More Useless 2012 Predictions

  • Everything from email to libraries to blogs to universities will be declared dead. Again. For the 10th year in a row.
  • People will continue to call for educational reform. Ignoring, of course, the fact that education is constantly reforming and changing and that there are people out there exploring new ideas and concepts.
  • “Experts” will continue to claim that the lecture model is still dominant at universities, even if they can’t quote any evidence to back this claim up. I counted up all of the courses I took in college in the early 1990s that were lecture based it came out to be less than half. I have heard from current students that, at least at this college, that number has gone way down even since then.
  • Several new LMS options will be labeled “Blackboard killers.” But none will make a dent because labeling any tech a “killer” usually dooms its existence.
  • Even more “experts” will claim that colleges are now irrelevant, despite the numerous studies showing that everyone from employers to future students still think they are highly relevant and necessary. Who needs facts and figures when you just want to grind an ax with a society that won’t pay English majors a seven figure salary right after graduation?
  • Despite overwhelming evidence of the educational value of hybrid or fully online courses, many organizations will develop a case of amnesia and claim there isn’t any evidence. I’m looking at you, Idaho.
  • All of us will suddenly remember that we haven’t logged in to Second Life in over a year and then collectedly feel guilty for letting such a great tool slip away.
  • The American people will get so tired of hearing about new technology lawsuits every day that they will write really extra terse Tweets about the big companies. But of course not do anything to stop the insanity of this whole patent lawsuit mess. Really Google, Apple, Motorolla, and others… its getting old.

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