Can Digital Learning Dismantle the American Class System?

We’re in the midst of the biggest boom of knowledge humans have ever seen. At this point in time, there are terabytes of easily accessible books and lessons online. Yet rising costs of higher education and budget cuts to our public schools systems are making it increasingly difficult for students to access and synthesize all the knowledge available. Which begs the question – Can digital learning dismantle the American class system?

Given a thousand variables that contribute to social mobility, education is the single most predictive driver of social class change in the United States. That’s a power driver. We’ve never had a system that could benefit everyone. We’ve had a system that benefitted a few, then more, then more and more.

Technology has only increased the speed of change. But technology itself doesn’t improve learning. Teaching improves learning. Technology is an enabling and supporting capability and how you use it as a tool matters. Kids don't need tablets, they need critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration. A teacher has to look at their classroom and think, what team can I put together. How can I help them provide feedback? A teacher evolves into a manager, enabling collaboration instead of enforcing learning from top down.

We can truly personalize education. I dream of a day we can have an app that reads our biorhythms and tells you what and how to learn. Schools that offer these services are starting to spring up around the country. Alt schools in the Bay area have cameras around the classrooms. Kids are helping design their own programs. Students have opportunity to use these tools to access knowledge. That is power, that is opportunity.

We have 3 times the number of graduates, 8 times the number of learners, and 5 times the number of research institutions, but faculty size remains the same. Technology is one of the main reasons why. Was it easy? No. Were there issues? Yes. In the long run, does it look like a path to greatly be able to enhance educational outcomes at a lower cost? The answer is yes.

It doesn't make sense for administrators to sign 3.5 million dollar contracts for textbooks that will last 10 years. How fast does information change? 6, 12 months? What does it say when teachers have to lease their tools. A house maybe, but not a textbook.

It’s still very early. In 1995, 1% of the world was online. 1995 was not that long ago. We’re at the very beginning of what’s possible. It took 10 years to get the first billion people online. Even today, 20 years later, only 42 percent of people is online. We're quickly closing the gap.

There are so many advanced in, not just technology, but learning science. We know how people learn now. We will hit a point soon where more people will be able to learn in far better ways than ever before. It’s the coming acceleration of all things in our society. The power of small is actually now quite big. We can form networks. There are ways power is going to shift pretty quickly. That is what I believe what will begin to dismantle the class system.