“Gen Alpha will be the most educated generation but will redefine what a “real education” resembles. For one, they will prioritize skills over degrees, real-world simulations, and on-the-job training over classes and will expect highly personalized and engaging training. They will take classes and have experiences in their childhood that will prepare them to run future workplaces. With an early introduction to smart tools, an affinity to voice, AI, and machine learning, they will learn at a faster pace and be able to apply that learning in new ways. They believe in shared learning since they are highly collaborative, and want education to come to them, and not them to it.”
The Future of Work According to Generation Alpha, Dan Schawbel, 2020

In the coming years, the higher education sector will need to prepare for the arrival of Generation Z, Alpha and C cohorts. The first generation to be brought up in the digital world, educators need to be thinking now about how their experience will shape their learning and behaviour.

What do we know about Generation Z, Alpha and C and their defining characteristics that can help creative higher education prepare for what’s ahead?

What should art and design higher education institutions be anticipating in terms of the changes to learning and teaching and to the learning and teaching environment that are coming down the track?

How can art and design higher education institutions lead the way in terms of adopting AI, machine learning and real world learning?

Join us to hear from Helen Job, an independent Futures Consultant, as she sets out the key challenges for educators. Helen has headed global futures and strategy teams for Flamingo and WGSN in New York and London and served as director of trends at MTV. She also conceptualised the Global Trend Forecasting Curriculum for Parsons 
 School of Design, teaches at UAL and Hyper Island and founded problem solving lab TCOLab.

Following the presentations, there will be an opportunity for members to join three different discussion forums to discuss how art and design higher education should be planning now to re-position itself for the future ahead.