Randomization as a Problem-Solving Tool in 21st Century Learning

This chapter explores the pedagogical potential of randomization as a problem-solving strategy in 21st-century education. Departing from its conventional application in experimental research, randomization is reinterpreted as an instructional instrument aimed at cultivating adaptability, metacognitive awareness, and creative reasoning. The chapter draws on constructivist and sociocultural theories to present a university-level intervention in a course on English morphosyntax in which grammar instruction was randomized. The students participated in a series of syntactic tasks that were not anticipated and that prompted them to adopt a flexible mindset and engage in reflective practice. The findings indicate that pedagogical randomization has the potential to enhance conceptual understanding and instructional creativity. The chapter presents a replicable model for integrating structured unpredictability into teacher education, demonstrating how randomness can support dynamic, context-aware, and learner-centered instruction.