Hope on the horizon: Education

May 21, 2008

MIT faculty and researchers offer their thoughts on potentially life-altering
technologies that lie just around the corner.

Eric Klopfer

Scheller Career Development Professor of Science Education and Educational Technology

The economy of tomorrow will be determined by the students today. As we begin to realize that strict standards-based education has squeezed out much of what makes the U.S. education system unique, new solutions will be required. Solutions that emphasize creativity and innovation, qualities that have become the envy of the rest of the world, will be required. Look for schools to embrace systems that emphasize and enhance these characteristics, including games, media, collaboration and social networking. These products will bridge the widening gap between what students do in and out of school. Solutions such as these, which incorporate both services and software, could be the next frontier for schools, providing business opportunities and preparing for future innovation.

A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 21, 2008 (download PDF).

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Hope on the horizon - As the economy appears to falter and as more Americans fear that the country is on the wrong track, the MIT News Office asked a collection of MIT researchers for their thoughts on the potentially life-altering technologies that lie just around the corner. 5/21/2008

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