Decoding the Future of Education
We are in the verge of an exciting change within the field of learning and teaching. Rising acceptance of the usage of technology as a tool for educational purposes is emerging and will eventually lead towards the disruption of education in a very fundamental level. The previously well-sealed doors of education governance are finally opening up to the real life challenges from the classroom. This adds to the worldwide connection capability and reachability of devices, creating an equation that sets the learning free.
Our world has changed a lot within the past hundred years. The only thing that still remains true to its traditional practises is education. Some marginal change within the pedagogies used is happening, yet the essence of how teaching and learning is constructed lies its base to days when we were raising people into doers in industrialised workforce. The current day and the future behold so much more for its habitants than working in a certain cubicle from 9-5. Technology is already liberating people from the offices to work anywhere with reasonable network connection. Next, technology can free students from being stuck in one room or building and take blackboard working method into 21st century possibilities of learning.
Little by little companies and startups have taken baby steps to create platforms and content for digital education. Still, Education Technology remains “in the womb of its mother.” Luckily, the change has begun and now it relies on our actions to give the future of education the chance and the direction it is looking for. Once that snowball gets rolling, within the next few years, we will witness the hockey stick effect in the amount of different digital learning solutions available the market.
One very fundamental tone I personally wish to see in this field of change is the rise of open source material available for everyone. When we are able to free ourselves from the restrictions of sharing knowledge, it is only then when we can truly talk about the freedom of learning. The value of some material interfering with the reality of spoken word, new data and knowledge arising from human experience, violates the academic rights of any student, anywhere in the world to learn, teach and participate in the evolution of education.
My truth on some topic can be very different than yours. Yet if we can create a bridge of understanding between our perceptions in the same topic, we can learn from each other. Most of the conflicts in this uniting world spring from fear or misunderstandings. We as human are very keen to stick into our inner visions of life, and when that understanding is confronted with something different we tend to feel even threatened or scared as we don’t feel familiar with the topic.
The very root of learning demands something that brave children are very good at, facing new things every day and growing to know them. So the first change that you can or rather need to do is to begin within yourself. No matter what the topic or issue is, think of it as something which you can achieve. You can learn and you can understand, if not at that very moment, but later for sure. Thus, let go of your fears and have faith both in people and in your own capabilities to learn and grow.
About the Author
Kirsi Ekberg, Founder of ViLiKe, is one of the pioneers in the education sector. Boasting years of experience as a startup entrepreneur, Kirsi strives to harness the potential of technology to bring-forward a digital evolution beneficial for the people and the world. The ICT Management and Software Development graduate, follows a simple mantra in life of being brave and embracing the change.
