What can we surmise about the future of Connected Learning?
None of us can predict what the future of education will hold. But, from the vantage point of 2013, its potential appears almost limitless and extraordinarily vibrant.
Across industries and institutions, digital technology has been disruptive, leading to a breakdown of traditional assumptions, models, and relationships. Education is no different.
Along with disruption comes new possibilities for those willing to creatively recombine resources, talent and technology. With the breakdown of existing systems, we have an opportunity to combine the long-established pieces we value with newer pieces, constructing newly diverse and evolving learning environments.
However, will the inertia often evident in public education prevent it from responding constructively to disruptions? These disruptions, perhaps started decades ago, are seen by many as unavoidable. And if the education system does not welcome the disruptions with a position of collaboration, will it will lead students, parents, and educators to create alternative ecosystem components which may or may not be available to all? This would enhance the pre-existing inequities in the system rather than diminish them, narrowing the impact of educational innovations by keeping them uncoordinated and fragmented.
Our educators, and our education system, are best placed to respond to coming changes with creativity rather than fear, to help guide the global learning ecosystem into an expansive, low-barrier learning environment envisioned by its proponents.
As we wrap up this OER on Connected Learning, we welcome your final thoughts on this topic.
After this OER has concluded, we will be posting a summary of our findings and discussion in the Summary section.