The-Future-of-Learning-Report-2021.pdf

The Future of
Learning Report
February 2021 #ThisIsFutureLearning

2
THE FUTURE OF LEARNING
T H E F U T U R E O F L E A R N I N G R E P O R T 2 0 2 1
Contents
Methodology + sources
FutureLearn commissioned YouGov to undertake a global
study to explore the future of learning. This report includes
survey data from the UK, USA, and Australia, qualitative
interviews with 15 experts as well as data from FutureLearn
and it’s co-investor, Australian jobs board, SEEK.
Foreword...............................................................................................................3
Global Learning Trends.....................................................................................4
Spotlight on Women + Learning.....................................................................7
Spotlight on Generational Distinctions.........................................................11
Spotlight on Access + Inclusion......................................................................17
Self-Education + Social Media.........................................................................22
Perceptions of Online Learning.......................................................................26
Personal Development.......................................................................................36
Professional Development................................................................................44
The Future of Learning......................................................................................53
Conclusion............................................................................................................68
Contributors.........................................................................................................70
Research Methodology.....................................................................................73

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FOREWORD
Our mission is to
transform access
to education
Since we started FutureLearn with The Open University
eight years ago, we were pioneers in social learning.
Now, with the addition of our co-investor SEEK, we
continue to grow in new ways and enable our learners
to truly harness the transformative power of education.
Thanks to our global network of almost 250 partners,
we’re committed to producing a rich selection of courses
offering learners the skills and knowledge needed to
unlock their potential in rapidly-growing industries.
Everyone deserves access to education. Thanks to our
increasingly connected world, even more of us can
access high-quality education from home, with data and
devices more widespread and affordable than ever before.
So what does the future of learning look like?
At FutureLearn, we continue to pursue our mobile-first
strategy, making offline learning a top priority and ensuring
our user experience is universally accessible. Powered by
our world-class university and industry partners, we’re
always working to produce a broader selection of free and
open courses – for anyone, anywhere.
Learning is for life, and life can sometimes get complicated.
We’re building more routes into education, giving learners
the option to progress their career, explore a new industry,
or simply learn for fun. From standalone courses to learning
pathways, the content is interesting but challenging and
focuses on developing knowledge and in-demand skills.
Every learner builds their personal study journey by
choosing courses that are meaningful to them, their career,
and their future.
Education is a shared experience. We want to connect
more people so they can learn together. We don’t want
a world of studying alone. Instead, we want to connect
learners and broaden their perspectives to include new
cultures, approaches, experiences, feelings and concepts.
This passion for collaborative learning is deeply ingrained in
our courses as it powers positive interactions, experiences,
and results. The future of learning is togetherness – global
learners in a global society.
Of course, we all share significant challenges. But education
helps us to fix them – it equips us with the tools we need
to make our world a better place. That’s why we want to
continue partnering with amazing organisations and
universities, creating inspiring content, and helping as
many learners as possible to make their future goals and
dreams a reality.
Our learning is infinite. The skills we need are lifelong.
#ThisIsFutureLearning.
Matt Jenner
Director of Learning, FutureLearn

Our learning is infinite.
The skills we need are lifelong.
#ThisIsFutureLearning

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4 T H E F U T U R E O F L E A R N I N G R E P O R T 2 0 2 1
Global
Learning Trends
From generational differences to changing
expectations, our key findings from across
the UK, USA, and Australia shine a light on
a range of global trends surrounding how
and why people learn.
TREND 1
TREND 5
TREND 4
Inclusivity
is on the up
Gen Z leads
the charge
Women are statistically more likely to
take an online course than men, and more
women believe that education has the
power to make the world a better place.
Women trust
education
TREND 2
People in the UK are shown to be falling
behind their American and Australian
counterparts in both the adoption of online
learning and positive attitudes towards it.
Brits
falling behind
TREND 3
Younger generations show the most interest
in online learning, as well as the greatest
trust and belief in the power of education
to have a positive impact on our world.
Respondents are excited and optimistic
about inclusive education, and our experts
agree real progress is being made towards
the accessibility and inclusivity of learning.
Young people
mobilising on
social media
Young people trust in, and use, social media
platforms to educate themselves generally
as well as specifically on current affairs and
political movements like Black Lives Matter
and LGBTQIA+ rights.
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TREND 8
TREND 6
The future of learning looks bright.
Read on for a detailed exploration of gender,
diversity and inclusion, the impact of
COVID-19, perceptions of online learning,
and much more.
Data shows online learning is becoming
the norm. Experts agree that although
digital learning uptake was accelerated by
COVID-19, its popularity is here to stay.
Online is the
new normal
TREND 7
Online learning is particularly valuable
for those ‘locked out’ of opportunities due
to poor qualifications. People are likely to
take an online course to get ahead at work.
Professionals
want a career boost
People expect to change jobs and industries
throughout their career. This is a trend rather
than a skills gap and is heightened by the
post-COVID-19 jobs landscape.
No more
‘jobs for life’
TREND 9
There is now a wider acceptance of
different types of qualifications such as
microcredentials due to current formal
qualifications not matching industry
expectations and skills demand.
Wider range
of qualifications
accepted
TREND 10
Across all countries, people show the
most interest in developing their knowledge
around mental health and mindfulness
over the next five years. This is followed
by nutrition, diet, and physical health.
Self-development
sweeps the board
5
Join the conversation

