When I was entering college, fax machines were kind of a big deal. Mobile phones were something you might glimpse in a movie about spies or some super wealthy person. It was the nascent years for the world’s 1G network. But for me and my friends, compact discs were the thing—a whole new way to enjoy music. And if you took our wheels away, we were lost. Contrast this with today’s young adults for whom the internet has become deeply fundamental. More than half surveyed in a new Cisco Connected World Technology Report say the internet is more integral to their lives than cars, dating, and partying. Wow!

The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report looks at the relationships between human behavior, the Internet, and networking’s pervasiveness. The objective: to determine how the next generation of workers will influence everything from business communications and mobile lifestyles to hiring, corporate security, and companies’ abilities to compete.

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Tags: Cisco Connected World Technology Report, facebook, internet, mobile internet, young adults

So, we’ve talked here about how telepresence can help humanize education, but I’m more and more interested in how telepresence can personalize the learning process.

According to the “Young Adults’ Perspectives on American Education 2011” study conducted by Viacom and The Associated Press, one in four young adults thinks the education system does not understand their values and goals. As a result of this disconnection to their formal education, more 18-24 year olds choose alternative approaches to higher learning, the study found. Students design self-directed curricula, incorporate internships, and teach themselves the knowledge and skills they need for their chosen paths. Read More »

Tags: american education, collaboration, education, higher education, museums, TelePresence, young adults