Young Professionals Making A Difference In The World
Our Generation and the Future of Education
If you are anything like me, you are constantly seeking out the next thing that you can learn. Everyday, I challenge myself to learn something new. Because it's like Horace Mann said, "a human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated." But the infographic about Millenials reported that fewer than 15% of males and 20% of females (probably still in the right side of the screen) had attained a 4 year degree, and something struck me. I think that secondary formalized education systems will fragment in the near future due to a shift of online education.
In the late 1990's in the book The Road Ahead by Bill Gates, Gates notes the unannounced synthesis that technology will have with education system, government and our everyday lifestyles. And oddly enough, he hinted, that formal systems that are conservatively managed, will be some of the last places that technology will manifest growth. Gates commended distance learning programs and noted that the fusion of education and technology will push us into the next generation. (Cool thoughts on future of education )
There is growth that we are able to see today. Two weeks ago, I signed up for a class from MITx. Check it out - > MITx . It's the first course that is offered from Massachusetts Institute of Technology that is completely online, has open enrollment, and comes with certification upon passing the course. Now, I have audited classes via KhanAcademy and actually learned my web development skill from Havard Extension's digital classes, but this is the first time I have seen certification coming from a free online education program.
And I'm not the only one who thinks this a good idea. 90,0000, yes, 90,000 people signed up for the course since it was announced in December. And since its the first time something like this has happened, it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be.
So, if in the last 5 years we have seen a number of different colleges putting entire curriculums online and available to the public for free. I can only imagine progressive education will be pursued a lifetime from now.
Here are some resources that I use:
There is always room to learn and grow.
.tc
Comment
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Comment by Christine Wu on October 6, 2012 at 10:02am -
Just saw an ad on TV for UCLA's new online degree and Master's Program. It takes commitment to get through online school, but it certainly offers a nice alternative.
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Comment by Chris Michaels on June 13, 2012 at 7:59pm -
I have taken online classes and they aren't that bad. My school also offers online masters programs which would be awesome so people can do it on their own time. I still enjoy being in class rather than online because it is more personal and I like to be outside of my room interacting with my classmates.
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Comment by Jessica Thomas on June 13, 2012 at 2:28pm -
I actually take quite a few of my classes online. It's easy and it makes my life more simple as opposed to worrying about whether or not I miss class in person. And we already have online schools like the University of Phoenix. My school, USFSP is offering an online M.A. program for Journalism
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Comment by Madison Hart on March 16, 2012 at 3:27am -
Big fan of online education...seems like a perfect fit for our generation. @Donna- nice article. Love the timeline. Congrats on the Masters!
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Comment by Donna Queza on March 15, 2012 at 2:18pm -
I actually just completed an online Master's degree (although, let me tell you, it wasn't free). I enjoyed the program, but I still think that formal institutions need to progress to fully engage students in a virtual environment. It's not surprising, though, that formal institutions will be some of the last to completely grasp the concept. But, it is exciting to think how the world is shrinking and how our generation and those after us will be impacted by our virtual connectivity to one another.
If you're interested, Yahoo! Education actually ran a story about a day in my life and my experience as an online student. You can check it out here: education.yahoo.net/articles/life_of_an_online_student.htm
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Comment by Omar Saleem on March 13, 2012 at 4:21pm -
We are seeing a revolution. And of all aspects of society Education and Environment are the two that will most certainly evolve considerably in the coming years, especially by Gen Y.
And I have to say that this will not be a minor change or a small evolutionary step. I feel we will witness the level of impact that we saw from the invention of the printing press. Knowledge will become even cheaper and more widely distributed. Yet this will again level the playing field further. What will break is the sedentary culture of education that has not changed in centuries.
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Comment by Marni E. Goldberg on March 13, 2012 at 1:41pm -
Online education is the wave of the future...although it takes a very disciplined individual to stay on top of a full load. Imagine a professor giving a lecture to a 1000 students all around the world. How cool is that?
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