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Spotlight on
Women + Learning
“With areas like engineering, pharmacy, accounting,
and architecture, we’re seeing more women now go into
those areas because we’ve campaigned about it.”
Ranata Hughes Florida AM University
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Women trust education
Our study shows that, overall, women demonstrate higher
trust than men in the power of education to improve diversity
and inclusion around the world. 45% of women (compared to
39% of men) report that they think education in the future
will have the power to reduce violence and make the world a
more diverse and culturally accepting place.
Likewise, close to two-fifths (39%) of women think that
future education will have the power to end inequality,
compared with a third of men (33%).
Women also have greater confidence in the future inclusivity
of teaching than men. Over two-fifths (45%) of women
across the three countries surveyed think that education will
use more inclusive teaching methods in the future, compared
with 38% of men.
Possibly as a result of this, women are somewhat more
likely than men to predict that education will be more
accessible for people with disabilities in the future (51%
compared with 47%).
Gender, diversity, and inclusion
Differing perceptions of diversity and inclusion are also
evident in relation to online learning.
Women are more likely than men to agree that online
learning allows for more diversity and inclusion in the
education sector (49% compared with 45%).
47% of women, compared to 40% of men, think that online
learning offers the privacy some people need to study
subjects that they would not feel confident taking in person.
Interestingly, FutureLearn saw more women than men (55%
to 44.5%) enrolled on science, engineering and maths
courses in 2020.
Additionally, FutureLearn has seen almost a 350% increase
in enrolments in tech and coding courses from 2019 to 2020,
and in 2020, over half of those enrolments were women.
Close to two-fifths (38%) of women believe that women
around the world have more access to education as a
result of online learning, compared with 30% of men.
This proportion increases among women who believe that
the privacy of online learning enables people to feel more
confident. Over half (56%) of women in this group say
that women around the world will have more access to
education as a result of online learning, which is higher than
the proportion of men (50%) who support this statement.
Gender, education and the future
of women plan to take an
online course to better
understand cultural issues
23%
of women believe
education has the power
to lessen violence
45%
women believe online
learning will improve
women’s access to education
2 in 5
SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN + LEARNING

Individually tailored learning is
a crucial benefit to women
Individually tailored learning is a crucial benefit of online
learning in the eyes of women. Women are significantly
more likely than men to identify being able to learn at your
own pace as a benefit of online learning (62% compared
with 50%).
Similarly, over two-fifths (45%) of women believe that being
able to learn at your own pace increases self-esteem when
learning online – again a significantly higher proportion
than among men (39%).
Across all three countries surveyed, women (42%) are
more likely than men (35%) to identify structured online
learning – where they are guided but can learn at their
own pace – as a way of learning best suited to them.
Findings also show that women are especially interested
in using online learning for personal development, with
women showing an increased likelihood of taking an online
personal development course (40% of women versus 35%
of men).
When it comes to using social media to stay on top of
current affairs, women generally use Facebook, Instagram,
and TikTok more commonly than men to learn about
diversity and inclusion (20% vs 14% Facebook; 16% vs 9%
Instagram; 6% vs 3% TikTok), social justice (19% vs 15%
Facebook; 14% vs 8% Instagram; 5% vs 3% TikTok), and
environmental sustainability (17% vs 14% Facebook; 13%
vs 8% Instagram; 4% vs 3% TikTok).
Women are also more likely than men to take an online
course in the next five years in order to stay on top of
cultural issues (23% versus 20%).
DID YOU KNOW?
Women are 5% more likely than
men to take an online course for
personal development
23% 20%
Likelihood to use an online course to
stay on top of cultural issues in the
next five years

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The idea that we go from 16% of English
Computer Science graduates identifying
as female, to 46% of our learners identifying
as women on online courses suggests that
there are groups for whom online courses
are a better option.
Dr Rachid Hourizi Director, Institute of Coding

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“The next generation’s educational future is going
to be full of technology. Technology they’re going
to need to come out of high school knowing how to
use in order to go into college and be successful.”
Ranata Hughes Florida AM University
Spotlight on
Generational distinctions
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1 2
Change is possible
Overall, younger people are more likely than their elders
to believe that education can change the world.
A significant proportion of younger people (47% of
Millennials and 50% of Generation Z, compared with 40%
of older generations) believe that in the future, education
will have the power to help save the planet.
Likewise, close to three-fifths of younger people (56% of
Millennials, 57% of Generation Z) believe that education
can help develop technology to create a sustainable future,
compared with just under half of older respondents (48%).
Among younger generations, there is a greater belief that
in the future, education will directly empower people
to solve the world’s biggest issues, such as the climate
crisis, environmental and corporate sustainability, and
human rights.
Generation Z (47%) and Millennials (45%) are the
generations most likely to hold this conviction, compared
with just under a third (32%) of older participants.
Clear future demand for EdTech
Younger people have a larger appetite for educational
innovation. Both Millennials and Generation Z are more
likely than older generations to be interested in seeing
different forms of education technology emerge by 2030,
with the exception of virtual reality, which is roughly equally
desired by all (39% of Millennials, 38% of Generation Z,
35% of older generations).
Technology such as augmented reality is also significantly
more popular with younger age groups, with over a third
of Millennials (35%) and three in ten from Generation Z
(30%) selecting augmented reality as their preferred form
of educational technology, compared with just under a
quarter (24%) of older respondents.
Likewise, younger generations are more interested in seeing
educational features on social media platforms, with three
in ten (30% of Millennials, 29% of Generation Z) reporting
they would like to see this technology, compared with
just under a fifth (19%) of older respondents.
Millennials and Gen Z believe
education can change the world
50%
of Gen Z’s believe
education has
the power to
save the planet
56%
of Millennials believe
to develop technology
that creates sustainable
communities
SPOTLIGHT ON GENERATIONAL DISTINCTIONS

1 3 T H E F U T U R E O F L E A R N I N G R E P O R T 2 0 2 1
3 in10
Millennials Gen Zs
would like education
features on social media
1 in5
Millennials strongly agree
that online learning can
provide similar benefits
to formal education
Differing attitudes to self-education
Age has a significant bearing on whether someone has already used some form of
digital platform to learn.
Millennials and Generation Z are more likely to have used most social media platforms
for an educational purpose1
. For example, 24% of Generation Z and 15% of Millennials use
Twitter to educate themselves about environmental issues, compared with just 6% of
those in older generations.
Likewise, Instagram is used as a tool to self-educate on diversity and inclusion by 37% of
Generation Z and 22% of Millennials, compared with just 4% of people from older generations.
Gen Z versus Millennials
Interestingly, Millennials are somewhat more likely to say they prefer structured online
learning – where they are guided but can learn at their own pace – compared to Gen Z
(41% versus 37%).
Both younger generations show a preference for learning through social interactions online,
with 15% of Millennials and 16% of Generation Z reporting that they are well suited to this
style of learning.
Overall, Millennials have a positive attitude towards online learning. One in five (21%)
strongly agree that it can provide similar benefits to formal education, which is slightly
higher than Generation Z (18%) and adults in older generations (14%).
Similarly, Millennials (51%) are somewhat more likely than Generation Z (46%) as well as
people from older generations (45%) to agree that online learning allows for more diversity
and inclusion in the education sector.
1

Respondents were asked about digital platforms and education on environment and sustainability, social justice, and diversity and inclusion.

