s Educopedia platform shows (box and that are hardest to measure. Many countries O.11). Using technology to closely guide teaching are rethinking their approach. Singapore is moving is a second-best option that can improve learning from a fairly rigid “efficiency driven” model that outcomes at modest cost where teacher training is tried to get the best results from inputs (teachers unlikely to improve quickly. This is the model used and finance) to an “ability driven” model that empha- by the for-profit Bridge Academy in Kenya and else- sizes project work and fewer assessments in place of where, where scripted instruction and automated frequent testing. Colombia’s Escuela Nueva model, administrative tasks help provide education at low now serving 5 million students in 16 countries, also cost. Although yet to be evaluated rigorously, such focuses on group learning and problem solving. These approaches hold promise to improve education. approaches change the relationship between teacher and student. No longer simply sources of information, Rethink curricula and teaching methods teachers now must instruct students in how to find Today’s education systems need to prepare students information and apply it in a new and unexpected for a career and not only a job. Modern labor markets context. This requires changes in teacher training. require creativity, teamwork, problem solving, and crit- There are many examples of how digital technologies ical thinking in ever-changing environments—skills can assist teachers and students—by allowing group Box O.11 Mobilizing technology in teaching in Rio’s Educopedia Rio de Janeiro’s education department developed the serves almost 700,000 students. It has yet to be formally Educopedia online platform of lessons and other resources evaluated, but together with other reforms it likely con- in 2010 to improve public school teaching. The system tributed to a more than 20-percent increase in the Basic focuses as much on providing materials for the teacher to Education Development Index in middle schools between improve lessons as on giving students access to learning 2009 and 2012. And 80 percent of Rio’s students agreed resources. The system uses multimedia resources including that Educopedia helps their learning efforts. videos, interactive quizzes, and digital libraries. It now Source: Bruns and Luque 2014.