Personalised development, digital footprint, adaptable tracks and other trends of future education
Technology has driven huge changes in the way we live, work and have our being. Yet it is only the beginning of what’s to come. New technologies such as artificial intelligence, neurotechnologies and big data will drive even more momentous change, for instance, by radically altering the global workforce. We are already firmly planted in the digital economy and many societies are trying to adapt and harness the power of digital transformation. In practice, this takes many shapes but at its heart is the need to adapt education systems to reflect the surging need for digital skills to meet the future head on.
Tomorrow’s World
Education is the bedrock of any society; the growth of any society is dependent on the level of education of its citizens. But are our colleges and universities equipped to meet these challenges? We think not. Traditional universities are barely equipped to deliver relevant educational programmes for people in the digital economy. For sure, they have adopted some new technologies to further education like 3D virtual models of maths solutions which are more engaging and aid understanding.
But these are isolated tools rather than dedicated, tailored courses that meet the needs of students entering the digital economy and the needs of companies that require digitally articulate employees. So how do universities adapt? The answer is in embracing and applying the technologies that are going to be so important and adopting the processes that are already firmly cemented in many large businesses.
Uniquely personalised development
For instance, imagine you’re a student and you’re mindful that today you can change professions quicker than at any other time in history and with new technologies coming online quickly you need to be smart and adaptable. By collecting digital footprints, after all this is the digital age, and by using big data to analyse this information personalised educational and adaptable tracks can be created that factor in the rapidly changing and evolving needs of the employment market.
The data can range from and include communications, behavioural data, photos, videos, social media footprints, sports and nutritional tendencies, emotions related to education, cultural interests and so on. By applying AI to this big data analysis, non-obvious recommendations, personal preferences and individual predispositions can create unique, personalised development tracks. By adding in the requirements of employers, such as forecasts for new professions and competencies, it’s possible to develop profiles that dovetail with the needs of the individual and those of a large organisations.
As an individual progresses through an educational course a digital competency profile is completed. This can be tied to priority technologies such as big data, virtual reality, distributed registry systems, quantum technologies and so on, with confirmation by testing and through expert accreditation.
All encompassing
Importantly, the various sciences, arts and technology courses will be flexible because external factors can influence course content, such as new research data and science and technology developments, so adjustments can be made. EdTech will naturally embrace new technologies. To date education technology encompasses everything from the simple use of computers, the submission of homework online, online degree platforms, informal mobile learning applications, gamification and virtual reality techniques.
But a significant increase in the role of augmented reality, virtual reality mixed reality technologies is essential to increase training interactivity, foster development opportunities and ultimately the mapping out of educational and career paths. We can even incorporate biometric data to enable objective assessments of stress levels and impact of sports and other practices on the emotional and physical state. This data can inform the adjustment of educational programmes.
Team work
Team work is also essential and at the centre of this approach. For instance, AI is currently predicted to replace the work roles of many people and certainly, neural networks will supplant many work roles. But by creating unique teams based on tailored educational paths, each team member having his/her unique competencies, will be able to successfully perform complex tasks and deliver results that are more important than AI-based solutions.
For instance, intensive involvement between different groups of people from different industries such as science, business, government, arts and so on will create mutual influence and interconnection which will lead to new breakthrough solutions and technologies.
This education should be on-going to keep abreast of the rapid developments driven by technology. This will create the conditions in which people of all ages can quickly adapt to new requirements. In short, this level of on-going education also creates a separate industry that supports and helps people throughout their lives.
New lifestyle
Clearly, this is more than education in the traditional sense it is a new lifestyle and one which embraces technology advances but helps people and society keep pace and realise the full potential of technology advancements. This isn’t a theoretical academic only premise, rather it’s a hands-on approach that is actually being put into practice.
For instance, University 20.35 is pioneering a new university model that embraces comprehensive AI-based support. Each student at any given moment makes a decision on his/her further educational steps based on recommendations that take into account the student’s digital footprint and the educational content and activities available. Pilot programmes at Tomsk State University and Novgorod State University are offering students the opportunity to develop a set of competencies by creating personalised blended learning curves, as outlined above, related to the digital economy.
The Russian government is helping drive these projects as part of its National Technology Initiative (NTI), a $200 million annually road map for the development of technology up until 2035. University 20.35 is the first digital university without buildings, focused on realising the objectives of the NTI. University 20.35 was successfully tested with two 10–12 days of intensive, AI-supported, trainings. Over 1,000 technology and IT specialists took part in 2018. A follow-up project, held this summer, included educational leaders with the focus on integrating Russian universities into the evolving new educational ecosystem. In order to increase the scale ten times, 100 teams of classical universities were assembled. This in turn is set to be followed by an international project featuring Russian tech entrepreneurs and technologies, and partners from the world’s leading educational companies.
This is a lot to digest because it clearly implies sweeping changes to our traditional education systems. But we can simplify this by saying if data and AI analysis of a student suggests strong entrepreneurship tendencies then education will teach him entrepreneurship. If the student analysis shows an overwhelming attraction to psychology then they will be taught psychology and all of course dovetailing with the needs of rapidly growing digital economies and flexible digital ways of being.
Dmitry Peskov, special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Digital and Technological Development, Head of University 20.35
