Based on predictive findings by Fast Company and Teach Thought, the future of education is going to go through a much-needed shake-up in coming years, not withstanding the recent disruption COVID-19 has already caused to teaching and learning across the planet.

Gone are the days of rote learning for the sole purpose of ‘getting a job’. The next generation of students will experience learning in exciting personalised, differentiated and technology-driven education models, that will equip them with key skills for both life and work.

1. Personalised Learning

COVID has certainly thrown a few spanners in the works in recent times, especially when it comes to everyday schooling. In the future, it is predicted that as a society we will continue on this path of remote, mobile, autonomous and self-directed learning to make way for a highly personalised approach that places a greater emphasis on “how to learn” as opposed to “what to learn”.

This move to a more personalised and differentiated model will enable students to learn in a way that best suits them, connect them to the real world, and also help them build critical skills in independence, self-regulation and self-determination to set them up for future success.

2. Changes to Curriculum

The notion of ‘mastery’ will no longer be based on old-fashioned academic standards but instead on the degree to which today’s students can be skilled to step into tomorrow’s modern, technology-driven societies with more fluid workforces, and emerging industries tackling global issues.

Students’ knowledge and understanding will be measured by a range of non-academic factors, including their ability to build, demonstrate and master key real-world, transferrable employability skills including critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, intercultural competency, digital literacy and adaptability.

3. Education for purpose

Motivations for gaining an education will shift from going to school simply for the sole purpose of getting an education or ‘getting a job’ to critically learning about the world in relation to the self so students can better understand and contribute to ‘what must be done’ to benefit society, community and the planet.

Purposeful careers, as opposed to pure earning potential, will become the main driver behind why the next generation of students will be motivated to learn. Ultimately, this has the potential to develop macro shifts in how both economies and societies function.

4. Rethink Higher Education

Expensive degrees and increasing student debt combined with the new requisite for students to demonstrate real-world employability skills is threatening the sustainability of many universities across the world. This leaves room for innovation and the potential to unbundle traditional degrees to allow for students to move away from rote learning and instead build their own ‘stackable’ degrees, dive into real-world industry challenges and gain microcredentials through fast-tracked diplomas.

Read more at Fast Company and Teach Though.