Before we can consider regenerating our current educational systems, we must first understand and be informed by the prevailing worldview that those systems are serving. We live in what has been called the Information Age, defined by the rapid shift from an economy based on traditional industrial technology established by the Industrial Revolution to an economy primarily based on information technology. The onset of the Information Age is associated with the Digital Revolution, which started around the mid-20th century.
The idea of transitioning to a new age beyond the Information Age has recently seen speculation and discussion among thinkers and futurists. Some consider us to be entering or already in variously defined new epochs, like the “Experience Age,” the “Knowledge Age,” the “Age of Artificial Intelligence,” or the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
The “Experience Age” is characterized by the shift from people owning and accumulating things (goods, information) to people having and sharing experiences, which is often associated with the rise of social media and the sharing economy.
The “Knowledge Age” is like the Information Age but emphasizes the importance of problem-solving skills, creativity, and the ability to innovate in a world where information is at our fingertips.
The “Age of Artificial Intelligence” references the growing influence of AI and machine learning on all aspects of our lives, from commerce and industry to personal interaction.
The “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is a term coined by Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, and it describes an era marked by emerging technologies like AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), self-driving vehicles, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, and more.
Remember, these terms and their definitions are not universally agreed upon and may vary based on the context or a person’s perspective. Also, cleanly moving from one age to another is more of a retroactive classification. These transitions are typically messy and overlapping, and only with hindsight can we definitively label different epochs. As of now, it is more accurate to say that elements of the Information Age are persisting but also evolving with new technological advancements.