Are our kids getting the education they could or should?

More is expected of education today than ever before, especially with the emergence of the so-called knowledge society.

Now a new book New Learning – Elements of a Science of Education draws on Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis (both formerly of RMIT) many years of educational research in analysing the state of education today.

The book straddles all levels of education, from pre-school through to Higher Education, and attempts to show empirically which techniques and methodologies are most effective in each sector.

It also builds an imaginative and exciting vision of what schools could be like. It addresses the fundamental questions: what kinds of workers, citizens and persons will our future need, and how can schools refashion themselves and become more relevant?

The focus of New Learning is on learners and their learning the extraordinary diversity of their backgrounds and interests, and the dynamics of learning environments where every one of these learners needs to be fully engaged for their learning to be effective.

The book makes the case for a science of education based on the practical processes of engaging with learners.

The book is supported by a companion website containing extensive further readings.

New Learning is the product of two of the finest minds working in educational research today.

It is a timely survey of the state of the discipline as much as a bold prescription for its future, and will be essential reading for anyone involved in education or its related disciplines and a core text for education students worldwide.

New Learning is set to become the educational text for the 21st century.