10 Best Education Documentaries On The Future of Learning

With the dawn of the artificial intelligence revolution, our approach to education has to evolve beyond the rote learning model.

Traditional rote learning through memorization, basic essay writing and standardized multiple choice tests help to build the very skills that artificial intelligence is vastly superior to humans at doing.

We need an education revolution as well that focuses on creativity, entrepreneurship, building community, emotional intelligence and experiential learning in the real world.

There are so many visionaries, entrepreneurs and innovators who are reimaging learning and education for the 21st century. One of the best ways to learn about their revolutionary new ideas is through watching education documentaries.

If you want to get a glimpse into the future of learning in the 21st century then I highly recommend watching some of these short documentaries.

1. AI And The Future of Learning

Is AI the teacher of the future? This education documentary explores how personalized teaching and coaching could be provided through the use of artificial intelligence.

The artificial intelligence revolution offers a unique opportunity to reimagine 21st century learning to prepare people of all ages for a future that will be radically different from the past.

2. Networked Society: The Future of Learning

Technology enables us to interact, innovate and share in amazing new ways. The result is a dynamic shift in mindset that is creating profound change throughout our society.

The Future of Learning explores how we can be part of this transformation. We need to personalize the process of how we learn, focus less on rote memorization and more on holistic approaches to learning and creativity. I also recommend the other videos in the Network Society series.

3. Collaboration: On the Edge of a New Paradigm

This excellent documentary grew out of an experiment in collaboration undertaken by Danish student Alfred Birkegaard for his PhD in Philosophy. He traveled to the heart of Silicon Valley to interview the pioneers who are engineering the future of digital communication and collaboration.

Collaboration: On The Edge of a New Paradigm is the story of how the Internet is pushing the boundaries of research, collaboration and knowledge creation. The result is a revolutionary paradigm shift where learning and working is becoming a more collaborative process.

4. PressPausePlay

The digital revolution has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, creating nearly unlimited opportunities for those who can master the digital media arts and convince others of the value of their talents.

PressPausePlay looks at his new democratized culture of creativity and how it is reshaping the arts and culture. The film features interviews with some of the most influential creators of the digital age.

5. Us Now: Social Media and Mass Collaboration

New social technologies such as crowdsourcing and open source collaboration are giving us the power to take a bigger part in the decision-making processes of governments. This will radically change the shape of our governments and our societies.

Us Now is about the power of mass collaboration, the government and the Internet. It’s a fascinating look at how corrupt and inefficient bureaucracies will be dramatically downsized and their power will return to the people.

6. Future Learning: What’s Wrong With School?

Our school system perfectly prepares students for the 20th century industrial economy. However, times have changed and today it failure to prepare us with the necessary confidence in our innate curiosity and creative skills. This is what we will need to transform the world and thrive in the 21st century economy.

Future Learning is a series of thought-provoking interviews with education innovators about how to better engage and empower self-directed learners so they can unlock the new possibilities created by technological innovation.

7.  Humans Need Not Apply

The most challenging economic trend of our time is the replacement of routine work with robots and software. The reality is that technological progress may now be replacing more jobs than it creates.

Human Need Not Apply explores how machines are replacing humans right now and why the skills that machines can’t replicate such as human connection, creativity and social intelligence are more important than ever.

8. The Future Of Education Is Virtual Learning

What does the future of education look like in a wired world? In this film, Indian education expert Sugata Mitra conducts a daring experiment in an Indian village where he builds a revolutionary new schooling system that only exists virtually in the cloud.

For many children in developing countries, attending a school is nearly impossible. Even in highly developed countries, many parents are opting out of factory-style schooling and choosing to educate thier children themselves with homeschooling. Virtual learning holds a lot of promise, especially when done in a community setting.

9. Everything Is A Remix

The Internet and information technology has been an incredible catalyst for human creativity. Today, nearly anyone in a developed country can own their means of creative production and use inexpensive digital tools to become an active creator of art, music and culture.

Everything Is A Remix examines how the process of creativity, learning and innovation is similar to the way we remix music and art by copying, transforming and combining old ideas to form new ones.

10. Education For A Sustainable Future

The values that underlie our current education system have gotten us into this mess of crushing debt, ecological collapse and failing political institutions. We need a new system that focuses less on competition and theory divorced from reality, and more on developing student’s individual creative talents so they can collaborate together and solve the massive challenges of the 21st century.

Education for a Sustainable Future examines the outline of a new 21st century education system and how we can train people to adapt and thrive in a constantly changing world.

If you watch these documentary films on learning and creativity, then you’ll have a good idea of what the future of education in the age of artificial intelligence will hopefully hold.