Today the New York Times published an article on the need for workers in all sectors of the economy, from physicists and doctors to auto mechanics and librarians, to constantly upgrade their skills to remain relevant and keep their jobs. The article mentioned Coursera, Lynda.com, and other online education sites. They are resources workers can use to learn new skills and keep up with the state of the art in their fields.
Nothing new here. The takeaway for me is that, as I've said in earlier posts, online education is the most cost-effective way to get people the education and training they need for today's world. Millions of people wouldn't have access to useful courses, like Coursera's new one on strategy and innovation in organizations, if they weren't provided online, free of charge.
All this means that we better get used to learning on our computers, tablets, and mobile phones. The need to learn quickly will only increase, and we can't be scared of new ways of learning because they are nothing like the classrooms, teachers, and chalkboards we grew up with.
I think the pressure to learn will bring about a kind of "Golden Age" of education. The requirement to learn constantly, throughout one's life and not just during youth, happens to coincide with a point in history in which there have never been more resources for all people to do so.
The wrinkle in the fold is our educational system in the U.S. We can't expect people to become effective - and voracious - lifelong learners if they aren't taught to read and write at an advanced level. It won't work if we graduate students from high school who are mathematically and scientifically illiterate. And it definitely won't work if our students have never had the meaningful experiences with art and culture, as both audience and producer, that are required to think creatively and critically.
We need to make sure that quality education - both in the classroom and online - is available to everyone, from Pre-K through graduate school. That means public investment in our educational system, which is our intellectual infrastructure. It's time to start building.
