What does it mean to be future ready? Many times, we hear the phrase “future proof” when discussing technology and what to new thing to purchase to make sure what you buy now will last and be more relevant for a longer period. These are not the same things. Being future ready means that we are learning from past mistakes and building a stronger foundation. What we learned, especially during the pandemic, was that many institutions and organizations were not ready to pivot to remote learning or remote work (Dewitt, 2021).
With advancements in technology comes new ways to interact, teach, and learn. While there is no guarantee what may come next, we can see trends developing each year that will benefit students and instructors alike (Prensky, 2012). Being able to foresee the future is not an easy task, but there should be basic skills that are built into curriculum which will benefit students now and into the future. How we do this will be the challenge that we all face (Prensky, 2012).
Future ready skills sets include many aspects outside of just knowing how to use technology but being able to understand the uses and impact of said technology. There will be several skills that are needed to take advantage of the advances coming such as, emotional intelligence, cultural understanding, the ability to collaborate (Prensky, 2012), and being able to move from one concept to another quickly (Stephanie L., 2021). These skills can then be transferred or adapted to newer technologies as students enter the workforce, such as working with classmates online using WEBEX or Kaltura, and then moving into the workforce and interacting with colleagues using Zoom or TEAMS.
The biggest hurdle in becoming Future Ready is not knowing what the future may bring. Processing power tends to double every 2 years – Moore’s Law. A simple explanation of Moore’s Law states that every two years a microprocessor will double in transistor count with the cost being halved. We can expect the speed and power of devices to double in that same period (Tardi, 2022). Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC's) are an example of the ability to reach larger number of students that have access to cheap bandwidth, cheap devices, and newer interactive technologies (Anders, 2014).
Being Future Ready also means being ready at the organizational level. There needs to be an intentional effort to create and reform policy to better utilize the changes in technology. However, institutions also face challenges such as policy vision, systemic perspectives, commitment to policy learning, and implementing policy (Zagmi et al, 2018). As these challenges are confronted and overcome, the process of becoming Future Ready will steadily take place.
Tardi, C. (2022, February 23). Moore's law explained. Investopedia. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mooreslaw.asp
Anders, G. (2014, April 23). Moore's law touches education at last -- to techies' delight. Forbes. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2014/04/16/moores-law-touches-education-at-last-to-techies-delight/?sh=cd824354df52
DeWitt, P. (2021, September 8). Educators, be future-ready, but don't ignore the present (opinion). Education Week. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-the-present-isnt-a-time-to-get-through-its-a-time-to-learn-from/2021/09
Prensky, M. (2012) Teaching the right stuff: Not yesterday’s stuff or today’s --- but tomorrows! Educational Technology.
L, S. (2021, March 26). 7 skills every future-ready leader needs. Top Universities. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/7-skills-every-future-ready-leader-needs
Zagami, J., Bocconi, S., Starkey, L., Wilson, J. D., Gibson, D., Downie, J., Malyn-Smith, J., & Elliott, S. (2018). Creating future ready information technology policy for National Education Systems. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 23(3), 495–506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9387-7
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