English degrees have become more important than ever before. English studies have begun to include the media and the digital world. It is required that English MA and MED students take a deeper dive into the digital world and understand the complexities and components of it. This is a newly developed skill-set. The English world, much like other areas of study, has moved almost completely to the digital world and technological platform. English students have acquired a skill for critical thinking that applies to not only the physical texts and writing, but to the digital world as well. Critical thinkers find that their skills are used well when deciphering meaning within online communities and spaces.
The need for critical thinking is imminent in the 21st century. The digital world has brought about new challenges, but also more convenience. English MA and MED degrees offer a glimpse into the world of 21st century digitized media and technology. It’s important that English MA and MED degrees apply their critical thinking skills to that of the digital world. When looking at digital spaces critically, one can understand the ways they operate and the way that they collect data and find meaning within these spaces. The English MA and MED degrees offers just that, a skill to think critically and analyze technological spaces to further understand the appeal.
Writing itself is a skill, and it is this particular skill that can be applied to most any job we come by today that mostly operate in online platforms. The English community values stories and aims to capture cultural moments. By capturing stories, English MA and MED degree students are able to do something that other degrees cannot. Along with critical thinking, they pay attention to moments and stories that others may miss. Because they remain articulate with capturing stories and numerous details, it is essential to have English MA and MED degrees students working in the digital field.
The English MA and MED degrees provide new ways to capture and take notice to stories and moments that connect to the digital world. English MA and MED degree students pay closer attention to detail and construct stories that benefit digital platforms and keep them interesting. Sharing these moments through digital media is both important to English communities and has become an overall goal. The English MA and MED degree includes work and studies conducted online. It is important to adapt to the shift to completing work or tasks online. English MA and MED degrees establish just that, a need to understand and thrive in the virtual world. It is not just a place for writing(that is not what the English MA and MED degrees are all about) but a place for sharing human experiences through digital tools. That is what the English MA and MED degrees wish to capitalize on and show their students.
Writing professionally is key to working and posting for occupations that involve work to be published online. 21st century skills are all about technology and making the transition from handwritten forms to typed forms submitted through the internet. It is important to understand the digital space with which someone will be working in. The digital media and online platform is such a complex world with intricate details and elements. English MA and MED degree students value the stories in those elements and experiences and attempt to share them through the digital spaces that capture these moments.
What exactly are 21st century skills? I have defined them as the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century. And what does this entail? The 21st century has introduced many to the world of fast-changing technology. It can be difficult to keep up, but this is where the skills come in. Being able to adapt to change quickly and apply critical thinking skills to the digital world are skills needed and acquired by MA and MED degree students.
Here is a breakdown of the importance of 21st century skills and how they align with English MA and MED degrees:
How important are MA and MED English degrees to 21st century skills?
- English MA and MED students gain writing skills adaptable to online platforms and presentation techniques to help them in the future career endeavors.
- English MA and MED degree students demonstrate the ability to capture and share moments in a creative way, namely through storytelling methods.
What are 21st century skills?
- Skills in technology or understanding how digital online spaces work.
- Skills to write professionally in format and translate that into a digital form.
- Applying writing, research(access to digital databases), and reading comprehension to online platforms.
How can MA/MED English degrees apply to 21st century skills?
- Working in online platforms that require writing skills.
- Publishing works or completing editing tasks for jobs online.
- Writing for online publishing work.
- Utilizing creative writing methods to present stories and experiences in an interesting way.
Where do they line up?
- English MA and MED degrees are not old-fashioned reading and writing degrees. They are more involved in understanding the online and digital world and provide a skill for professional writing, a skill somewhat lost today.
- Online publishing forums, publishing works online, professional writing online.
- Creativity in the digital platform, as well as interesting written ideas and clever eye-catching adverts.
- Moving English studies to the digital world and beginning to study online platforms and the writing it consists of.
- Adding creativity and stories to digital platforms to generate interest and attention.
English MA and MED degrees align with 21st century skills because the skills needed to think critically and discover one’s creative skills are established in the degree of English. They are also able to share and capture moments and stories that others will tend to miss. The degree allows students to express their ideas and thoughts in a way that also demonstrates their critical thinking and analytical skills through capturing moments and storytelling. Interpreting works and opening a discussion can be freeing as the student is allowed to express their interpretations and ideas with the help of visuals and use their own professional written voice to discuss their ideas and research discoveries.
Based on my personal discoveries and observations, I can say that the English MA and MED degree manages to set its students up for their futures and whatever will come their way. It opens the door to a wide variety of jobs and career paths and strengthens their writing abilities and sense of confidence and professionalism. Professionalism is important in any respective career field, and the English MA and MED programs help provide students with the confidence and proper skills needed to establish themselves as respectable and professional scholars and employees.
The MA and MED English degree program prepares students for what they may encounter in real-life work situations. More hands-on job experiences and internships are offered through the program as well as graduate assistant positions that prepare the students for real-world work situations. 21st century skills are acquired through the program thanks to these job experiences and opportunities. Most job opportunities will have to do with some form of technological or digital space. The MA and MED English degree entails that students work closely with technological platforms and find meaning in the areas they are interacting with. Understanding digital platforms are key for success in the job force(especially the fields that English MA and MED degrees are looking for) and the MA and MED English degree programs provide extensive work and interactions with many digital spaces.