The future of learning, what is it about, what challenges are we facing? A couple of years ago I did a film (together with a bunch of skilled people, such as the film team from Radon) in a project about, how education and learning is changing as we enter the Networked Society. We meet with some of the most prominent thinkers to talk about learning and education. I like this film a lot (still)! And looking around most schools and university have long way to go to meet the future.
When I met Professor Stephen Heppell in London last month, he raised interesting ideas about measuring the learning process. He said that in the future, we will start to measure our learning in the same manner as many of us today have started to measure our health or our sports activities.
As the services and processes we use for learning become networked, we are starting to generate lots of data. Data that could be used to individualize the learning process in schools to fit the individual students’ needs and keep them motivated. As Jose Ferreira, CEO ofKnewton said when we interviewed him for the Future of Learning film, “We’re crunching data from the students, so that they know what they are weak at.” He continued, “There are two text books for teaching algebra in the United States; at the local pharmacy there are 50 types of toothpaste. There are 25 times the product differentiations for toothpaste then for teaching each individual brain about myriad concepts you have to learn to be part of the modern economy.”
In the future, it will be possible to visualize the personal learning progress, to track progress, and to get individualized support based on what you have previously done. You will be able to get personal suggestions for tasks, to be stimulated and to do the work in a learning style that fits your personality. I see that as the learning process becomes more and more networked, it could also provide more transparency between the school and the home, allowing parents to follow and be part of the learning process much more deeply than they are today. Read more at the Networked Society blog >>>
We are in the midst of a great transformation in society. In our latest Networked Society report, “Learning and Education in the Networked Society” and the documentary film “The Future of Learning” we take a closer look at this change.
Today, there are 2.5 billion young people who were born after 1991. A significant number of them were born into a culture that embraces various digital opportunities. These people are being shaped by the possibilities of interactivity, collaboration and sharing, and have constant access to their peers and to infinite content, whenever and wherever they want.
When these people are at school and college, they bring their personal technology experience into the classroom; students become a major force for change. Progressive teachers’ new behavior and use of ICT also drive a bottom-up pressure on schools and government to transform. Combined, student and teachers form the outer force.
There is also an inner force, which is driven by the need for governments and institutions to save money and be more efficient, while at the same time ensure educational quality and competiveness. This leads them to look for new ICT-based opportunities to be more efficient, to extend their reach and to enhance their value proposition. Read more at the Networked Society blog >>>
When I was young, dating – or at least trying to date – consisted of slipping a note into a girl’s locker, or shuffling nervously towards her to ask her out with my friends offering humiliating support in the background.
Today it’s much simpler. Ericsson’s ConsumerLab report, Social Life of the Young, looks into how US teenagers are using technology in their social lives. What it shows is that a few text messages can test the temperature of a girl’s interest without you having to suffer the humiliation of your friends’ encouragement. Texting also allows you to communicate with your circle of friends during class or in the privacy of your family home.
Back in the day, walking around school holding your girlfriend’s hand was proof that the relationship was “official.” In today’s technology-driven society, and with Facebook being the highlight of a teenager’s online life, changing your status to “in a relationship” is now seen as the official announcement to your friends.
Read the full post at the Networked Society blog >>>
Last month, I wrote a number of posts on how the ICT industry is transforming the way we learn across all stages of education. As education evolves, we need more than just a new kind of teacher – we need a new way of teaching.
Instead of concentrating on memorizing knowledge, like I did at school, we need a stronger focus on learning how to apply knowledge to specific problems. We need a new mindset, and we need international initiatives that support open learning for all, preparing future generations for the global competition that awaits them in the workforce.
One international initiative that truly illustrates an understanding of this need is TED-Ed, a new site that focuses on education and was created by TED, a non-profit organization whose goal is to spread new ideas about technology, entertainment and design
Read the full post at the Ericsson Networked Society blog
ICT is transforming the way we learn and the way we do business. Competition that was once local is now global. And if you want to stay competitive, the need to know how to leverage technology effectively in the workplace is becoming essential, no matter what industry you work in.
Businesses and the public sector are seeking new ways of increasing efficiency, new ways to enhance their value proposition and new ways to extend their reach with the help of ICT. Broadband, mobility and the cloud are the core infrastructures driving this change.
But for businesses to be most effective in this ICT revolution, changes must first take place in our schools. As I wrote in an earlier post, six areas are transformed when ICT is introduced to educational institutions. One of these areas is skills and knowledge. What will the next generation of students need to know, and what type of skills and knowledge will be most important in the future? Read the full post at The Networked Society Blog.
In a yearlong trial, a Sydney school has issued 145 year 6 students with iPads, which will be used to complete most of their classwork. So what will happen to pen and paper as more and more new technologies are introduced in schools? Do they have a future? Perhaps – well, I’m rooting for the pen. Read the full article at the Ericsson Networked Society blog
When I was young, dating – or at least trying to date – consisted of slipping a note into a girl’s locker, or shuffling nervously towards her to ask her out with my friends offering humiliating support in the background.
Today it’s much simpler. Ericsson’s ConsumerLab report, Social Life of the Young, looks into how US teenagers are using technology in their social lives. What it shows is that a few text messages can test the temperature of a girl’s interest without you having to suffer the humiliation of your friends’ encouragement. Texting also allows you to communicate with your circle of friends during class or in the privacy of your family home.
Read the post at: http://www.ericsson.com/thinkingahead/the-networked-society-blog/2012/01/05/social-life-of-the-young-same-needs-different-tools/#more-1942
Mikael Eriksson Björling 