Future Learning

In order for us to explore what the future of learning might be, we must examine what our education system looks like today, and then we’ll identify some key trends and share great examples of how exponential technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality are impacting learning.

What Is the Current State of Learning?

In the last century, humanity has made great strides in improving access to education for all children. More than 91 percent of the world’s children now attend primary school, but that still leaves 57 million children without access to learning. We have a long road ahead of us if we are to re -imagine the Future of Education. Today’s most pressing challenges in learning include improving the quality of education and ensuring every child gets an education.

Education quality varies widely in different locations around the world. This quality difference stems from any number of factors, including poorly trained teachers and administrators, under-resourced infrastructure, and outdated rote-based curricula that do not teach skills relevant to today’s economies. And depending on the location, socio-economic problems can often interfere with learning—problems ranging from child malnourishment and illness to mental health issues, violence, and the caregivers’ inability to pay school fees.

Most children who don’t attend school live in Sub-Saharan Africa, conflicted or war zones, and rural areas without transportation. Children not attending school might also face additional challenges, such as having disabilities or being female in locations where girls have more restrictions than boys.

In a world of dramatic, accelerating technological and economic change, we all may face a future of rapidly changing jobs. This relentless pace of change is increasingly demanding lifelong learning to supplement our formal education. We will therefore need to be flexible in terms of how we meet our basic needs while finding stimulation and purpose in our learning and work.