"How Computerized Work and Globalization Shape Human Skill Demands" By Frank Levy and Richard J. Murnane
The key points of this chapter concern the economy: the labor market has changed significantly because of technology and globalization. As a result, some occupations become more common and some occupations get replaced by technology and/or workers in other countries that can provide cheaper labor. Emphasizing different skills and reducing others is now necessary for education in order for students to be successful in the workforce.
Computers can substitute for or complement human skills
Pretend you are at Wal-Mart waiting to check out. There are long lines everywhere and you only have a few items, so you decide to help yourself to a self checkout at one of the machines. You follow the directions it provides you and you are finished in no time. This is an example of computers substituting for human skills because the technology completely took the place of a Wal-Mart worker.
Once upon a time I worked a summer job as a colonoscope cleaner at my dad’s surgery center. It was a very unusual job, especially for someone outside of the medical field, but I did have the opportunity to learn more than I ever wanted to know about colonoscopies. The doctor uses the “big black snake” (nickname courtesy of my dad) to view the inside of your large intestine. The colonoscope sends live images of your large intestine to a screen, allowing the doctor to see what’s going on, take pictures, locate polyps, and remove polyps for testing. This is an example of computers complementing human skills because the technology helped the doctor do a task better than he/she could have otherwise.
Points to remember: human work involves processing information and deciding what to do about it while computers operate using rules involving arithmetic or logical conditions. Therefore, computers can substitute for people in processing information when that information can be represented with either deductive or inductive rules.
How the increase of technology and globalization relates to education
Computers cannot always substitute for humans. One reason is because the information the computer is processing is difficult to represent in a usable form for computers. Another reason is because the rules are impossible to express. In addition, computers cannot solve problems that programmers haven’t foreseen. Therefore, problem solving is still something that must be done by people and not technology. This relates to education because problem solving needs to be stressed; it is now a more valuable skill in the workforce. Most problem solving in schools today involve problems with rules-based solutions such as algebra. However, if rules are involved, computers are able to be programmed to do this work. Schools need to focus on new problems that do not have solutions or rules yet. Below is a chart showing an assortment of human information processing and how difficult it is for computers to be programmed with each variety. This chart is very much like the one found on page 163 of the book Learning in the Global Era.
Another set of skills important for schools to develop in students is interacting with others and working in teams because these are things that technology cannot do effectively. In a globalized economy where people from different cultures are expected to communicate, it is vital that students know about different cultures and varieties of communication.
The job market as a result of technology and globalization
In our economy technology and globalization are removing and also creating certain types of occupations. The problem is some job categories grow faster than others. There has been growth in the lowest-paying service jobs, a decline in blue-collar and administrative support jobs, and growth in higher-paid jobs. The demand for types of jobs is changing faster than people can develop the new skills required for the job. Education needs to address this issue.
There are five categories of human skills.
Expert thinking (solving problems without rule-based solutions) is becoming more important in the workforce.
Complex communication (interacting to get or explain information or to persuade others) is quickly becoming more important in the workforce.
Routine cognitive tasks (mental processes described by deductive or inductive rules) is slowly becoming less important in the workforce.
Routine manual tasks (physical tasks described by deductive or inductive rules) is quickly becoming less important in the workforce.
Nonroutine manual tasks (physical tasks that cannot be easily described in rules) is becoming less important in the workforce.
How schools should change to fit the job market
All of the trends of the above categories of human skills are revealing that demand is changing toward a higher-skilled and more flexible labor force. Now the most important categories for schools to teach are expert thinking and complex communication. These skills can and should be taught integrated with existing school subjects, just in a different way. Students still need to learn about rules-based solutions, but they should also learn to recognize which solution applies to which case and therefore what rules to apply. The fundamental relationships between ideas should be taught so problem solving can be used to come up with unknown solutions.
A problem preventing these skills from being taught in schools is standardized testing because the tests stress recalling facts. Assessing other skills or tests in a format other than multiple choice requires more time and money to grade so in effect are highly unlikely to examine thought processes or expert thinking.
