Rethingking How Humans Learn in the 21st Century
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70437/y5eddk55Keywords:
Educational Epistemics, Knowledge Transformation, Epistemic Authority, AI in Education, 21st-Century Epistemic Learning ArchitectureAbstract
Learning in the 21st century is increasingly shaped by digital platforms, algorithms, and generative artificial intelligence, yet greater access to information does not necessarily produce deeper knowledge or learner autonomy. This study critically examines how these changes reshape the epistemic conditions of learning through a Critical Integrative Literature Analysis. The synthesis identifies five interconnected transformations: the decentralization of the knowledge ecosystem, the reconfiguration of epistemic authority, the transformation of learner agency, the algorithmization of learning, and the emergence of a new epistemic architecture. Based on these findings, the study proposes the 21st-Century Epistemic Learning Architecture (CELA), which positions epistemic agency at the center of learning. The framework reconceptualizes learning from information acquisition toward the capacity to evaluate, construct, validate, and revise knowledge. The findings suggest that technology should not be evaluated primarily by its efficiency or accessibility, but by whether it strengthens human epistemic agency.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Irsad Maulana Khilman Asy-Syafi’i, Nur Ainun Lubis, Maharani Fannisha Rizka, Nur Hidayah, Miftahul Jannah
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