Being involved in education since UXB began in the mid 90s, we’ve witnessed many changes in how it’s funded, organised, delivered, marketed and valued. But the changes of the last 10 years are chicken feed compared to those that lay ahead.
As it is in so many areas of our lives, so too is it in education - the web changes all the rules. The teaching and learning opportunities offered by connecting people and content across networks that ignore boundaries are literally endless. And new achievements are being reached every week - think Genome or Wiki and you’re in the right zone.
In an intriguing piece entitled Re-imagining Higher Education, Andy Polaine questions the role of buildings and architecture in education and asks whether we need them for teaching and learning when we can collaborate online?
Those of you who have, or know, children between about 7 and 17 will have witnessed their effortless and simultaneous communications: on myspace, msn, on their mobile. These future doctors, lawyers, footballers and traffic wardens truly are natives in a place where many of us are mere tourists. And so natural is it for them to be sharing, learning, entertaining and creating in this multi-channel way, that from now on, they will demand that this is facilitated - in school, at university and within a year or two, the workplace.
To add value for clients UXB look for great ideas at the margins of thinking in this area. Some of the ideas explored there will be common place in a few years.
So if you are in the sector or you have kids, hold on to your hats, it’s going to be a thrilling ride!
And if you’re an employer in an organisation that has more than 25 people, get with now, or watch all the talent go work for someone else.
This theme is taken much further by some great people writing inspirational blogs. Recommended reading includes Euan Semple’s blog and Charles Leadbeater, whose brilliant insights on digital culture are not just informative and engaging, they are visionary and highly influential - www.charlesleadbeater.net