The Future of Education

We live in a globalized society, with serious environmental problems, poverty for many, increasing gap between the wealthy and the poor, violence in many parts of the world, and access to a great wealth of information. Sustainable development and sustainable communities are urgent goals of our times.

Sustainable living requires changes in social values and norms, in our daily lives and in social structures; it requires people with knowledge and skills, critical thinking, a sense of social responsibility and a desire to be active citizens. Education has a central role to play in this effort. But what kind of education can support the development of such citizens? What characteristics should it have? In order to address these questions in this paper, we will draw from literature on education for sustainability, active learning and transformative learning. Having identified the characteristics required for education for sustainability that mobilizes new behaviors, we will explore the role of ICT in this effort. How can the inclusion of online tools in education promote sustainable societies? What are its strengths and what challenges does it pose? Insights from our own teaching practices will be used.