DID YOU KNOW?
Gen Z and Millennials are most interested
in learning about personal finance
Generations and the future of learning
Younger adults generally show the most interest in gaining
new knowledge.
Millennials (12%) and Generation Z (8%) are significantly
less likely than older generations (32%) to report that there
are no subject areas they would like to learn about in the
next five years.
Across all who were surveyed, education on mental and
physical health is a priority, though this response is largely
driven by the younger age groups.
Close to two-fifths of Generation Z and Millennials cite
mental health and mindfulness (41% of Millennials, 42%
of Generation Z) and nutrition/diet/physical health (36%
of Millennials, 43% of Generation Z) as their preferred
learning topics.
However, for these groups, managing personal finance is
most commonly identified as an area they are interested
in learning more about; with just over two-fifths (41%)
of Millennials and just under half (47%) of Generation Z
reporting this compared with just 21% of older generations.
Motivations for learning
Millennials and Generation Z are most likely to use online
courses for personal development in these areas in the
next five years.
Half of Millennials and Generation Z say they would be
likely to take an online course for self-development. This
compares to 29% of those belonging to older generations.
Moreover, younger people are the most likely to agree that
they would take an online course in the next five years
for career development. Generation Z are most likely to
agree with this (60%), slightly higher than Millennials
(53%) – although both groups still show a significantly
higher interest than older respondents (33%).
Similarly, Millennials and Generation Z (both 34%) are more
than twice as likely than the older non-retired generations
(16%) to say they‘d consider spending time or money on
career-related training.

of Gen Z and millennials
have re-evaluated their
career since COVID-19
15%
The impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has made younger age groups
more interested in starting an online course.
Close to two-fifths of both groups (42% of Millennials,
39% of Generation Z) report that they are more interested
in learning online since the pandemic, compared to 23%
of those in older generations.
This could be a result of the impact of the pandemic on
their career, with 15% of both groups reporting that they
have re-evaluated their career path as a result of COVID-19,
compared with 8% of older generations who are not retired.
Likewise, just under one in ten younger people (8% of
Millennials, 7% of Generation Z) have said they have had
to move into a new industry and have required new skills
to do so because of the pandemic. This is significantly
higher than those in older generations (3%).
Entrepreneurship
Close to two-fifths of the younger generations (43% of
Millennials, 39% of Generation Z) report that they would
like to set up their own business in the next ten years. This
is again significantly higher than older respondents (19%).
Of those who are interested, a similar proportion
report that they lack the confidence (41% of Millennials,
43% of Generation Z) to do so. Younger respondents are
significantly more likely to doubt their skills compared
with older generations (37% of Millennials and 42% of
Generation Z versus 24% of older generations).
However, there is greater enthusiasm among younger age
groups to educate themselves in these areas. Of those who
are employed, Millennials (29%) and Generation Z (28%)
are significantly more likely than older employed adults
(15%) to say that they are likely to take an online course in
the next five years to help them start their own business.
of Gen Z who would like to set
up their own business, say that
they lack confidence to do so
41%

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I went to university at 18 and I’ve never left. That’s not going
to be a common career path in the future with the pace of
acceleration of technological change. I think for the younger
generation now, what good secondary education can give
them in the UK is the ability to learn how to learn, learn how
to change, and learn how to understand new opportunities.
Professor Josie Fraser Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The Open University

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“Once online learning becomes more accepted as the new
normal as the world changes, and as technology makes it
cheaper, faster, easier, I hope that we have deeper, richer
conversations and still ask, who is missing from this class?”
Sara Ali The Hopenclass
Spotlight on
Access + Inclusion
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1 8
SPOTLIGHT ON ACCESS + INCLUSION
Access to education
People across all three countries surveyed show considerable
optimism about the accessibility of education in the future.
Over half of Australian adults (54%) and two-fifths of those
in the UK and USA (42% respectively) believe that global
access to education will increase in the future.
Improved inclusivity is central to respondents’ predictions
for the future of education, with close to two-fifths of
respondents saying that education will use more inclusive
teaching methods in future (46% Australia, 41% UK, 39% USA).
Many adults across the three countries also think that
education will be more accessible and better for people with
disabilities (55% Australia, 47% UK, 46% USA), as well as
being more individually tailored to people’s interests (47%
Australia, 33% UK, 38% USA).
Alongside improved accessibility within the education
sector itself, many believe that education will develop
inclusion globally. Almost two-fifths of Australian (38%)
and UK (37%) adults believe that education will have the
power to end inequality, and three in ten (32%)
American adults.
Likewise, nearly half (46%) of Australian adults believe
that education can make the world a less violent, more
diverse, and culturally accepting place, followed by 42%
in the UK and 37% in the USA.
Looking specifically at online learning, notable
proportions of the public in the UK, USA, and Australia
believe that it allows for more diversity and inclusion in
the education sector – 55% of Australians, 44% of Brits
and 45% of Americans.
Online learning allows more diversity and inclusion in the education sector
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Optimism around education for all
of Australians believe
access to education
will improve for people
with disabillities
55%
of Britons believe
to make the world a
more diverse, culturally
accepting place
42%

