10.2 Personalized Education
199
The next step in the evolution of personalized education might be the use of particular multi-player, interactive online games. This would allow participants to explore
the laws of nature, to experience different historical ages or cultures, and to interact
with fellow students. Professors may act as coaches or “chatroom masters”, providing
guidance, correcting misunderstandings and answering questions that cannot be
readily addressed with knowledge from the Internet. Furthermore, virtual, threedimensional video meetings may become standard, once the necessary technology
and bandwidth are in place.
2
Of course, schools must change dramatically as well. Teachers complain about
burnout, aggression in the classroom, and worsening test results. Are schools still
preparing children well enough for a successful future? Pupils complain that the
knowledge they learn is outdated and not very useful to them. They feel that the
Internet now provides faster and more accurate answers than their teachers. It might
be true that pupils are losing the ability to memorize facts and focus, and that they
are over-stimulated. But they certainly want to learn things that fit their personal
interests and needs. Unfortunately, the standardization inherent in today’s education
systems inhibits the motivation and creativity of many pupils.
In future we will need less standardized education but more personalized
learning focused on imagination, creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Rather
than presenting children with a predetermined curriculum of things that they “should
know”, greater emphasis must be placed on the ability to learn individually and in
teams. This would involve teaching pupils where they can find reliable information,
and how they can critically assess it and use it responsibly. Rather than forcing children to put their smartphones and tablets aside, we must reach out to them on their
own territory—the Internet. We need to help them to use information technology to
develop their ideas and successfully engage with others.
In conclusion, the schools of today belong to a bygone era. They are the manifestation of an outdated concept of education which is no longer fit for purpose. Drumming
standardized knowledge into pupils’ heads simply doesn’t work anymore. Education
must become an exercise in systematically exploring the wider world and critically
assessing information.
10.3 Science and Health, Fueled by Big Data
We are also at the beginning of a dramatic change in the way we analyze scientific
data and manage our health systems. Although I disagree with Chris Anderson, who
posits that Big Data will bring about the “end of theory”, I do believe that it has the
potential to change research methods and scientific disciplines. Traditionally, we have
2 For this, hologram or virtual reality technology could be used. Facebook’s recent acquisition of
Oculus Rift for $2 billion and Microsoft’s development of a similar product called HoloLens show
that some of the biggest players in the technology sector envisage that virtual reality will soon
become viable.
199
The next step in the evolution of personalized education might be the use of particular multi-player, interactive online games. This would allow participants to explore
the laws of nature, to experience different historical ages or cultures, and to interact
with fellow students. Professors may act as coaches or “chatroom masters”, providing
guidance, correcting misunderstandings and answering questions that cannot be
readily addressed with knowledge from the Internet. Furthermore, virtual, threedimensional video meetings may become standard, once the necessary technology
and bandwidth are in place.
2
Of course, schools must change dramatically as well. Teachers complain about
burnout, aggression in the classroom, and worsening test results. Are schools still
preparing children well enough for a successful future? Pupils complain that the
knowledge they learn is outdated and not very useful to them. They feel that the
Internet now provides faster and more accurate answers than their teachers. It might
be true that pupils are losing the ability to memorize facts and focus, and that they
are over-stimulated. But they certainly want to learn things that fit their personal
interests and needs. Unfortunately, the standardization inherent in today’s education
systems inhibits the motivation and creativity of many pupils.
In future we will need less standardized education but more personalized
learning focused on imagination, creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Rather
than presenting children with a predetermined curriculum of things that they “should
know”, greater emphasis must be placed on the ability to learn individually and in
teams. This would involve teaching pupils where they can find reliable information,
and how they can critically assess it and use it responsibly. Rather than forcing children to put their smartphones and tablets aside, we must reach out to them on their
own territory—the Internet. We need to help them to use information technology to
develop their ideas and successfully engage with others.
In conclusion, the schools of today belong to a bygone era. They are the manifestation of an outdated concept of education which is no longer fit for purpose. Drumming
standardized knowledge into pupils’ heads simply doesn’t work anymore. Education
must become an exercise in systematically exploring the wider world and critically
assessing information.
10.3 Science and Health, Fueled by Big Data
We are also at the beginning of a dramatic change in the way we analyze scientific
data and manage our health systems. Although I disagree with Chris Anderson, who
posits that Big Data will bring about the “end of theory”, I do believe that it has the
potential to change research methods and scientific disciplines. Traditionally, we have
2 For this, hologram or virtual reality technology could be used. Facebook’s recent acquisition of
Oculus Rift for $2 billion and Microsoft’s development of a similar product called HoloLens show
that some of the biggest players in the technology sector envisage that virtual reality will soon
become viable.