Business Learning Experiences in the Age of Exploration
Perspectives on education transforming start ups through corporations across industries
Editor’s note: This PART 1 of a two part series.
WHY LEARNING?
There is no doubt in my mind, that we have begun one of the most relevant transformations of humanity: the search for educational models that engage new generations and remain relevant for life while generating better learning outcomes.These early stages of a collective transformation have many dimensions and are being felt in all countries social, economic, political, technological, agendas. Arguably, the most relevant change of them all, is how our society, begun changing and addressing the World that we now live in…
I will try to provide some of these views under a particular proposal for ways to deal with what will come to us from now on, at unprecedented speed and with the accelerated impact of, potentially (if we do this right), solving most of humanities critical challenges: inequality, poverty, climate change, cultural development, innovation. As Nelson Mandela clearly stated: “Education is the most powerful weapon that we have to change the World” I feel that this weapon has becomed obsolete, and now, we are in the midst of finding ways to keep it sharp and active for that great potential.
Citing a recent statement from John Chambers are the World Economic forum: “There are two equalizers in the World: Internet and Education” Initiatives to transform education are capturing headlines all around the World. New trends are being monitored about technological impact, student behaviors, teaching methods, remote delivery capabilities, broad access, quality improvement, personalized learning, etc.
{TEXTPECTATION} The feeling of anticipation you feel when a text has been sent and…
WHY NOW? Consider these eight questions:
- What will come next?
- How to begin this transformation?
- Who is doing it right?
- How soon will traditional models become irrelevant?
- Is technology going to disrupt education to a degree where Universities, teachers and facilities, dissapear?
- Are going to be able to train for the work environment of the future?
- Is there a better way to create learning outcomes?
- Are new generations able to compensate for what our generations did to the planet, to the poor, to women, to people with dissabilities, to cultures, to race?
These and many more relevant questions are being discussed in many forums around the World and with many different perspectives: Technology companies, Academics, Governments, School authorities, teachers, parents, students, employees, employers, investors, entrepreneurs…
{NONVERSATION} The interaction that is completely worthless
WHY ME?
Throughout my professional career I have been fortunate to be exposed to unique experiences, industries, epochs, capabilities, people, strategies and companies that enable me to feel at ease with transformational change, to incorporate views that come from diverse perspectives and to innovate on the way to connect the dots.
Having being an entrepreneur, a teacher, an investor, a student, a corporate leader, a board member, a consultant, a professional soccer player, a corporate trainer and a father. Having relevant experience in industries like, technology, marketing, insurance, consulting, media and entertainment, for both start up ventures and big corporations, I have now a unique opportunity to provide perspectives that have (fortunately for me) become more relevant to confront the transformational nature of education. Furthermore, being born in Latin America, lived in 4 countries, including the US and travel extensively around the World for over three decades, allow me to see a World of different realities, visions, social structures, human behaviors and institutional capabilities.
All these experiences integrate rather well with my current leadership role at Cengage Learning, a major player in education, with unique capabilities and values that bring a solid, innovative and legitimate perspective for the future of education.
{ERRORIST} Someone who repeatedly makes mistakes
HOW?
First of all, it is imperative that we recognize that the World is changing at a much faster phase than ever before. That cycles are shorter and this is only the beginning.
There will not be human environments that can remain static just thing about religions, universities, companies, media, entertainment, food, fashion, utilities, energy, government, science, art, sport, music, or any other field, which is not evolving and reinventing itself under a continuos process. Information comes to us under a diversity of formats, media, devices, perspectives and sources. We all now have different personalities, as we interact online, offline, among networks or privately. We are exposed to global issues and immediate points of view, there is data about everything and anything, and our voice can be expressed freely and globally. Yet, our span of attention is barely a few seconds until the next element engages us. Many of the most relevant moments that we live today, are being captured to be shared, which changes some of the meaning from living the moment.
The challenge of engaging people with content is one of the most relevant today and there are significant initiatives that are looking into this from the perspective of education, information, media, advertising, film, music, entertainment, art etc. Another significant challenge is to care. Inspiring for positive action, connecting to what really matters and motivating behaviors that evolve towards closing the gaps that have been generated in areas such as gender inequiality, access, poverty or climate change. “When you invest in a girl’s education, she deeds herself, her children, her community and her nation.” Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway
Taking these challenges as part of the transformation in education is also imperative. We tend to focus too much on the end result; achieving a certificate, obtaining a degree, etc. That we do not see that it is the journey of learning what matters most. For the first time in history the headlines of education are reaching mainstream. Also, for the first time, we have a female teenager Nobel Peace Price winner in education. We have new clusters of edu/preneurs being created globally; there are new companies that aim to merge science with entertainment for girls. Women will finally play an active and relevant role in humanity.
The same will start to happen with poverty, children that are first generation to access education will transform their social and economic environment. Education does not need to happen under a roof, with a guide and with an established structure that ressembles a Tree of Life. It will become a living network where all stakeholders are living nodes that keep this network growing, evolving, connecting, reaching and adapting for a lifetime of learning.
{UNLIGHTENING} Learning something that takes you nowhere
In the next part Learning for work, the new learning experience.
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