Two weeks ago I had the great opportunity to attend and speak at the EdX Global Summit and learn about the future of higher education. The industry is at a crossroads -- disrupted by Covid and an ever-increasing number of young people who are deciding college simply isn't worth it. Under political and financial pressure, some schools are cutting departments or simply closing altogether.
On the flipside, growth in online learning has provided a huge opportunity for some schools -- someone the event described MIT's online AI course as a "money printing machine." A sizable population of "Harvard" grads on LinkedIn have never set foot in Cambridge; simply pay for an online class, take a quiz or two, and you've entered the education elite, at least on this platform.
But internet learning only gets you so far. I say this as someone who has taught online classes for several platforms and is about to launch another -- the engagement just isn't great. I don't think I'm the only person who spends Zoom sessions half listening and half catching up on the news, emails, or messaging a friend about dinner plans.
There is a solution for this, and if you've ever read literally anything I've written in the last several years, you can guess what it's going to be -- that's right, VR. Early research out of universities using VR for education point to greater engagement, retention, and grades -- not to mention the leveling effect the technology can have. That lab at MIT or Caltech that has all the most cutting edge equipment -- now people everywhere can have access. You can virtually sit in on a lecture from a leading expert and then break off into virtual dissection sessions with people from all over the world.
VR is going to play a big role in education's transformation over the next several years. We need to let go of the idea of higher education being something you do for four years in your late teens and early twenties, and something that people do throughout the course of their entire life. People need to get comfortable pivoting, reskilling, and moving around -- and immersive education will enable that. If you're interested in learning more, drop me a line.