Big Picture
In his new
book “The World Is Open,” author Curtis Bonk makes bold predictions about a
more personalized age of learning. Below are a few highlights.
The Emergence of Lifelong Super
E-Mentors and E-Coaches
Everyone
will need and likely have an electronic coach or e-mentor. By 2020, there will
be access to learning gurus who understand the innumerable learning pathways
available on the Web. These super e-mentors and e-coaches will be knowledgeable
in counseling as well as human developmental psychology, providing timely
advice about one’s learning journeys and future paths. At first, such super
e-mentors will spring up in high schools and higher education institutions. But
as time goes by, many of them will serve a societal function, not simply an
institutional or programmatic role. And they will be available lifelong.
Quarter-Century Learning Clubs
The average
years of formalized education will continue to lengthen. At some point in the
next two or three decades, the standard twelve-year educational obligation will
double. As we live longer and have more information requirements to absorb and
ultimately master in order to be a specialist or a generalist, we will need to
devote more time to learning. Two or three generations from now, ending college
at age twenty-eight or thirty will no longer be a luxury for a small percentage
of the population; it will be expected of nearly every contributing member of
the planet.
Terabyte Learning Access Points
Within two
or three years, most of us will have access to encyclopedias of knowledge on
our wristwatches and mobile phones. Terabytes of information and knowledge
off-loaded to a nearby mobile device will free up mental capacity for creative
thoughts and collaborations. It also allows learners to participate, if only
casually, in an activity on a particular topic or engage in a conversation as
needed.
The Veneration of Learning
During
these societal shifts, learning will become more important than stock market
reports, the weather, sports, or the daily news. Reports on new resources or
innovative tools from which to learn will become part of daily life. In the
twenty-first century, learning is the essence of being human.
Personalization + Portfolios
Humankind
will come to realize that learning customization and personalization is the
norm, not the exception. Web 2.0 technologies and learning plans push us toward
the creation of personalized learning environments. Fairly soon, such options
will be accessible through simple pointing or voice comments and, perhaps one
day soon, by mere thinking. Learner excitement will heighten when learning
style options can be juxtaposed so that students can simultaneously see, hear,
feel, and perhaps even taste the learning. Along the way, any resulting
learning will be captured in individual learning portfolios.
The Selection of Global Learning
Partners
As present technologies such as ePals, Ning,
or Facebook have hinted, within a decade every learner on this planet will have
a co-learner or co-learners in another part of the planet. These learning
partners will be connected in ways never before imagined. Already learners give
presentations or write books and papers with those in other parts of the world.
What is different is that as this becomes standard practice, there will be
chances to dramatically change how we deliver courses, programs, and education
in general.
The Shared Learning Era
The sharing
of curricula and educational ideas will be expected of all in education. But
will the knowledge-sharing events among rich nations and people, who are among
the first with Internet access, be put on a pedestal for others to observe?
Will the Bill Gates and the MITs of the world continue to dominate the
headlines? Or might the sharing of educational resources lead to new forms of
trust and collaboration among the people of this planet? Can free and open
education lead to forms of human kindness and empathy never previously
witnessed?
Teaching-Learning Perpetuities
When and
where we learn and teach will be increasingly undeterminable. Work time will be
learn time and vice versa. Credits, if they continue to matter, will be earned
and monitored from any location.
Teachers, Teachers
Just as
learning and teaching will be more apparent and increasingly ubiquitous, the
sheer volume and type of teachers at the ready will skyrocket. Teachers and
trainers will be available for anyone at any time. And most of these services
will be free.
The Rise of the Super Blends
The mixing
or blending of learning contents and technologies will make it difficult to
categorize the primary delivery platform. Shared courses, seminars, discussion
groups, and degree programs will be made available for students—courses from
different schools, institutions, and corporate training institutes will form
the blend.
Self-Determined Humans
With help
from mentors and coaches where needed, learning events, activities, and degrees
will be increasingly chosen by the learner. As online learning resources
proliferate, learners will make decisions on the type or amount of learning
that is appropriate.
Free Learning Zones
The coming
decade will see heightened tension between free education and high-cost
education. As people become more familiar with online content and comfortable
with online courses and degrees, free learning certificates and degrees will
emerge. Mentors, tutors, and teachers providing that content might do so free
of charge for some initial activities or limited-interaction events. The free
learning providers will offer fee-based services over the top of such degrees;
they may also sell advertising space and merchandise.
Authentic Learning Amalgamations
Advances in
technologies for simulations, gaming, virtual worlds, and real-time experiences
will foster an era of learning authenticity and learning on demand. Individuals
will scan previews of the learning options before deciding which format is most
relevant to them. When done with an activity or lesson, they can immediately
review their learning on small roll-out screens or other portable devices. As
learning formats rise, learning will continue to shift from the mastery of
instructor-based content to problems to be solved and products to be created.
The Web is
laden with opportunities, some that replicate those possible in a traditional
physical setting, some that extend well beyond it, and others that offer fully
new possibilities. Thoughtful leadership, however, is required to create
transformative experiences.
Reprinted by permission of the
publisher, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., from The World is Open: How Web
Technology is Revolutionizing Education by Curtis Bonk. Copyright (c) 2009 by
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
