Released in 2009, KnowledgeWorks’ 2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning identifies six major drivers of change that are giving individuals and organizations more options for creating a world of learning that will look very different from today’s system of schooling. This update shares our latest understanding of how those drivers of change could affect education and how you can begin taking action now to create the future of learning.

Major forces of change are challenging us to realize a world of learning that puts learners at the center, leverages technologies and human capital in new ways and incorporates new structures. This world of learning will make it possible for all learners to develop deep knowledge and abilities to thrive throughout their lifetimes.

New ways of thinking and acting will be required to make this vision a reality.

Learners will:

• Collaborate with educators and experts in their communities and around the world to customize rigorous learning experiences based on competency and interest instead of time and age
• Make an impact on their immediate and broader communities as they engage in service-based, project-based and other types of immersive and authentic learning experiences
• Contribute, co-create, take risks, feel ownership and even make use of failure as they engage in a continuous learning process
• Use data to track their progress and to understand their cognitive, social and emotional strengths and challenges

Learning agents – the educators of tomorrow – will:

• Work together to facilitate the use of next-generation digital media such as immersive games, simulations and technologies of cooperation to create rich learning experiences that are tailored to the learning profiles and needs of each learner
• Amplify their ability to serve “the whole student” by creating connections with their immediate communities and with experts and resources around the world
• Integrate multiple types of data streams to make continuous authentic assessment processes transparent to learners, parents and other key stakeholders

The learning system will:

• Provide all students with high-quality learning experiences from a diverse range of institutions and organizations
• Make use of flexible and adaptive learning platforms that support the fluid distribution of such learning experiences across geographic boundaries
• Make nimble adjustments in response to frequent feedback coming from multiple data streams and enable learners to do the same
• Ensure the development and use of high-quality performance-based assessments for all students
• Create new partnerships and models for thinking innovatively about funding and about resources such as materials, physical space and expertise.