The planet is becoming more interconnected and intelligent, which is having a profound effect on both the way we learn, and the way we learn to teach. IBM’s Jon Iwata connects emerging trends in technology with a new era in learning, and the capacity of big data to drive greater learner outcomes.

1. A profound shift in our world is underway
The planet is becoming interconnected with intelligence being
infused into things nobody would think of as a computer
There are upwards of a trillion interconnected and intelligent objects on the planet – what some call
The Internet of Things
Among their components are a billion transistors
for every human being on the planet…
Many are concerned about the issues it raises for privacy and security.
The emergence of Big Data constitutes a vast new natural resource for the 21st century, with the potential to impact lives in the same way steam, electricity and hydrocarbons did in previous centuries
We are entering a golden age of information science - propelled by The Cloud and Social Media
This is enormously promising – and it is just the beginning
When we infuse intelligence and social media into our economic and natural systems, we change not just how the world works, but how it learns
Every system becomes a learning system
However, I believe the overall import of this new era is enormously hopeful
18th Century
Steam
19th Century
Electricity
20th Century
Hydrocarbons
21st Century
Data
What does this mean for Pearson?
Inspired by a paper written for Pearson by Jon Iwata, leader of IBM’s Marketing, Communications and Citizenship organisation.
Efficacy in
Education
efficacy.pearson.com
All were disruptive, but all fueled new wealth and human progress, once we learned how to translate them into new value
Learning is no longer restricted to the formal education industry
We have the opportunity to make smarter decisions and drive learner outcomes based on both evidence and real time performance data
Learning can now be measured and adopted in ways that would previously have been considered the stuff of science fiction
Every business, every industry and every individual will have to be constantly learning and improving to make the most of the opportunities provided by the data revolution
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