The OECD report on Trends Shaping Education 2013 provides a statistical overview of current trends as they relate to education. The report is not designed to analyze and predict the impact of these trends on the future of education, but rather it is occupied in asking key questions that may stimulate important discussion. In doing so, it asks the main question “what might this trend mean for my education system and my work?” (p. 15) while fully recognizing that “the future is inherently unpredictable” (p. 16). As with any study by the OECD, critics will point to the lack of representation from developing countries. This criticism is well established, I have chosen to put those arguments aside for the purpose of analyzing the potential market opportunities created by the identified trends, and the value of the report to educators, learning technology specialists, and entrepreneurs.
My main goal is to analyze the trends presented in the OECD report and identify possible market opportunities for educational products and services that result from these trends. In the following chart, I have summarized the statistical overview provided by the OECD, along with questions related to these trends and possible market opportunities that arise from them.
Trend Area | Trend | Questions Raised | Market Opportunities for Educational Products and Services. |
Globalization | Increase in immigration and travel to OECD nations, coupled with an increase in trade and openness to global markets has led to a trend away from nationalized decision making. |
|
|
Well Being and Lifestyle | Increasing urbanization of the population creates challenges and opportunities for education providers and policy makers. Social problems such as crime, wellness and a less politically active population are increasingly becoming a public issue. |
|
|
Skills and the Labour Market | With increase of women in the workplace, comes an increase in the need for education. As a result of this increase, there is a growing need for child care and ECE services. OECD countries have invested heavily in R&D over the past two decades to stay competitive in the “knowledge economy”. As a result there is a substantial increase in patents through OECD countries, as entrepreneurs jockey to capitalize on ideas. |
|
|
Modern Families | The population of OECD countries is aging, and people are staying active later in life than ever before. Meanwhile, families are becoming smaller and more diverse. Education is being leaned on more than ever before as a way to for families to achieve upward mobility. |
|
|
New Technologies | The rapid development of information technology, the increased need for computer skills in the workforce, and the proliferation of internet usage and mobile technologies, have increased the importance of digital literacy within OECD countries. |
|
|
After reviewing the trends, key questions and possible opportunities for educational entrepreneurs, it is clear that the OECD report effectively cultivates a discourse that is both useful and valuable to educators. Teachers, administrators, stakeholders and policy-makers can use the study to discuss and predict future outcomes and position their organization or institution to provide viable educational solutions for future generations. Furthermore, the report allows learning technology specialists and venturers a glance at population trends that will shape markets in the coming decades. From here, questions can be raised, encouraging innovative and entrepreneurial minds to create marketable educational solutions for these issues. It should be noted, however, that a learning technology specialist may not glean any information t about specific technology trends from the report, which is designed to summarize population trends, not necessarily upcoming technological innovations. In this case, a person hoping to gain insight into what technological ventures to undertake, or what fads in educational technology to capitalize on, may not find value in the report.
For me, a report such as this provides me a broad understanding of current trends that are shaping educational markets and policies. As a relative newcomer to the field, such a report is valuable to my future success in that it provides me a necessary foundation of knowledge into population trends and how they are influencing education. It also provides me key questions to consider should I choose to venture into the educational marketplace. I would certainly recommend the report to others on those grounds, as it is not, and does not claim to be, a source of answers or predictions as to the next popular technology or educational fad.