The Future of Education
*First published in November 2010
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Alvin Toffler
While paging through the Borneo Post on my return flight from a recent EARCOS conference, I came across a photo showing hundreds of adolescent boy students standing at attention and pledging “to work harder to get better exam results.” I can only imagine the rote memorization needed for them to succeed on the exam and just how far from the future they are at this time. I also wondered if they had mobile phones in their pockets. If so, they are much closer to the future than I thought.
The world is flattening fast around the global economy and re-distribution of labor. A similar flattening concept is happening in education. The reason for the change in education is technology. Access to the World Wide Web is growing everywhere at unprecedented rates, especially under-developed countries. Hand-held devices will continue its rapid evolution of multiple functionalities. How can something so small be so useful? The ability for the devices to follow voice-activated commands and convert voice into text is not far away from conventional use. Still need to type a long email or provide a detailed written response to a teacher? Place your hand-held on its side and it will flash a virtual keyboard onto the surface. Type away. Mobile computing will be one of the key forces for change in education.
The anywhere, anytime learning concept has been around for years. It is about to enter mainstream education. One of the drivers for this type of learning is happening in the university system. Why? Colleges and universities are pricing themselves out of business. Many universities now offer a significant number of online distance courses necessary to fulfill many of the requirements for an undergraduate or graduate degree at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college education. Now you can watch university professors lecture from next door or across the country. For once, post-high school education will lead the way.
The World Wide Web has also led to the development of the open-source, open content approach to information distribution. An incredible amount of information and technology support is being provided to everyone – for free. Imagine the schoolboys from Borneo having similar information access as grad students from MIT. Actually, they have that capability now if they can access the Internet. However, since they have not been taught how to interpret and make effective use of information, they cannot yet leverage it to their advantage. Google (verb) “Khan Academy” and find one of the most popular open-source locations for learning math and science. More than 30 million lessons have been accessed and all for free.
Memorization of facts and rote learning are no longer essential in the educational process. An overwhelming number of resources from the business and higher education worlds, including Tony Wagner, Harvard professor and educational author, cite several 21st-century learning skills as crucial to success in the new knowledge-based economy. These skills can be summarized as follows: critical thinking/problem solving, ability to communicate effectively, and the ability to collaborate with others. Many jobs that students will do in the future have not been invented. The days of working for one company for an entire career are over. With a successful foundation of 21st-century learning skills, workers of the future will be able to adapt to a rapidly changing employment environment.
Changes in education will lead to the individualization of learning. High school students will have more control over their learning and this will filter down to middle school. Teachers of the future may be known as Online Education Advisers where they assist students in developing their personal education built around courses from anywhere on the planet.
What will schools look like in the future? Since 21st-century learning skills require meaningful interaction between people, the need for mutual learning spaces will remain strong. School facilities will continue to provide for arts, sports, and flexible learning environments packed with technology. Augmented reality is no longer science fiction and will allow students to have a virtual sensory tour of Ancient Rome or interact with distant geographical locations in real-time. Kindles and iPads will come alive with 3D technology. When I saw how textbook sources are also evolving 3D technology, I changed my mind about books disappearing from shelves.
Returning to the schoolboys from Borneo, I wish them the best on their exams. If they went to school in Denmark or Norway, they would have an open book option with unfettered access to the Internet to provide facts and information. Instead of memorizing information, students are required to mirror real-world situations by analyzing information and applying higher-order thinking skills. All secondary schools in Denmark will have this open book semester exam option in 2011.
However education evolves in the future, it will be an exciting, dynamic time for learners. Hopefully, in Borneo, too.
Resources:
2010 Horizon Report
2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning
Edutopia
eSchool News