Future of Education

We all know that digital is disrupting and changing the world as we know it. In my previous articles, I’ve talked about how technology is influencing our way of working, how it’s transforming the very essence of work. Technology currently fulfils many human tasks, and with developments in robotics, A.I. and nanotechnology, it will transform every occupation in just a few years. The future of work is a huge topic.

According to the World Economic Forum, 65% of children entering primary school today will end up working in job types that don’t yet exist. So how do we prepare for this exciting/scary future?

Survival in this future world means that we need to strengthen the cultivation of skills like critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and creativity; teach how to critically assess information and make ethical judgements; be ambidextrous to learn, unlearn and relearn which takes both emotional resilience and strength.

With this clear link between future skills requirements and the future workforce, the discussion can’t just be about the future of work, it should also be about assessing and challenging the future of education.

As we become more aware of the skills required for the future, we need to help design and build our education frameworks around the outcomes and competencies that match these demands and skills. In order to do this, I think that the collaboration between education and industry becomes critically important. Companies can help educators learn about future skill demands; they can share the lessons of transformation that they have been through and work with educational institutions to challenge current curriculums and develop them accordingly.

There are many examples where industry and education can intertwine for a better learning experience:

From mass teaching in a classroom to personalised teaching anywhere 

In Vodafone, we meet the demands of millions of customers every day, each one as valuable as the next. With such demand, we have learnt that humans and technology together have enabled us to personalise a customer’s journey.

In the future, could standard learning content be personalised to a student’s preferred learning method to help them succeed?  

From basic technology to using immersive technologies

Education should be accessible to all regardless of geography, situation and circumstance.

Companies are using technology to enable flexible homeworking, allowing employees that are location restricted to continue work. In addition, engineers can use virtual reality technology to see and identify a problem without being physically present on premise.

Can AR & VR immersive teaching technology help remove barriers to education for those that face access issues?

From teaching content to co-educating with partners

It is increasingly more common for companies to work with partners to create solutions that either solve a problem or meet demands of their customers. For example, Levi’s teamed up with Google to enter the wearable technology market. They manufactured a touch-and-gesture interactive jacket designed to allow cyclists to control their smartphones without having to reach for them while riding, to avoid compromising their safety on the road.

In the future, could educators use partnerships as a method of co-educating their students for future skills that match job demands?

It's not all about technology

The examples above are how technology enabled a step change in companies and how it could enable the same change in education. It's important for educators to teach how technology disrupts the world, and, how future skills enable that change to happen successfully. Technology and critical future skills go hand in hand, one cannot succeed without the other

The future of industry and work is dependent upon the future of education, if education cannot keep up with the changes that are happening, the future of work will leave people behind.

What do you think? Over the next few months I'll be sharing further thoughts around the future of skills and education.