While numerous blogs focus on teaching, technology, and the future of education, I thought it was about time to focus on “learning” and “learners”. I strongly believe that excellence in education must focus on the act of learning – not teaching. While great teachers and educators can light the spark and guide learning, it is up to the learner, in the end, to make learning happen.
What is learning? How do children learn? How do adults learn? Can (should) learning be fun? What can discourage learning? What motivates learning? Who is the modern learner? What engages learners? What are key skills in learning? How can we develop learning skills? What is the role of education in a learner centric system? What are key learning (not teaching) technologies? What defines effective learning design? What is personalized learning? Only some of the questions I hope to cover throughout the life of this blog.
One of the most challenging aspects of education is helping people grow into autonomous and self-directed learners. With change the constant in our ever evolving world, our focus as educators should be to make sure we are developing learners that can take charge of their own learning. To do otherwise would be irresponsible.
So off we go. Taking a hard look at education from the learner’s perspective. Hang on though. Because as we dig, we’ll be questioning some of the foundations of education today. We’ll be looking at the key competencies required of educators, professors and learning professionals in general. We’ll investigate how learner centric our institutions are and to what extent we have designed systems with learners and learning in mind. We’ll look at the role of degrees in a world that rewards learning and what has been learnt…no matter how learning happens.
I hope you’re ready to learn… I know I am.