Understanding digital poverty
We also discussed the subject of diversity and inclusivity
in interviews with educational experts. who offered
professional insight into the future of education.
For most, the ability to use online or blended learning
allows people from marginalised or minority communities
more access to learning. They agreed that it also allows
more women to join courses that lead to careers in male-
dominated areas. They believe this is because, in an online
setting, the vulnerability that comes with seeing there
are no other people ‘like them’ on the course is reduced.
Chief Strategy Officer at Droga 5 and MD at Accenture,
Dylan Williams, hopes online learning can serve to
democratise education: “I hope it proves to be the next big
wave of education”.
Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning at University College
London’s Knowledge Lab, was adamant that online learning
could pave the way for hybrid degrees, which would give
international students who are unable to afford the cost
of living in London access to education at UCL.
However, although online learning removes constraints like
geographical barriers, it still requires learners to have the
technology to participate. Students’ willingness to learn
online is also in question, with much more outreach required.
Patricia Davidson, Dean at Johns
Hopkins University, believed that
both educational leaders and
policy makers should be working
to reduce the disparities between
different ethnic and racial groups
and socioeconomic statuses,
as well as the differences between
low, middle, and high income
countries. She explained, “We have
to make sure that digital innovation
and acceleration does not widen
this disparity.”
Rebecca Hall, Commissioner for
Victoria to South East Asia, felt that we would, “need
to design policies and programs that ensure that access
is available.”
Maya Penn, CEO of Maya’s Ideas, and an entrepreneur
who is passionate about access to education, talked a
great deal about the existing digital divide and how
COVID-19 is highlighting these issues and felt that it
needed to be “a number one priority” to figure out how
to make technology and online learning accessible.

We have to solve and tackle
digital poverty…But once
you do that and you make
education more technologically
mediated, you massively
increase diversity.
Professor Josie Fraser The Open University

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Diversity of thought
For other experts, diversity is much more about diversity of thought. This
includes those with diagnosed conditions who are perhaps not well suited to
conventional methods of teaching.
Many of the experts interviewed were interested in the possibility that digital
channels could open up greater diversity in terms of learning techniques,
affording all students the opportunity to engage.
Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation at VICE, Mark Adams, believes
that, currently, education systems don’t account for this neurodiversity: “We
don’t have different learning paths... I think they would be a really powerful
unlock for our education system.”
of UK adults believe that education
will have the power to end inequality
of Australians believe future education
will be easier to access globally
37%
54%

There is an opportunity for us to better
educate everybody in a more sensitive
way… understanding how different
people innately think and advancing
different approaches accordingly.
Dylan Williams Droga 5

2 1

There are opportunities for us to do even
better at supporting diverse communities.
I don’t inherently believe that it’s just the
online divide, I think that it’s a question of
our innovative and intentionally inclusive
pedagogy to achieve that.
Dr Caitlin Hayward Associate Director,
University of Michigan

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2 2
“There are some who would argue we are in
the post-digital world, so we need to lose the
term digital. It’s just the world we live in.”
Professor Mark Brown Dublin City University
Self-education
+ social media
2 2

2 3
SELF-EDUCATION + SOCIAL MEDIA
The state of the world
Tools for learning
Findings from this research indicate that people in the UK, USA, and Australia use a variety
of digital platforms to educate themselves about the state of the world, but a significant
proportion are not self-educating through any platform at all.
Although many respondents said they don’t use any digital platforms to educate themselves
on environmental sustainability, overall, the two platforms most commonly mentioned
for doing so are YouTube and Facebook. Twitter and Instagram are most popular for self-
education among adults in the USA.
People in Australia and the USA are more likely than those in the UK to have used YouTube
(24% Australia, 13% UK, 20% USA) and Facebook (21% Australia, 12% UK, 19% USA) for
self-education, but are equally likely to be using Twitter (10% Australia, 11% UK, 12% USA).
10% Australia
11% UK
12% USA
21% Australia
12% UK
19% USA
24% Australia
13% UK
20% USA

2 4
A very similar story is seen when we look at the
digital platforms people use to educate themselves
about social justice. The most commonly used
platforms were:
YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, for learning
about social justice, is higher in Australia and
the USA than in the UK. Meanwhile, UK adults
(54%) are more likely than those in Australia
(43%) and the USA (39%) to say that they have
not used any digital platforms to educate
themselves about social justice.
23% Australia
12% UK
23% USA
20% Australia
11% UK
21% USA
10% Australia
12% UK
17% USA
Digital platforms used to educate
about environment and sustainability
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
Pinterest
Snapchat
Online learning
courses
Digital platforms used to
educate about social justice
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Pinterest
Online learning
courses
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
LinkedIn
TikTok
Snapchat

2 5
Exploring social issues
We also asked respondents about which digital platforms
they use to educate themselves about diversity and
inclusion, which was defined to include topics such as
gender history, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights and
the gender pay gap.
The results paint a very similar picture to that of the
platforms being used for self-educating about environmental
and social justice issues.
As seen previously, the top two digital platforms used in
Australia and the USA are Facebook (21% Australia, 23%
USA) and YouTube (20% Australia, 19% USA). Although UK
adults are less likely to have used these (12% for both),
they remain the platforms most commonly used in the UK,
alongside Twitter (also 12%).
21% Australia
23% USA
20% Australia
19% USA

We’ve seen some really
interesting trends that have
moved us to more of a social
justice and health equity
lens including greater
ability for participation,
particularly in younger
people and also women.
Dean Patricia Davidson
Johns Hopkins University
Digital platforms used to educate
about diversity and inclusion
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Pinterest
Online learning
courses
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
LinkedIn
TikTok
Snapchat
Top social platforms to
learn about social issues

