The Moonshot.edu program interviewed me about the future of education. Show creator and host Bernard Bull was a fantastic host, offering thoughtful questions and a fine sense of humor.
In the podcast we speak of the futures profession, both my unusual career arc into it and how we balance (in Bernard’s terms) advising people about a future and trying to change futures. I dwell on the classic utopian/dystopian divide in imagining futures.
Then we turn to literature and fiction. Bernard asks me to write a novel about the future of education (!), and we wonder about appropriate genres (science fiction, mystery, picaresque, historical fiction, bildungsroman). I recommend Rainbows End (here’s our book club’s reading).
Then I reference peak higher education, with a glance at the queen sacrifice. Bernard points to Bryan Caplan, who was a fine Future Trends Forum guest.
Bernard asks me to speculate on the near and medium term future of education. Also on deck: changing enrollment patterns, the possibility of declining support for higher education, college athletics, and more. I offer a couple of moonshot ideas; let me know what you think of them.
Thanks again to Bernard Bull for the lovely opportunity.
I appreciate and value @Bryan Alexander’s opinion and forecasts. However, o am curious what a woman futurist would say in answer to the same questions or scenarios.
I have no doubt, women in higher ed have a completely different take on things.
In some ways women do, Christine.
Have you seen Provedentia’s Prospectus, a forecasting report done entirely by women? Notes and link to it here: https://bryanalexander.org/futures/a-new-report-from-an-all-women-futurists-group/
Also, here’s our Future Trends Forum conversation with PP’s organizer and lead author: https://youtu.be/J302urxucwA
Yes, yes, and double yes on writing a novel about the future of education! What if you did the ground work and we all contributed?
Like an anthology, or a collective novel?