Newsletter 43: Education 3.0 The Technological Supercycle.

Amy Webb CEO of the Future Today Institute says in her 17th annual Tech Trends Report that we have entered an innovation supercycle and "this wave of innovation is so potent and pervasive that it promises to reshape the very fabric of our existence."

The Future Today Insitutue are leaders in 'Strategic Foresight' and the report is very much worth reading through for those of us in the field of education, or beyond.

She goes on say sabout the technological Supecyle, "The ramifications are stark and undeniable. As this tech supercycle unfurls, there will be victors and vanquished, those who seize the reins of this epochal change, and those who are swallowed whole. For business leaders, investors, and policymakers, understanding this tech supercycle is paramount."

You can download the full report here - Future Today Institute - Leaders in Strategic Foresight

Here is her keynote address at SXSW and her interesting take on strategic foresight.

One section of the report details the timeframe for disruption in different industries. In the field of education, the disruption from AI and Gen AI seems painfully clear; it will disrupt education in the next 1-4 years. However, it is not the only element that will have a major impact on what we learn, how we learn, where we learn, and why we learn.

This is the list of technological innovations queuing up to disrupt the classroom: AI, Gen AI, Bioengineering, Gen Bio, Computer Architecture, AR, VR, XR, and Synthetic Media, Metaverse, Web 3 Infrastructure, Mobility, Robots, and Drones, Climate and Green Tech, Quantum. Over the next fifteen years, all will shape a very different future for the education of our children.

Could there be any more stark illustration than this video of Smart Robots, powered by OpenAI?

AI: Custom, Fit-for-Purpose LLM

Having a real-time conversation with multi-modal AI about the reams of data that we find in schools, in order to lead to critical insight about strategic school plans, I find an extremely compelling use case scenario. "Push up your sleeves and build your own tailor-made systems to ensure transparency and extensibility."

Metaverse: "There is a nuanced interplay between digital immersion and the desire to maintain a connection with the physical world. Consumers increasingly show a preference for augmented reality over virtual reality, indicating a broader inclination toward digital experiences that complement, rather than replace, the physical environment." EDUmetaverse Andrew Wright

In schools, I see the hybrid model of using the Metaverse as the most realistic and useful form of teaching students about the power of immersive learning experiences, and innovation in these areas is already upon us in schools. Think of the quality of Fortnite, but designed to help students learn, and you are in the right area.

Web3 - "Schools may seek to improve their institutional knowledge in Web3 by working to develop new blockchain protocols, exploring use cases for Web3 within their education, or experimenting with new forms of digital assets."

The convergence of Web3 technologies in education is fascinating, and blockchain technology's versatility in education to solve educational and learning issues is real and should be explored. I do believe that students should be educated around blockchain technology at an early age, but there is a distinct lack of options to work with blockchain and digital assets with students in meaningful projects. I see the use of cryptocurrency in schools as a meaningful project, which could have real-world learning applications.

AR, VR, XR, and Synthetic Media - "Advocates of the metaverse and blockchain share a core principle: decentralization."

Who really should control a child's education? I suggest it's not the government, and a growing number of trends in education, such as the rise of homeschooling, microschools, such as Colegio Ikigai , seem to indicate that there is a desire to see K-12 education decentralized.

There are many compelling arguments for a movement away from the state-controlled educational model. The convergence of Web3 infrastructure, AI and education could offer, very soon, a plausible solution to this educational dilemma for parents, as long as stands outside the purview of silicon valley greed.

Here is a very interesting take on homeschooling from the Guardian about the situation in the UK.

‘Children are being failed’: why more English parents are home educating | Home schooling | The Guardian

The risk of having a criminal record for not wanting your child in a hostile school environment really hits home in this piece. However, it is also clear that homeschooling is a very complicated decision and hard for parents. This is where Education 3.0 models could fill a need and gap in the market.

This feels important and serious and not a moment too late.

Do we have any chance to not embrace the Technological Supercycle? There are and will be unprecedented opportunities for schools and education as this AI-driven supercycle starts to work its way through the K-12 educational landscape. But if we are to believe Amy Webb's strategic foresight and considering the quality and detail in The Future Today Institute's report—I do consider this a very valuable resource—then the very "fabric of our existence" will be changed by technology in schools in the short term, being the next 1 to 4 years.

This goes beyond putting an AI policy in place or workshop on how to ethically use generative AI with the students. This is a complete redesign of the educational system, and this time it seems the redesign will come from the bottom-up, heavily involving teachers, parents, and students. It will focus on a hyper-personalized learning journey in which everyone can succeed and find their individual purpose in life. Phillip Alcock

Do you agree or disagree? What will the future hold for schools? Let me know in the comments below.