Our reporter Zhang Galun

　　The future of learning is a new type of island-circle rather than a traditional school island-style. Homes, networks, communities, museums, libraries, science and technology museums, gymnasiums... can be schools everywhere.

　　What will education be like in 30 years?

In the era of artificial intelligence, what do we learn, where do we learn, and who do we learn from?

　　These issues are not only related to the future, but also reflect reality.

On December 12th, the 2020 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education was held in Beijing. One of the links was the China Special Advisory Committee on UNESCO’s “Future of Education” flagship action plan.

　　Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the National Commission for UNESCO, said that what is going on in the world and what we do is a big issue facing mankind. "To understand the future of education is people's response to the challenges ahead."

Is what you learn now out of date

　　According to Zhu Yongxin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the Democratic Progressive Central Committee, almost 150 years ago, the sociologist Spencer put forward the proposition of "what knowledge is most valuable?"

Until now, the learning system is also constructed according to this concept.

"Is such a theory justified? Should children of that era and now learn the same content?" Zhu Yongxin asked.

　　He believes that "what to learn" is one of the important starting points of education.

Today, the old curriculum system has not changed, and new knowledge is coming surging.

Every curriculum reform means to further increase the content of the curriculum, which means to further increase the burden on the children.

　　Zhu Yongxin believes that future education should integrate curriculum.

"For most people, there is no need to learn all the current courses." He said that the content of the courses should be integrated into the big science, big humanities, big art, big moral education and big life. The length, width and height of life should be integrated. As a basic course for new education exploration.

　　In addition, the difficulty of the course should be reduced.

Zhu Yongxin said that the current difficulty of courses is designed around the goal of entering the best university, but not everyone has to learn so hard and so deeply.

After all, entering the best university is not the only way for everyone.

"In the future, at least 50% of the courses should be chosen by students," Zhu Yongxin said.

　　The education problem that the famous economist Lin Yifu sees is "the same."

Even in developing countries, the concept and content of education are basically based on developed countries, and even copy them.

Some educational content is indeed universal. For example, people need the ability to read, write, and arithmetic, as well as the ability to learn new knowledge and adapt to social changes.

But there are still some content that should have national characteristics.

"A country should organize production, education and teaching according to its stage of development. To succeed in education, developing countries must have more exchanges in the future to seize the opportunities brought by the digital revolution and artificial intelligence revolution." Lin Yifu said .

　　Lin Yifu mentioned a key word-artificial intelligence.

In the discussion at the consultation meeting, almost all experts bluntly stated that artificial intelligence will be a huge variable in future education.

Do teachers and schools still need to exist?

　　“It’s difficult to say exactly what education in 2050 will look like. But I’m thinking that in 2050, there will definitely be differences between urban and rural areas, and there will be schools of different sizes. The level of teachers is also not very good. They may all reach the highest level; our children are definitely still very different, and these situations will not change significantly for the time being." said Ren Youqun, director of the Department of Teacher Work, Ministry of Education.

　　Experts hope that in the future, artificial intelligence can empower teachers, schools and management.

"We will change the role of teachers, promote the transformation of the teaching model from knowledge transfer to knowledge construction, and at the same time alleviate the shortage of teachers and uneven allocation of resources in poverty-stricken areas." Ren Youqun said that the informatization of education in the future is no longer the information of educational means But to realize a more fair and quality education system informatization.

　　Traditional education is in school and in class. Zhu Yongxin said, "Future education should be more project-centric, and student exploration and learning between students as the center."

　　Homes, networks, communities, museums, libraries, science and technology museums, gymnasiums... can be schools everywhere.

"The future is a new type of island-based learning rather than traditional school island-style learning. Such learning has more room for development. We need a new educational revolution, a new school revolution." Zhu Yongxin emphasized.

So, do you still need a teacher?

　　Lu Yongli, principal of Beijing Experimental Second Primary School, believes that the answer is yes.

"As long as we believe that morality is always the prerequisite and the primary task of educating people, then human teachers cannot be replaced." She said that human growth requires the company of others.

Teachers will ask those students who like to go to school-why are you here?

More than 90% of the students answered "I like teachers" or "I want to be with my classmates".

"The demand for social interaction, the demand for popularity, whether in the artificial intelligence era or not, is very important to the growth of each of us, especially the growth of the foundation stage." She said.

　　Therefore, in the era of artificial intelligence, the roles of teachers and peers are equally irreplaceable. However, Lu Yongli also pointed out that the roles of teachers will be more diverse.

　　Teachers no longer just refer to full-time teachers.

They can be parents, other adult family members, they can be authorities or role models in the community, they can be masters in workshops...the role of peers will also be richer, because mixed-age learning will become the norm in the future.

"When schools are rich and the boundaries of school education are broken, we have reason to believe that families and communities will become the most important and most stable places that affect our education tasks." Lu Yongli judged.

How to get along with artificial intelligence

　　According to Chen Feng, director of the School Planning, Construction and Development Center of the Ministry of Education, the future is an era of symbiosis between humans and artificial intelligence.

"From the current level of development of artificial intelligence technology, frankly speaking, it is not enough to have a profound impact on our education. But when it develops to a certain level, it may bring revolutionary effects."

　　In the past, educational innovations were more often based on theory and experience.

Chen Feng said that the future of education innovation will more often be closely related to technology.

"If we do not understand technology, do not learn technology, and do not closely integrate with technological changes in educational theory research, policy research, tool research, and method research, we cannot find the direction of educational reform." He believes that we need to build artificial Intelligent education institutes, research centers and other institutions to support future educational reforms.

　　Gong Ke, chairman of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, pointed out that education needs to enhance people's abilities. Today's education especially needs to enhance people's ability to deal with artificial intelligence.

　　First, we must establish basic requirements for artificial intelligence literacy.

Different requirements are formed for students at different stages; on the basis of reaching a global consensus, establish a relevant standard for the adaptability of employment and survival and development of graduates at all levels in the era of artificial intelligence.

Second, it is necessary to establish basic artificial intelligence ethical standards.

Gong Ke said that it is very important. Human beings need a sustainable artificial intelligence that conforms to human values.

Finally, there is a need to strengthen transferability.

"In the era of artificial intelligence, our profession is changing rapidly. In order to adapt to such changes, education must strengthen the training of students' portable, portable, and transferable abilities. This is to further strengthen education to ensure that artificial intelligence is human Service.” Gong Ke believes that education should cultivate people with more critical thinking and more human values ​​to control and manipulate AI.

　　Perhaps the only certainty is change.

　　"When changes continue to accelerate and there are more and more uncertain factors, the psychological and spiritual development of future students will definitely become a prominent challenge facing this society." Chen Feng said, this requires us to explore, in the digital age What kind of cultural consensus needs to be established to develop new educational concepts so that more people can achieve balanced development in the digital age.

"The resolution of all these problems requires the joint efforts of the government, academics, and business circles to face the future together," Chen Feng said.