What will we do as learning becomes more difficult over time?

As a civilization grows and advances, our accumulated knowledge becomes vast and specialized. It’s impossible for one person to master everything, but work often requires a solid grasp, or even a deep understanding, of multiple fields. In the past, fundamental knowledge was often enough to get by, but now, people expect ‘Einsteins’ by the dozen. How will we manage this in the future?

“I have a foreboding of a time when the US becomes a service and information economy, where knowledge is in the hands of a few, and the public can’t grasp the issues. Critical thinking would give way to superstition…” — Carl Sagan

If education reform doesn’t happen to make quality learning accessible to everyone, I worry that the ‘Einsteins’ we need will lack the support to lead us forward.

@EmilyWilson
I’m actually more worried about adult education and news. Media literacy is low, and without it, people don’t even realize they’re getting misled.

A friend of mine got lost down a rabbit hole of conspiracy videos thanks to TikTok’s algorithm, and it got pretty wild from there.

@KodhekMike1
So true. Schools really need to add courses that get students thinking critically about media and online content. People tend to take information at face value and don’t question the sources.

@EmilyWilson
I’ve seen highly educated people get misled by algorithms. Social media pulls people in with catchy, often misleading information, so I think media literacy should start young. It’s more of a societal issue than something we can fix with K-12 education alone.

@KodhekMike1
With TikTok and other social media apps owned by companies with agendas, it’s hard to tell what’s genuine. Algorithms can push certain narratives.

Like in the olden days, learning fundamental mathematics was enough to get by.

I’ve seen copies of old high school exams from the early 1900s, and they were intense. People back then needed deep understanding without today’s shortcuts.

The answer may be teaching people how to specialize while working alongside other fields. No one can know everything, but everyone can know something and collaborate effectively.

Like how we no longer need to know how to build a fire by rubbing sticks together, we might streamline specialized knowledge so that students can focus on advanced ideas. But basics must remain, even if they’re taught differently.

As society evolves, formal education tends to drop topics that don’t seem as relevant. There’s a white paper from Harvard called “The Education Gospel” that examines how not all valuable knowledge has to come through formal schooling.

More adult education could help, not just in formal education but in accessible, community-based programs. Imagine if during the pandemic, we’d offered Vaccine 101 classes for everyone to get clear info straight from reliable sources. It could’ve eased public anxiety.

@Mike
Back in the 60s and 70s, many public schools had night classes for adults, covering all kinds of topics. I remember taking a car repair class, learning about science, and even meeting a guest speaker who claimed to bend spoons with his mind!

Are you thinking more about education or job training?

zodiac said:
Are you thinking more about education or job training?

I mean more about the vast range of knowledge needed just to function in some jobs. Even with basic training, some fields are so specialized that full mastery is almost out of reach.

In a lot of tech today, troubleshooting isn’t common knowledge because we rely on tech support or Google for answers. I worry that eventually, this could lead to widespread gaps in essential knowledge when things go wrong.

High-quality education exists, but valuing it is the challenge. Schools can only do so much. It’s about fostering a culture that sees education as essential, not just as a path to a career.

Some people get through school without learning how to think critically or be curious. Even students from underfunded schools can succeed if they’re motivated, but that’s not the norm, unfortunately.

One solution might be teaching foundational knowledge that leads into specialized learning, allowing students to explore what interests them. That way, even with future advances, they have the base knowledge to build on.

A.I. could be the answer.

We should teach students to become lifelong learners. I’ve been in the computer industry since 1982, and constantly teaching myself is how I’ve stayed employed.