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TOP 10 GLOBAL TRENDS
“What we’re doing with online learning is we’re basically
letting people learn in their own time and at their own
pace. And I think there’s something so powerful about that.
And that’s one of the things I love about FutureLearn, is
that it really dismantles time and place as barriers.”
Mark Adams VICE
Perceptions of
online learning
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PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE LEARNING
Sentiment towards learning online
Generally, respondents were more likely to not have
educated themselves using a digital platform, but
findings show that across the three countries
surveyed, adults broadly feel positive towards online
learning, with the majority being able to identify
benefits to learning in this way.
Respondents across all three countries agree that
online learning can provide similar benefits to formal
education (59% Australia, 53% USA, 50% UK).
Australian adults show the greatest enthusiasm for
digital learning: only 21% of respondents in Australia
disagree that online learning offers similar benefits
to in-person education, compared to 27% in UK.
The expert interviewees had no doubt about the
transformative power of online education, and the
older participants interviewed – who have seen the
greatest changes in the sector and to pedagogical
techniques over the years – are the most positive
about it. They feel that online learning provides real
and tangible benefits to learners, as well as a
personalised and customisable learning experience.
The views on
education online
Online learning can provide similar levels of benefits to formal education
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Perceptions of the benefits of online learning
Learn at your own pace
Physically acessible
Financially accessible
Achieve personal goals
Accessible education to physically constrained
Stay engaged, informed and mentally active
Advance in your career
Secure a promotion or payrise
Learn new skills to start your own business
Become an expert in certain areas
Increases job security
United Kingdom Australia United States
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

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Benefits of online learning
When talking about the specific benefits of online learning, the majority of adults across
all countries surveyed say that it allows people to learn at their own pace (56% UK, 55%
USA, 57% Australia). Over two-fifths (44%) in the UK and Australia say self-paced
learning directly increases self-esteem in learning.
Likewise, two-fifths of adults in all three countries believe online learning helps people
feel more confident learning about subjects they wouldn’t usually feel comfortable
learning about (44% UK, 41% USA, 44% Australia).
Accessibility is also seen as a key benefit of online learning. Over two-fifths of adults
across the three countries agree that online learning is financially accessible, with
Australian adults being the most likely to report this (48%) compared with 42% of USA
and UK adults.
Similarly, people believe that online learning is physically accessible (42% UK, 41%
Australia, 39% USA) and opens high quality education up to people, regardless of any
constraints (45% Australia, 42% USA, 40% UK).
The survey also shows that many believe online learning is better for introverts. When
asked what they think to be true about online learning, close to half of people across
the three countries say they think that it’s better for introverts (49% UK, 49% Australia,
46% USA) than in-person learning.
Most cited percieved
benefits of online learning
Learn at your own pace
56%
Physically accessible
41%
Financially accessible
43%
Average across UK, USA and Australia

2 9
Online learning and digital
transformation
Australians are most likely to report that online
learning allows people to keep up with technological
change (41% compared to 35% in the USA and 30%
in the UK).
Meanwhile, one in three (29%) Australians say that
online learning offers learners the chance to keep up-
to-date with social change, which is slightly higher
than the proportion of those in the USA (25%) and
significantly higher than in the UK (23%).
This could be a result of Australian adults being
more likely to have educated themselves on certain
subjects online.
When looking specifically at those who have
learned online before, the proportion who believe
that online learning offers an opportunity to keep
up with social (36% Australia, 33% USA, 29% UK)
and technological change (47% Australia, 42% USA,
36% UK) increases across all three countries.
that online learning helps
support the pace
of technological change
41%
Better for introverts
Privacy to learn unfamiliar subjects
Increases self-esteem
Complements traditional education
Learn targeted and specific skills
Continue learning about society
More access for women worldwide
Keep up with technological change
Keep up with social change
0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Statements believed to be true about online learning

3 0
Blended learning
In our interviews with experts, many said that online learning provides a ‘level playing
field’ for students and removes many of the distractions that are present in a face-to-face
environment – which is particularly helpful for students with behavioural issues.
Furthermore, and reflecting the quantitative data above, this ‘level playing field’ helps
students who would typically be nervous to speak up in class or get involved in
discussions. Being able to type contributions in an online setting is seen as much more
beneficial to many students, as social anxiety does not inhibit anyone’s ability to learn.
All the experts interviewed were passionate about the opportunities that online learning
can bring for learners of all ages. They saw potential for online learning to change (rather
than replace) traditional learning environments. They also saw it as a crucial delivery
tool for educational organisations looking to open their doors to a wider international
pool of learners. They fully recognised that, for adult learners, it provides the flexibility
they may need to fit learning around already busy schedules.

I think there will certainly be more formal
blended learning and I’m hoping that we
might move into hybrid degrees, where you
don’t necessarily have students coming to
UCL for a three year degree programme
– they might come for one year and do the
other two years online at home.
Professor Diana Laurillard UCL Knowledge Lab

3 1
Improving education access
Our experts believed that online learning would lead to the democratisation of learning,
where many who could not (or would not) access it previously, now can.
The experts were also concerned that online learning could become the less desirable
method of education, particularly in developing countries, and that face-to-face learning
would always be seen as the ‘gold-standard’.
Many experts made the point that the quality of learning must be standardised and
maintained across educational settings.
Related to this is the concern that education today is too directive in terms of teachers
telling children what to learn, and that this cannot be replicated in an online setting.
However, the experts agree that the core benefit online learning provides is being able to
learn with people who you wouldn’t normally be in a class with. Online learning means you
can connect and speak directly to people in different countries. As Dean Patricia Davidson
puts it, “the ability to share experiences, the ability to connect with others is amazing”.
Professor Mark Brown also mentioned that, in a practical sense, current educational
infrastructure will be unable to support 1 billion more learners coming to education – so
it will be necessary for at least some of this learning to take place online.

