The Futurelab is a research centre in the UK looking into innovative ways how technology can be used in education.  They just launched a new research report that asked what the future looks like in 2025 and how the use of technology in education will be different.  It is very interesting to see what vision people have the future, and how we can start now to prepare students for the world they will live in.  The research is part of the Beyond Current Horizons project and included interviews with children, parents, and teachers.

Several important trends were identified for 2025.  The first is that more information will need to be processed by individuals to stay involved and current in the future.  Relationships will continue to change enabled by technology providing new ways to communicate and collaborate.  Institutional boundaries will be more fluid as the dividing lines between work, play, and learning become blended.  And, geography will be important both in enabling distance learning from whatever location in the world, but also in terms of what community you identify with.  Technology has a key role to play in enabling these trends as it can help people navigate this complex environment with personalisation and filtering of information.  Increasingly, students will want to use technology to create blended environments as old boundaries of professional, private, and individuals lives become blurred. 

Certainly, change is becoming faster and this can create uncertainty and anxiety about the future.  However, by understanding and embracing these changes we have the best chance to capture this unique opportunity and prepare students today to become creative and confident citizens of tomorrow. 

You can participate in the research by posting your own visions for 2025 on the Million Futures website.