The Internet of Education & Learning Economy

Well then…what a year it was! As we collectively pump the brakes and ease into 2021, it’s safe to say this past year was in one sense predictable and in another utterly unfathomable. Since being announced at the World Economic Forum in January, the Internet of Education (IoE)— a global network and vision to connect all humans on earth to education and economic opportunity — has been codified into a global meme and movement. Simultaneously, a novel virus swept the earth, destabilizing much of the institutional and social fabric of our species. From the atomic to the truly cosmic, our work at Learning Economy Foundation (LEF) has been anything but static in 2020.

Only when open standards, digital wallets, skills libraries, and a learner GPS are combined as a full suite of complimentary public good utilities can we start to imagine a single Internet of Education and Learning Economy. A new paradigm in which learners can easily and accurately express, with verifiable trust, that their skills and knowledge make them uniquely qualified to add value (not just profit) to local communities and a shared global economy. A coming future of prosperity and abundance where knowledge and abilities become transferable assets, much like currencies. A future where learning is earning and equity gaps are finally dissolved.

This is a future where education and employment, like the initial vision of the Internet, is open, ubiquitous, and freely available to everyone regardless of their race, gender, or zip code; a future where learners, teachers, dreamers, and doers have ultimate agency and control of their personal data. This is a world where education is the gold standard; a proven lifeline offering everyone the opportunities they deserve.

In looking back on 2020 and imagining our work to come, I can’t think of a better metaphor to end on than that of the cosmos. The possibilities and discoveries yet to come are truly infinite. I hope you’ll join us!

The talent ecosystem is a galaxy of actors in constant motion, some new star-like initiatives forming, others stable in their orbits, and some consolidating, merging, or even going supernova and spawning a host of new opportunities. ~Matt Gee | CEO, Brighthive