The Evolution of Education

I’m thrilled to find out about Academic Earth recently, a website that offers free online video courses from leading universities. Want to go to Berkeley, Ivy League schools, NYU, or UCLA but unable to? Well, now you can tap into the brilliant minds at these institutions. Similarly, as TED spreads ideas, I get to increase my knowledge and be inspired instantly by the brilliant minds of today as they exist anywhere in the world.

Buckminster Fuller wrote in his last published book, the Critical Path, "Those who can educate themselves will be almost entirely free to invent their own work & realize the full benefits of their own productivity.”

In the Information Age, the power belongs to the individual. The question is, what are the individuals going to do with all this knowledge as it becomes free and available? The internet has become inundated with knowledge, opinions, advice, and conversations? There is a lot of talking, commenting, blogging and exchange of goodwill. Talk is no longer cheap, it’s free.

If abundance decreases demand, will the value of higher education decrease? Eventually, yes. However, higher education creates conversations and opportunities. But if social media evens those playing fields, what will become of higher education institution? I would assume that social media will democratize education once people have access to it.

The only difference is what one does with access to knowledge. But then again, hasn’t that always been a measuring stick -performance and results?

In the ocean of conversations in cyberspace where talk and sharing is plentiful, it will be actions, initiatives, and impact that make the difference.