Next Generation Learning: Can We Crack Four Problems to Unleash Quality Education for All?

Everyone knows that every single child should receive a high-quality education. Not only is it the ticket to opportunity in America and around the world, but also research has shown clearly that there are life-limiting implications for children who are not adequately educated. Where to start? As the authors reflect on their work and research in education, they hypothesize that at least four systemic problems, which have not been widely addressed in reform, are inhibiting the nation's ability to effect breakthrough change. These are: (1) Lack of personalization of content; (2) Lack of appeal to different learning styles; (3) Inability of teachers to play to their true strengths; and (4) Lack of effective reforms at a reasonable cost. The rest of this paper focuses on these high-potential innovations. The authors' intent however, is to generate ideas, not claim victory. These answers are: (1) Develop personalized learning pathways for all students; (2) Open up a variety of avenues for student learning by offering options beyond the traditional lecture format; (3) Deploy teachers in ways that leverage their individual strengths and increase their effectiveness; and (4) Create solutions that are cost-competitive with the existing system. The Economics of Next-Generation Learning Approaches is appended. (Contains 19 footnotes.)