Half of recent college graduates don’t have jobs or don’t use their degree in the jobs they find. Since 1990, the cost of college has increased at four times the rate of inflation. Student loans are clocking in at $1 trillion.
Something’s got to give. Education is going to change, the question is how and when. Think about it: Today’s job market—whether you’re designing new drugs, fracking for oil, writing mobile apps or marketing Pop Chips—requires graduates who can think strategically in real time, have strong cognitive skills, see patterns, work in groups and know their way around highly visual virtual environments. This is the same generation that grew up playing online games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but who are almost never asked to use their online skills in any classroom.
MOOCs will inevitably come to K-12 education too.
All is proceeding as I have foreseen.