In ten years, there’ll be more
democracy and I think with the
advancements in technology,
there’ll be more accessibility.
Sara Ali The Hopenclass

3 2

Online learning is a gift to the world… It allows
any person of any ethnic background in any
country, in any village, in any city, in any state,
anywhere, to come together and learn, and it
allows the classroom to meet each other… and
discuss their cultural differences.
Ranata Hughes Visiting Instructor, Florida AM University

3 3
COVID-19 propelled online
education forward
The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education
sector is an interesting subject area to explore. When this
survey was conducted in December 2020, a third of adults
in both Australia (35%) and the USA (34%) reported being
more interested in taking part in an online learning course
as a result of COVID-19. Notably, this is significantly higher
than in the UK (25%). FutureLearn saw an increase of
around four times the enrolments in teaching courses in
2020 compared to 2019, likely due to COVID-19 and the
need for teachers to learn how to teach online.
Interest increases in all countries when looking at
those who experienced a change in career as a result of
COVID-19. Three quarters (74%) of adults in the USA who
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Impact of COVID-19 on interest in online learning
have had to move into a new career that requires a
new skill set report being more interested in taking an
online course.
Meanwhile, just over two-thirds (68%) of Australian adults
who had re-evaluated their career path as a result of the
pandemic are now more interested in an online course.
In the USA, close to half of those who are currently
students (47%) report being more interested in online
learning, while over a third of those in the UK (36%)
report increased interest.
In the expert interviews, there was a great deal of
discussion about the future of learning in an online setting,
which is both central to this research and particularly
timely as a result of COVID-19.

There is consensus across the interviewees that COVID-19
has allowed us to make great strides in being able to
‘remove the armbands’ and fully embed online learning
as an educational mainstay.
Experts felt that it has truly acted as an accelerant in
this area, and they are, on the whole, pleased that it has
done so.
Indeed, not only has online learning filled the void left
by face-to-face learning, it has actually allowed us to go
further. Professor Susan Elliott pointed out that every
single cohort, bar one, has seen improved academic
performance this year.
Though some are concerned that we will lazily revert to
more established learning patterns after the pandemic is
over, there is a belief that we are very much through the
looking glass and are now able to accept the benefits of
learning online or, at the very least, hybrid learning.
Experts believe that there is further to go, but by allowing
educators, parents, and learners to conquer any fears and
misapprehensions around online learning, it has really
opened the door and instigated both an attitudinal shift
and a new era of innovation.

Only a pandemic was going to move people
so quickly into the online learning space.
Lots of universities and FE colleges and
schools were dipping their toes into the
waters of digital learning, but it was always
in support of a conventional classroom
experience. Covid forced us to make it the
primary experience.

3 5

Online learning will allow us to bring more people
in, give more people skills. People need to move
beyond the value judgement that online education
is inferior or a quick fix.
Dean Patricia Davidson School of Nursing,

PAGE TITLE
3 6
“Upskilling will be something that people need to do,
and I hope they want to do it. I hope we build
cool enough tech and interesting enough learning
experiences that it’s something they want.”
Dr Caitlin Hayward University of Michigan
Personal
Development
3 6

3 7
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Learning forms that people feel
they are personally best suited to
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Practical on the job training
Structured online learning
Source materials, books
and online resources
1-to-1 mentoring
Social interactions with
family and friends
Social interactions online
Class of students and teacher
Social interactions with
cohort of learners
How we like to learn
Findings show that adults across the UK, USA,
and Australia all enjoy a range of approaches
to learning.
Generally, Australian adults are more likely
to identify structured online learning as their
preferred way of learning.
While most adults across the UK, USA and
Australia report that they’re more suited to on-
the-job practical training, close to two-fifths of
adults across the three countries also identify
structured online learning as a preferred way
to learn. Australian adults are significantly
more likely to state this (44%) than those in
the UK and USA (both 37%).
Correspondingly, a third of those surveyed say
they’re more suited to learning in private with
books and online resources (33% Australia, 31%
UK, 31% USA). This proportion increases for
those who are full-time students in Australia
(48%) and the UK (40%).
Personal approaches
to learning
of adults report they
are suited to learning
in private with books
and online resources
1 /3

In-demand subject areas
The majority of adults across all countries identify at
least one subject area they’d like to learn more about in
the next five years (78% Australia, 73% USA, 67% UK).
People in the USA and Australia are less likely than
people in the UK to report there is nothing they
would like to learn more about (18% and 21%
respectively versus 28% in the UK).
People in the UK and Australia show the highest
interest in learning more about health, with mental
health and mindfulness a priority for people in all
countries surveyed.
Respondents in Australia are most likely to say
mental health and mindfulness is their preferred
subject area (39%), compared with 33% of Americans
and 29% of UK adults. Interestingly, data from SEEK,
FutureLearn’s joint shareholder alongside The Open
University, shows that healthcare and medical was
the second largest industry by job volume in 2020.
This is followed closely by nutrition, diet, and
physical health. Australians and Americans are again
most likely to say this (36% and 35% respectively)
compared to just over a quarter of UK adults (28%).
Mental health mindfulness
is the area people would
most like to gain knowledge in
Improved personal confidence
is cited as the most
expected result of learning

3 9
This is mirrored by FutureLearn’s data, which shows an
increase in enrolments of over 150% in its healthcare
courses. There is also a clear trend towards more
women on the FutureLearn platform enrolling in mental
health and psychology (67.8%), healthcare and medicine
(58.2%), and health and psychology (61.2%) courses.
Of those looking to gain knowledge in specific areas,
most think they would improve personal confidence
as a result of learning more (51% Australia, 47% USA,
46% UK).
This is closely followed with learning to expand
hobbies and interests (49% Australia, 46% USA, 45%
UK). Australian and American adults are significantly
more likely to consider learning to have a positive
impact on their community as a possible result of
gaining more knowledge (46% Australia, 45% USA)
than those in the UK (37%).
Likewise, close to three in ten Australian (30%),
American (28%) and British (26%) adults want to learn
how to be a conscientious citizen of the world.
Amongst those who said they used digital platforms
to educate themselves on social justice, diversity
and inclusion, and environmental sustainability, this
proportion increases significantly across all three
countries (42% UK, 38% Australia, 38% USA).
Areas in which people would like to gain more knowledge in the next 5 years
Mental health and mindfulness
Nutrition / diet / physical health
Be a conscientious citizen of the world
Manage personal finance
Impact of technology
Politics
Human rights
Career development
IT / Coding / Game Development
Teaching / Parenting United Kingdom Australia United States
0 % 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
5
%
of Americans want
to learn to expand
hobbies and interests
46%
of Australians want to
learn how to conscientious
citizens of the world
30%
of Britons think learning
will have a positive impact
on their community
37%

