The education world spends a lot of time talking about ‘next generation learning’, but what does it really mean? I have been reading Michael Fullan’s excellent book, Stratosphere*, and I think he can help us nail both what we mean by the concept and what we need to do to ensure that it delivers for learners.
I’ve been struck by the clarity with which Fullan sets out how the ultimate goal – doubling learning at half the cost – can be achieved if we can combine pedagogy (especially how to learn and the opportunities to learn differently) with technology (and the huge, ever-expanding series of data it opens up), and engage the whole education system (in terms of how to change, and knowing what to do with all that data and information).
But what is most striking, perhaps, is Fullan’s four criteria for successfully integrating technology and pedagogy to make sure it works – it needs to be irresistibly engaging; elegantly efficient and easy to use; technologically ubiquitous 24/7; and steeped in real-life problems and problem-solving skills.
It’s a compelling vision for online learning, but also a vital one if we all want to use technology to scale and really solve some of the biggest problems in global education.
Pearson is a large education publisher.