The Fifth edition of enlightED, the world’s leading event for educational innovation, returns on November 16th and 17th.

Madrid, July 12, 2022. Reducing innovation gaps in education, solving the lack of skills in the face of new social needs and teaching digital skills to connect with young people and drive positive change, are some of the main educational challenges identified by Keys to Reducing Educational Gaps, a new report by enlightED. The global conference on education, technology and innovation, organized by Fundación Telefónica, IE University and South Summit, will celebrate its 5th edition in face-to-face format between November 16 and 17. Since its creation in 2018, enlightED has brought together more than two million people from 46 countries as well as providing a platform for 300 international speakers, consolidating itself as a global benchmark in the field of education, innovation and technology.

Three challenges to narrowing the education gap in the digital era

The report, available for download at enlighted.education, focuses on three major educational challenges and 17 keys: reducing the innovation gaps in education; solving the lack of skills in relation to new social needs; and improving digital skills.

These conclusions are the work of the more than 147 global thinkers who discussed the challenges and opportunities for the education sector in the digital era at last year’s enlightED. Vinton Cerf, Daniel Goleman, Howard Gardner, Kiran Bir Sethi, Hadi Partovi, Dean Kamen, Wendy Kopp or Olli-Pekka Heinonen, are some of the contributors to the report, providing practical solutions to the educational debate.

From these three main areas, some of the most revealing conclusions related to the impact of technology on the future of work, the role of artificial intelligence in education, teacher training in digital skills or the educational gap in middle and low-income countries are revealed.

The future of work requires a change to school curricula that would see a shift to education that will be able to make the most of new technologies.  This new teaching must focus on creativity, collaboration and problem solving. According to expert analysis, students who learn computer science in high school are not only 17% more likely to get a university place, but are also better at problem solving.

The role of artificial intelligence in education. The enlightED report identified three key issues relating to AI: it should be an education tool, for teachers to use in class; it should be taught, so that pupils understand it and how to create it; and we have to prepare ourselves to live in a world increasingly dominated by AI.

Teachers, as the core of the education system, must be trained in digital skills. Experts also stress the importance of connecting technology with people without imposing it. In this regard, the importance teaching technology at an early age has been addressed.

How do we prepare for jobs that don’t exist yet?

We have to change the current environment and transfer it to society as well. Young people must have the opportunity to study full-time and we must provide the right gateways for students to enter and exit the world of work. Societies must eliminate the need to have a degree to access many jobs and must also remove the requirement of years of experience for essential workers.

Technological skills will drive people to acquire new jobs, but soft skills will make the difference, the essentially human qualities that will be fundamental to the future.

The full report is available for download at enlighted.education