Global Skills: Creating empowered 21st century learners

Sarah Mercer is Professor of Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Graz, Austria, where she is Head of ELT Methodology. Her research interests include all aspects of the psychology surrounding the foreign language learning experience, and she has written and edited prize-winning books in this area. She is currently vice-president of the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning (IAPLL) and serves as a consultant on several international projects. In 2018, she was awarded the Robert C. Gardner Award for excellence in second language research by the International Association of Language and Social Psychology (IALSP). Sarah is a lead author on this paper.

Nicky Hockly is the Director of Pedagogy of The Consultants-E, an online training and development consultancy. She is a teacher, trainer, and educational technology consultant who works with teachers all over the world. Nicky writes regular columns on technology for EFL teachers in professional journals and has written several prizewinning methodology books about new technologies in language teaching. Her research interests include digital literacies, blended and online learning, and the integration of learning technologies in the English language classroom. Nicky is a lead author on this paper.

Gordon Stobart is Emeritus Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, University College London, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment (OUCEA). Prior to that, he was a secondary school teacher and educational psychologist, and then a senior researcher at an examination board and at government education agencies. Much of his work has been on approaches to assessment which encourage broader and more effective teaching and learning. This includes how we can best assess global skills. He is a former editor of the international journal Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice and has written books on assessment in education and learner ability. Gordon is a contributing author on this paper.

Neus Lorenzo is Professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, chair of the Primary and Pre-primary Research and Development Community of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe, and co-chair of the Transformation Society and Information 4.0 Research and Development Group of the World Federation of Associations for Teacher Education. Neus is an inspector of education in Barcelona, and she has been a training adviser for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training and the Council of Europe. She is a widely published author on subjects including language learning, digital communication, organizational networking, and educational assessment. Neus is a consultant on this paper.