Today’s educators are quite concerned that our present educational system still has a long way to go in terms of providing an optimum learning experience for students of all ages. Nowhere is this more evident than in the short film here, produced by Ericsson, and featuring some forward-thinking individuals who are hoping that the future will build on past mistakes and achievements to build a brighter educational future:

The Future of Learning, Networked Society – Ericsson

We Can No Longer Utilize 20th Century Learning Techniques

It is a foregone conclusion that technology must be utilized in order to ensure that every learner gets the most out of his or her educational opportunities. Teachers will always play a valuable role in learning, but they need to start teaching learners to be independent thinkers, rather than spoon-feeding them information that will only be regurgitated on a standardized test. Instead of learning the answers to questions, students must instead learn which questions to ask, and then embark on finding the right answers. This, according to the participants in the film, is the future of learning; not the 20th century methods that are now obsolete.

The Road to Success is Paved With Mistakes

According to Seth Godin, one of the featured participants in the film, we need to build an educational system that will give every child the opportunity to succeed in a way that is best suited to them. That journey to success should not be defined by SAT scores and other tests that do not accurately measure a child’s capability to succeed. The same goes for older students and adults who have left behind traditional forms of education, but still need to learn in order to succeed. We need to find a balance between traditional learning, and the integration of technology in the classroom in order to keep learners of every age engaged and inquisitive. Online education and training has provided a glimpse into what education will look like, but we’re still on a long journey and we’ve got a lot to learn.

At Coggno, we believe that the future of education includes access to online training as an alternative to the traditional classroom. Of course, it can be combined where necessary, but what excites us the most is that knowledge is there for the taking, and the Internet is the conduit that provides the information we all seek. Whether it’s grade school, middle school, high school, college or the work place, education never ends, it just becomes another part of the journey.

We are destined to become a “networked society” as the video depicts. When we can fully realize how much technology can help us learn, the future of learning will finally become our present.