Synetrix Shaping Educational Futures

our role in shaping the future of education : 

our role in shaping the future of education jason rousell synetrix R&D Please send any questions to: questions@openhive.net

futurelab – education futures : 

futurelab – education futures Click to launch futurelab video

broad challenges facing education… : 

broad challenges facing education… short, medium and probably long term economic pressures environmental impact of all human activity under scrutiny population and demographic changes rapidly changing demands of workplace dissolving boundaries between school, work, home growing inequality, widening digital divide (equality trust – spirit level)

and more specifically …. : 

and more specifically …. being able to afford suitable environments for learning harnessing rapidly changing technologies and making them relevant in the curriculum being responsive to changing needs of workplace without losing sight of education as an end in itself providers of anytime, anywhere, any age learning whilst holding onto the unique values of schools, colleges and universities tackling the new forms of digital poverty whilst trying to take advantage of the latest technology nurturing creativity whilst delivering to targets

education futures - it’s complicated …. : 

education futures - it’s complicated …. but, change isn’t something that just happens, people make change happen despite arguments to the contrary education has always evolved and changed (prof Keri facer) education is in fact at the heart of change, it’s practitioners and users are agents of change the future is not fixed (obvious statement) most predictions about the future are from economists, politicians, scientists, sociologists etc….. what about the view from education (less obvious)

educators are innovators : 

educators are innovators hole in the wall project in india multi-mouse in thailand whiteboard as a social table mobile phones bridging the digital divide social networks appropriated for learning networks wearable webcams for capturing experiences Click to launch Hole in the Wall video Click to launch Augmented Reality video

and what is the role of technology … : 

and what is the role of technology … what part might these existing and emerging technologies/themes play? identity management personal cloud computing social networking & collaborative spaces search & information mining altered realities mobile devices “it’s led to the democratisation of knowledge, which will outstrip the capacity of politicians to predict the future” M Gove

identity – who will we be in 2025? : 

identity – who will we be in 2025? single sign-on, smart card, bio-metrics – just a means to an end more interesting - what type f digital identities will educators and learners have in 2025? every nuance of their education captured, recorded and stored in a myriad of systems? leaving a vapour trail of digital personality (ability) fragments all over the connected world? using their digital IDs to access, manage, record and augment every aspect of their online teaching & learning lives? subject to fraud, manipulation, deceit from a whole new level of identity thieves?

every cloud has a ……. owner : 

every cloud has a ……. owner again, the technology to provide ubiquitous cloud services and storage to every individual is a given, the interesting issues are: what content, services and learning resources do future educators and learners need? what permanently connected, device independent access to a personal cloud means for the gatekeepers in education? what changes if the content and services follow the learner not the institution what foresight in educational planning, assessment and qualifications might result from permanently connected learners what benefits to the economy and environment might arise from a pay as you go cloud computing model of education ICT provision?

social & collaborative spaces : 

social & collaborative spaces and once again, the technology is here, will only get easier, more powerful and better connected, but what do we do with it…. already possible to create informal learning networks anytime and anywhere makes school, community, national and overseas collaboration simple – but will we collaborate more? results in new opportunities for formal and informal learning – who’s the teacher? educators as co-contributors and facilitators in the new social space learning networks not aligned to school – commercial sponsors? raises questions of ownership, commercialisation, safeguarding and accessibility

search - so you know what you want? : 

search - so you know what you want? With unprecedented access to information, from massively diverse sources where the boundary between consumer/producer blurs many questions arise: what new visual metaphors will be needed to help info = knowledge what impact will device, location and connection agnostic access to information have on learning? how will personalised and targeted delivery inform teaching methods? how will the semantic web be woven into teaching and learning? Click to launch New UI videos Click to launch Pivot video

which reality is which? : 

which reality is which? technologies that alter our perception of reality challenge education to explore the way we think and learn… enabling hitherto inaccessible areas of learning through virtual reality combining the connected world with the real world through augmented reality opening new and challenging worlds through hyper-real artificial intelligence tapping into the visual, kinaesthetic and virtual worlds with game creation tools for students Click to launch Natal video

will I still have to go to school? : 

will I still have to go to school? mobile teaching & learning much more than the device’s capabilities accepting school one of many places where learning can occur teachers, retired professionals, people in the workplace available remotely about blurring of distinction between formal and informal learning understanding change required when learning available 24/7 regardless of device, location and connectivity issues raised by need for one to one device ratio Click to launch Courier video

conclusions – what learners want : 

conclusions – what learners want Click to launch Student Charter video

thankyou : 

thankyou