Futures Forum on Learning Series
Each week during September 2021, the Tools Competition on Learning, which is hosted by Schmidt Futures, organized a deep-dive discussion among leaders in education and technology on the immense gaps in learning that COVID-19 has created, and the opportunity to overcome them.
The series led up to the October 1st application deadline for the Learning Engineering Tools Competition, one of the largest edtech competitions ever convened, awarding $4 million in prizes.
Priority areas for this year’s competition include: (1) accelerating learning in elementary and secondary literacy and math, (2) transforming K-12 assessments in both cost and quality, (3) facilitating faster, better, and cheaper learning science research, and (4) driving improvements in adult learning that boost middle-class wages.
This year’s Tools Competition is sponsored by Schmidt Futures, Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin, the Walton Family Foundation, the Siegel Family Endowment, and the Overdeck Family Foundation.
Adult Education and Lifelong Learning: Training the Post-Pandemic Workforce
September 9th, 12-1pm ET
The pandemic is permanently changing the global workforce. As jobs have become more digital, more data-centric, and more remote, workers will need to rapidly learn and adapt. But it’s unclear how exactly adults should gain these skills, and what works and when in adult learning. In this session, you’ll hear expert discussion about this rapidly-changing landscape for employers and workers, what skills will be needed, and what role learning technology can play in meeting this urgent need.
Innovative Assessments: Making High Quality Testing Affordable, Fast, & Effective
September 14th, 12-1pm ET
Assessments are under pressure from all directions—major annual exams cancelled due to COVID-19, decreased use of SAT/ACT by universities, growing questions by parents, and an accelerating cost curve. At the same time, there has been a revolution in advanced computing technologies that can help make testing better, faster, and cheaper. Join us to learn more on how the pandemic could be the catalyst for a transformation in how assessments are developed, used, and improved over time.
Kumar Garg
Andreas Schleicher
Eric Braverman
Katy Knight
British A. Robinson
Maria Flynn
Kumar Garg
David Coleman
Dr. Joanna Cannon, PhD
Alina von Davier
Claire Mongeau
Accelerating Learning: Helping Students Catch Up
September 21st, 12-1pm ET
COVID-19 has disrupted education globally, and it is now anticipated that the most-impacted students have fallen behind more than a year in educational progress. Filling this immense gap will require fresh thinking, the best of learning science, and smart deployment of data and technology. Join this panel to learn more about what tools, technologies, and tactics are showing results in accelerating learning, how they can be scaled to reach all students, and how educational technology could be used to narrow educational divides.
Testbed Technology: Building Platforms That Improve as More People Use Them
September 28th, 12-1pm ET
COVID-19 showcased how little we know about the conditions for effective learning. And while user numbers on platforms have surged during the pandemic, platforms remain underleveraged as data-rich testing beds for researchers to gain deeper insights into how students learn, to keep refining those insights through use, and to create a culture of continuous improvement. This panel will offer insight into how productive partnerships between researchers and platforms can be formed, how platforms can be instrumented as research tools, and how key stakeholders like educators, school leaders, and parents can facilitate this innovation.
Kumar Garg
Ashish Dhawan
George Khalaf
Chris Minnich
Nafeesa Owens
Kumar Garg
Luis von Ahn
Bryan Richardson
Anissa Moeini
Susan Athey
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With the help of our sponsors, the Learning Engineering Tools Competition aims to support new tools that will improve learning and advance the field of learning engineering.