4 0
Looking specifically at those who want to learn more
about mental health and mindfulness, the proportion who
say they learn to improve personal confidence increases
(62% USA, 60% Australia, 59% UK).
Similarly, people’s belief that online learning could have a
positive impact on their local community and the wider
world also grows, with close to three-fifths from the USA
and Australia believing this could have a positive impact
on the world (62% USA, 55% Australia) and on their
community (58% Australia, 57% USA). This response is
lower in the UK, with 47% reporting there could be a
positive impact on their community and 45% reporting a
positive impact on the world.
Among employed people surveyed, Australians are most
likely to report that learning more about these areas
could result in them future-proofing their career by
widening their skill set (37% compared with 32% in the
UK and 28% in the USA).
Those people may be interested to know that, according
to SEEK, the most in-demand soft and transferable skills
include: communication skills, interpersonal sensitivity,
autonomy, time management, and resilience.
Over a third of employed adults across the three countries
also believe that learning could boost their professional
confidence (39% Australia, 37% USA, 35% UK).
of Australians
39%
% of employed adults who think
online learning could boost
their professional confidence
of Americans
37%
of Britons
35%

4 1
Upskilling for the future of work
Many people surveyed say they would like to
take an online course in the next five years for
personal development.
This proportion is highest among adults in Australia
(43%) and the USA (40%), both of whom report
significantly higher interest than those in the UK (33%).
People who identified no subject areas where
they would like to learn more are the least likely to
agree that they’d like to take an online course to
develop themselves personally (15% USA, 12%
Australia, 11% UK).
I am likely to take an online course within the next 5
years to develop myself personally outside of my career
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
of Americans are likely
to take an online course
within the next 5 years
to develop personally
40%

4 2
Creative skills
The majority of adults across all countries identify
at least one area where they believe creative skills2
would be needed (84% Australia, 78% USA, 78% UK).
‘Starting your own business’, is the most commonly
mentioned area across all countries, with adults in
the UK being significantly more likely to say this
than those in the USA (57% UK, 54% Australia, 50%
USA). This is followed by ‘media and marketing’ (57%
UK, 54% Australia, 50% USA) and ‘teaching’ (54% UK,
46% Australia, 45% USA).
Respondents across all three countries say a wide
range of disciplines require creative skills to varying
degrees, including IT, science, nature, psychology,
healthcare, and history/politics/law.
Those interested in setting up their
own business have an increased
belief in the importance of creative
skills when doing this; across all
countries, the proportion of those
who say creative skills would be
needed when setting up a business
increases when looking at those
who would be interested in setting
up a business in the next 10 years
(62% UK, 61% Australia, 59% USA).
50% 60%
WHAT DO THE FINDINGS SHOW?
Areas where people believe creative skills are needed
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Starting own business
Media Marketing
IT / Coding / Data Analytics /
AI / Robotics / Game development
Science / Engineering / Maths
Business, Management Finance
Psychology Mental Health
Healthcare Medicine
History / Politics / Law
Teaching
Nature Environment
2

For the purpose of this question, creative skills are defined as: ‘the ability to think about
a task or a problem in a new or different way, or the ability to use your imagination to
generate new ideas’.

4 3

Soft skills, things like performing arts dance, drama,
theater activities, music, all help to create and foster
communication, group work, collaboration. These are
the key building blocks of learning that we need to
foster in terms of the sorts of people that are then
going to go into workplaces.
Nick Isles CEO, Condé Nast College of Fashion Design

PAGE TITLE
TOP 10 GLOBAL TRENDS
“For kids, every prediction is that they will
have multiple careers in their lifetime, that
they will retrain, that they will move jobs.”
Professional
Development
4 4

4 5
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The changing work place
Across all countries, a significant proportion of respondents
agree that they are likely to take an online course within
the next five years in order to grow their skill set and get
ahead in their career (UK 40%, USA 44%, Australia 49%).
In each country, those who previously reported that
COVID-19 had impacted their career in some way are more
likely to say they’d take an online course to get ahead in
their career (59% Australia, 58% USA, 55% UK). This is
significantly higher than the proportion of those who
stated that their career had remained unchanged (42%
Australia, 35% USA, 35% UK).
Online courses and
career development
I am likely to take an online course within the next 5 years to grow my skill set
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

We don’t know what the jobs
are going to be in five or
10 years. We need adaptive
people with resilience, the
ability to learn and change
their careers.
Nick Isles Condé Nast
College of Fashion Design

4 6

The rise of doing additional learning to
accelerate or pivot your career has to become
more common and also the rise of the laser
learner who needs another bite of knowledge,
a new skill, a new insight into whatever it is
that’s come into their world.
Professor Susan Elliott Deputy Vice-Chancellor and
Senior Vice-President (Education), Monash University

4 7
Career expectations
The trend towards changing jobs and industries is backed
up by data from SEEK. 72% of jobseekers who had at least
one job in the last two years held 5-10 jobs every five years,
illustrating that the ‘job for life’ is becoming, or may now
have already become, a thing of the past for most people.
To further illustrate this, SEEK reports that 8.6% of dental
assistants hold a non-health related degree, 7% of
early childhood teachers hold a degree in business and
management, and 6.7% of business development managers
hold a degree in engineering.
Indeed, nearly half (49%) of Australian adults believe that,
in the future, education will have the power to give people
the opportunity to try different industries before committing
to a career path. This is followed by 41% of Americans and
38% of UK adults.
Among those who currently work, one quarter of Australian
adults report that they do not expect to be working in the
same industry in 2030. This is significantly higher than the
proportion of Americans (20%) and UK adults (21%) who
say they do not expect to work in the same industry. This
expectation is driven by Generation Z across all countries
(42% USA, 32% UK, 46% Australia).
1

Lifelong learning has to be a philosophy we all
live by. Culture is accelerating so rapidly that
I think we’re all going to need to recognize that
we will need two, three, four career changes.

