Apple’s Home Kit and the Future of Online Education

Apple, start ups and the future of education

Apple have announced Home Kit. This is their bid to be a major player in the world of the Internet of Things (hereby known as thingynet) and the Connected Home.

An education provider, such as the Open University, should be looking to make a similar announcement. Not to be a major player in thingynet of course. To be a major player in the future of education.

How are these two things comparable?

Apple, along with the rest to the technology community, know that thingynet will be big. The Open University, along with the rest of Higher Education, know that the future of online education is huge.

The Nest thermostat and incredibly cool and cute smoke detector are leading a wave in innovative hardware. Some more successful than others. But the potential of the new thingynet market is clear.

MOOCs are much maligned but, along with other educational technology start ups, have shown they have a market. A market for revamped education delivered through innovative means.

But what will be the products that really define the thingynet market and capture the consumer?

And what will be the edtech products that really capture the nascent new markets for online learning?

Apple may provide some of the products that connect our homes and lives. But how do they ensure being a major player? By being the platform on which everyone else builds their products. And this is what Home Kit is.

And this can also be true for the edtech market. Build the platform upon which all the other edtech products sit and interact.

Will edtech products fit into such a model?

A model for future online education?

Well, we will see more and more ‘vertical’ education start ups. The start ups who concentrate on one thing. And who do it really well.

Imagine a way of connecting these narrow start ups. Banding the ones you like into one coherent group.

Being able to develop your own path of learning using your favourite learning systems.

Imagine building upon this learning, year on year. Adding new provider. Adding new materials. Adding new tools. All as and when they suit you and your developing learning needs. Real life long learning.

Imagine curating a collection for learning for yourself or others. And building this from the best content from the best, most relevant providers.

Imagine doing this while all the while adding all your attainments and achievements to your one student record.

Imagine having the freedom to study this at a time that best suits you and at a reasonable price.

Now try and imagine a traditional Higher Education institution trying to deliver this model.

Do the traditional institutions need to reinvent their role when it comes to distance learning?

I think they do.

I think that role can be to build the platform and standards upon which others build their products. Helping to define the standards of a new way of delivering and consuming learning.

And who is to say that they can’t then build ground breaking edtech products of their own upon this platform?

Thanks for reading. If you think this article has any value please share and/or recommend. And you can always say hello on Twitter @steve_p_uk.

This article originally appeared on my blog.