Exploring the future of learning with a Futurecast Workshop
Ever wondered what the future of learning might look like? We held a Futurecast workshop with a diverse group of experts to explore exactly that.
🚀 Hello, I’m Lance and welcome to the Moonshot Project newsletter. Each week I tackle questions about envisioning and building moonshots with insights from leading entrepreneurs, investors, and builders. Send me your questions and in return, I’ll humbly offer actionable real-talk advice.
About the workshop
Ever wondered what the future of learning might look like? We held a Futurecast workshop with a diverse group of experts to explore exactly that. Participants came from all over the world and included leading entrepreneurs, artists, professors, designers, and students.
The purpose of the workshop was to envision a variety of learning experiences in 20 years centered around individual learner experiences rather than educational institutions. How do we determine what we want to learn and when? How do we find purpose and achieve mastery in a world with increasing automation, connectivity, and complexity?
40 participants were broken up into 4 teams who envisioned the future of learning in response to the following moonshot challenge statements:
Access - What if receiving a high-quality education is free, universal, and available to all?
Curriculum - What if our learning journeys included more of the whole human experience?
Community - What if learning communities were effective and accessible in all stages of life?
Teaching - What if teaching became a skill that anyone could master and participate in?
Over the next hour, teams came up with many different visions for the future of learning. From a virtual school for life-long learning where the curriculum is designed based on family history, culture, and personal objectives, to an AI deep-fake of Richard Fyneman who delivers personalized learning experiences based on the challenge at hand. Honestly, I was blown away by the creativity and imagination of our participants. They didn’t shy away from thinking big. You can check out all the raw workshop outputs here.
Key Concepts
Synthesizing all of the ideas that came out of the workshop was certainly no easy task. Luckily, patterns did start to emerge around personalized education, immersive learning environments, and generational knowledge. The following are the key concepts that we explored further in a Futures speculative fiction story.
Ancestral AI Tutor
So many mistakes are repeated across generations. What if every child had an AI tutor that guides them from birth with the knowledge from their ancestors? These AI tutors could help you perform tasks, solve problems, or support you in real-time. We envisioned a virtually projected chaperone that could assume any of the forms of your ancestors like an on-call shape-shifting ghost. In the story, they’re referred to as “Elders”.
Virtual Reality Dojo
Deep learning involves all the senses. The virtual reality dojo, or Brink, is a powerful simulator that allows anyone to take on humanity’s greatest challenges in simulated scenarios. The Brink creates opportunities for you to explore and grow in ways that suit your goals in a safe simulated environment. The Brink is maintained by mentors who design the learning experiences.
Read the Speculative Fiction by Matt Bell
To bring these concepts to life, Matt Bell authored and illustrated an amazing Futures story called The Good Ancestor. In it, he explores what the world might look like if we could learn from the AI ghosts of our ancestors. Please give it a read and feel free to respond with comments and questions. Our hope is that this exploration spurs inspiration and fresh thinking for those building the future of learning.
On that note, I’d like to thank all the participants who came to the workshop offered their passion, focus, and ideas. Thank you to Katheryn Myronuk, Dr. Engin Kapkin, Dain Dustin, Mikey Fischer, Inna Ulanova, Eric Michaelis, Elodie de Marchi, Ashu Desai, Gian Pablo Villamil, Aisha Sheikh, Damien Foord, David Vidal Lorente, Phil Balagtas, Austin Volz, Swathi Mohan, Marta Ghiglioni, Sean Maroni, Nicholas Paul Brysiewicz, Tia Kansara, Manasa Yuturo, Luis Rey Gonni, and Lillian Tong.
What should we Futurecast next?
We’re always on the lookout for interesting brands and problems to Futurecast. Have an idea for a topic that you’d like to see us Futurecast next? Future of sustainability? Future of community? Or, maybe even a brand that you’re excited about? Let us know by submitting your ideas here.
Have a great week and keep thinking big! 🚀
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Sincerely,
Lance 👋