Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, was a guest at the “Distance Education Academy” program organized by the Burdur Provincial Directorate of National Education. Meeting with educators under the title “New Truths in Education,” Tarhan emphasized that new skills in education must be put into practice. Tarhan, who touched upon many topics such as 21st Century skills and education in the digital world, stated; “In classical learning, only cognitive learning is mentioned. In this type of learning, a person understands what they read, explains it, and thus, the information is not permanent. In ideal learning, however, learning is not only through logic. It is learned together with emotions and social skills. This type of learning becomes permanent.”
Teaching is also an art!
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that teaching is not just a discipline that provides education, but also an art. Tarhan stated that while instruction can be digital, education cannot be so; “The pandemic process brought about compulsory digitalization in education, as it did in many other areas. There were those who were ready for this situation and those who were not. Students and teachers struggled at this stage, despite living in an increasingly digital world. Some things can be taught theoretically. That is, instruction can be done theoretically, but education is not theoretical; it requires practice. Furthermore, there is a master-apprentice relationship between teacher and student. Teaching is not only a discipline that provides education and instruction but also an art. Classroom management, teaching a subject to a young person, making them love it, and capturing their attention in class to educate them is an art. This is learned through a master-apprentice method. We discussed all of these and concluded that it is not possible to reduce education to digital. However, the current situation necessitates it. Since there is a serious health problem, all other matters fall to second or third priority.” He said.
“Those who can create new designs can create new opportunities”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of good management during crises, stated that if management is not handled well, there will be breakdowns in the weaker segments of society. Tarhan said; “Instead of opposing digitalization, we need to manage the crisis. A crisis has two legs. The cost of a crisis is paid at its weakest point. The strongest part of a chain is its weakest link. When there is tension, it breaks there. In such crises, breakdowns will occur in the weakest parts of society and in education. Those who cannot access the internet and those who lack sufficient electronic devices will experience these breakdowns. At this stage, the system's task is to unite everyone at a minimum level. There must be a minimum standard. In this regard, Turkey is luckier than many countries in the world. However, instead of distributing tablets to young people, it would have been better if we had trained software programmers and computer scientists. Because a few super computers and a few super young people are doing super work. The 21st century is a century where design is at the forefront. Since design is prominent, those who can create new designs can create new opportunities.” He concluded.
“The aim is to engage every aspect of the person's brain”
Tarhan emphasized that one of the 21st-century skills is providing education with emotions and social skills; “In classical learning, only cognitive learning is mentioned. In this type of learning, a person understands what they read and explains it, thus the information is not permanent. In ideal learning, however, it is not learned only through logic. It is learned along with emotions and social skills. This type of learning becomes permanent. In this type of learning, the aim is to engage every aspect of the person's brain. This is also defined as a 21st-century skill. Active learning and learning by experiencing, by gaining experience, project-based learning. In this method, a topic is given. The aim is for the individual to grasp the topic through applications or tests, rather than just reading and understanding it.” He stated.
“A person's need for social connection must be met”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that one of the 21st-century skills is social skills. Tarhan emphasized that if these skills are not provided to people, they could become substance abusers, saying; “Social skills are one of the 21st-century skills. Humans are such beings that their need for social connection must be met. The reason substance abusers become so is that they are left alone in life and do not feel safe. Because they do not feel safe, they deceive themselves with drugs. Therefore, social skill is very important. Currently, it is necessary to teach this to students and people as a 21st-century skill. As Turkey, we are fortunate in this regard. Because we are a society with warm social relationships. Therefore, our job is easier.” He said.