Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — 1st April, 2014 — Adobe today unveiled the findings of its ‘Education, Creativity and Employability’ study at the 9th annual Adobe Education Leadership Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 31st March -2nd April, 2014. 1531 educators representing 13 countries across Asia Pacific were surveyed with an aim to gauge the importance of creativity in education and its role in building a digitally able workforce. The study revealed interesting points on the ubiquity of creativity in the classroom. Educators across Asia Pacific were unanimous in their agreement that creative expression is a must for all students regardless of their stream of study. An overwhelming 97 percent of respondents feel that creative tools help students to better grasp theoretical concepts and enhance their overall understanding in the classroom. This year’s study also revealed the growing awareness among educators that basic digital media skills are an essential requirement for the 21st century workforce with 58 percent strongly agreeing to this statement. Further, 47 percent of respondents agreed that students proficient in digital media skills have a better chance of being recruited, giving them a competitive edge over their less skilled counterparts. However, the study also highlighted the gaps in the current education system as 87 percent noted that it does not place enough emphasis on creative expression. This clearly implies that students are not gaining the necessary skills required for the modern workplace. Commenting on the study Peter McAlpine, Senior Director, Education, Adobe Asia Pacific said, “Today we understand that the convergence of academic and creative competencies is helping create new opportunities for a whole new digital workforce. However, as the study highlights, our challenge now is to bridge the gap that currently exists in our education system and to bring the two closer. It’s time for us as educators to come together and define how to enable this shift, ensuring that students are not only equipped to be consumers of digital content but also to be creators of that content.” You can download the full press release below.
