Innovation in learning and eduation is vital to the future of any knowledge economy.  As the pace of change accelerates due to global connectivity technology advances and now the advent of a renaissance in artificial intelligence, it is more important than ever to equip people with the technology that enables them to thrive in such a world: learning.

 

Yet our learning institutions are in turmoil.  At every age and stage, they are having to rethink funding and business models, structure, public and private roles, equity, access and affordability.  They are looking at the goals of education with new eyes, sometimes inspired by new thinking and at other times reacting to having their very foundations shaken.

 

Most educational institutions have not been designed for continuous improvement.  This leaves them vulnerable to disruption and even extinction during times like these.  Such changes create new value chains, new industry players and relationships, creating opportunities for innovators, pioneers, venture developers and investors.

 

It is in this context that Open4 Learning was born.  Grounded in decades of experience in the fast-changing software and IT sector, founder Bill Hughes entered the world of educational technology when he joined Pearson in 2005.  He noticed that education was was about to undergo the same kind of massive tech-driven upheavals as other industries had, such as finance, retail, music and entertainment.  He noticed that the world of ed tech was rich with ideas but struggled to connect the dots across the industry in a way that would accelerate innovation.

 

Hence, Open4 Learning is dedicated to introducing, coaxing, encouraging and supporting innovation in learning and education.  It takes a "backwards design" approach: start with the end in mind, and work backwards.  This yields the kind of breakthrough thinking necessary to identify "true north" -- not just make change for change's sake. 

 

Education is often more than a market activity; it is a public trust.  As such, "blowing up" the incumbency can have devastating impacts.  This is why Open4 Learning also seeks "adjacent moves."  It's one thing to know where true north is.  It's another thing altogether to chart the course from here to there.  We believe that the journey is just as important as the destination.

 

We hope you choose to take that journey with us.

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