Conclusion
Currently jobs are being reduced by both technology and globalization. Because of this, employment is focused in the low and high ends of skill distribution. To combat the loss of jobs, education should place more focus on building different skills.
By Frank Levy and Richard J. Murnane
The key points of this chapter concern the economy: the labor market has changed significantly because of technology and globalization. As a result, some occupations become more common and some occupations get replaced by technology and/or workers in other countries that can provide cheaper labor. Emphasizing different skills and reducing others is now necessary for education in order for students to be successful in the workforce.
Computers can substitute for or complement human skills
Pretend you are at Wal-Mart waiting to check out. There are long lines everywhere and you only have a few items, so you decide to help yourself to a self checkout at one of the machines. You follow the directions it provides you and you are finished in no time. This is an example of computers substituting for human skills because the technology completely took the place of a Wal-Mart worker.
Once upon a time I worked a summer job as a colonoscope cleaner at my dad’s surgery center. It was a very unusual job, especially for someone outside of the medical field, but I did have the opportunity to learn more than I ever wanted to know about colonoscopies. The doctor uses the “big black snake” (nickname courtesy of my dad) to view the inside of your large intestine. The colonoscope sends live images of your large intestine to a screen, allowing the doctor to see what’s going on, take pictures, locate polyps, and remove polyps for testing. This is an example of computers complementing human skills because the technology helped the doctor do a task better than he/she could have otherwise.
Points to remember: human work involves processing information and deciding what to do about it while computers operate using rules involving arithmetic or logical conditions. Therefore, computers can substitute for people in processing information when that information can be represented with either deductive or inductive rules.
How the increase of technology and globalization relates to education
Computers cannot always substitute for humans. One reason is because the information the computer is processing is difficult to represent in a usable form for computers. Another reason is because the rules are impossible to express. In addition, computers cannot solve problems that programmers haven’t foreseen. Therefore, problem solving is still something that must be done by people and not technology. This relates to education because problem solving needs to be stressed; it is now a more valuable skill in the workforce. Most problem solving in schools today involve problems with rules-based solutions such as algebra. However, if rules are involved, computers are able to be programmed to do this work. Schools need to focus on new problems that do not have solutions or rules yet. Below is a chart showing an assortment of human information processing and how difficult it is for computers to be programmed with each variety. This chart is very much like the one found on page 163 of the book Learning in the Global Era.
Another set of skills important for schools to develop in students is interacting with others and working in teams because these are things that technology cannot do effectively. In a globalized economy where people from different cultures are expected to communicate, it is vital that students know about different cultures and varieties of communication.
The job market as a result of technology and globalization
In our economy technology and globalization are removing and also creating certain types of occupations. The problem is some job categories grow faster than others. There has been growth in the lowest-paying service jobs, a decline in blue-collar and administrative support jobs, and growth in higher-paid jobs. The demand for types of jobs is changing faster than people can develop the new skills required for the job. Education needs to address this issue.
There are five categories of human skills.
How schools should change to fit the job market
All of the trends of the above categories of human skills are revealing that demand is changing toward a higher-skilled and more flexible labor force. Now the most important categories for schools to teach are expert thinking and complex communication. These skills can and should be taught integrated with existing school subjects, just in a different way. Students still need to learn about rules-based solutions, but they should also learn to recognize which solution applies to which case and therefore what rules to apply. The fundamental relationships between ideas should be taught so problem solving can be used to come up with unknown solutions.
A problem preventing these skills from being taught in schools is standardized testing because the tests stress recalling facts. Assessing other skills or tests in a format other than multiple choice requires more time and money to grade so in effect are highly unlikely to examine thought processes or expert thinking.
Conclusion
Currently jobs are being reduced by both technology and globalization. Because of this, employment is focused in the low and high ends of skill distribution. To combat the loss of jobs, education should place more focus on building different skills.