4 8
Do people expect
to be working in the
same industry by 2030
as they are today?
Yes, I do
No, I do not
Don’t know
N /A – will not be working in 2030
20%
40%
60%
80%
The proportion of those who do not expect to be in the
same industry by 2030 increases amongst those who say
they have re-evaluated their career path as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two-fifths of these individuals in the UK report that they
do not expect to be in the same career by 2030 (39%),
with a similar proportion reporting this in Australia and
the USA (both 36%).
When asked to explain why they do not expect to be in
the same industry by 2030, people are most likely to
report that as time has developed, their passions have
changed (36% Australia, 30% USA, 27% UK).
Experts agreed that many people would need to change
their job roles in the future and discussed what that
means for the world of education.
of UK adults who have
re-evaluated their careers,
do not expect to be in the
same industry by 2030
39%
of both US and Australian adults
who have re-evaluated their
careers, do not expect to be in
the same industry by 2030
36%
100%

4 9
Career changers
People in the USA and Australia who do not expect to be
working in the same industry by 2030 are significantly
more likely to say they want to use online learning to
help change their current career (30% in the USA and
22% in Australia, compared with 10% in the UK).
Somewhat unsurprisingly, these proportions increase
among those who say they’re likely to take an online course
within the next five years in order to get ahead in their
career. Close to a fifth of this audience in the UK report
that they would use it to change their current career
(18%), which increases to just over a third in Australia
(35%) and the USA (37%).
31% of employed people surveyed in Australia say that
they would consider spending personal time or money to
learn new skills for a job or career move in the next year;
this is significantly higher than the proportion of those in
the USA (26%) and the UK (21%).
This sentiment increases among those who’d like to take
an online course in the next five years to get ahead in
their career; close to half in Australia (47%) and the USA
(46%) say that they would consider spending time or
money to learn additional skills, compared with two-
fifths in the UK (39%).
of working people in Australia say
they would consider spending
personal time or money to
learn additional skills for a job
of UK adults say that they
expect that their passions will
have changed and therefore they
will have changed industries
Americans, who don’t expect to be
working in the same industry by
2030, want to use online learning to
help change careers
3in10
31%
27%

5 0
COVID-19 is impacting careers
All those who are not retired were asked to assess the
impact of COVID-19 on their careers. Although the majority
report that there had been no changes to their career as a
result of the pandemic, many other effects were recorded.
In the UK, these respondents are significantly more likely
to report that their career has not changed as a result of
the pandemic (72%), compared with just over half of
those in Australia (56%) and the USA (51%).
Close to a sixth of non-retired people in Australia and
the USA report that the pandemic has led them to re-
evaluate their career path (15% and 14% respectively),
compared with just under a tenth in the UK (8%).
Comparatively, just under one in ten in Australia and the
USA report that they have had to change their role in
their industry and now require a new skill set (9% and 8%
respectively), while a similar proportion report that they
require a brand-new skill set from entering an entirely
new industry (9% and 7% respectively).
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on career
Re-evaluated my career path
Changed role within same industry which requires new skills
Lost my job
Lost job but have a plan, feel motivated
Moved industry and require a new skill set
Started my own business
Pivoted my business
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
of Americans have had to change
their role in their industry and
now require a new skill set
Working people in Australia and the
USA report that COVID-19 has made
them re-evaluate their career path
8% 1 in 6

5 1
Business aspirations
When asked to what extent they would like to set up a
new business in the next 10 years, just under two-fifths
of Australian (38%) and American (32%) adults say they
would like to.
Comparatively, this is the case for a significantly smaller
proportion (8%) of UK adults. In fact, more than half (53%)
of UK adults say they do not want to set up a new business
at all during this timeframe, compared to 41% of Australian
adults and 40% of American adults.
Among those who would like to set up a new business within
the next 10 years, roughly a third in all three countries
surveyed feel they do not currently have the skills needed
to do so (34% Australia, 32% UK, 31% USA). Notably, this
is a perception that decreases with age.
39% of adults in both the UK and Australia who would
like to set up a new business within the next 10 years do
not currently feel confident enough to do so, compared
to 31% in the USA.
However, findings indicate that finance is more of a
barrier to setting up a new business more than skills or
confidence. A majority of those who would like to set up
a new business within the next 10 years in each country
say they do not currently have the finances to do so
(53% Australia, 58% UK, 55% USA).
Across the national populations of the UK, USA and
Australia, the top way adults believe online learning could
support people to succeed in business is by teaching them
how to use new technologies. This perception is particularly
pronounced in Australia (54%), although not overly
different in the USA (51%) and UK (46%).
Levels of interest in setting up
a new business in next 10 years
of Australians would like to
set up their own business
18%
of Britons are not interested in
setting up their own business
53%
of Americans are unsure
10%
Perceived barriers to setting up
a business in the next 10 years
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Don’t have
the skills
Don’t have
the finances
Don’t have
the confidence

5 2
Online learning for entrepreneurs
Other noted uses of online learning for supporting people to succeed when setting up a business include learning
about social media marketing (41% UK, 47% Australia, 42% USA), learning what is needed for a brand to be successful
(40% UK, 45% Australia, 41% USA), and helping to network with more people globally (36% UK, 45% Australia, 42%
USA). In most cases, these benefits are most commonly perceived by Australian adults.
Roughly a third (32%) of employed Australian adults agree that they are likely to take an online course in the next five
years to start their own business. Adults in the USA are slightly less likely to say this (27%), while those in the UK are
much less likely to do so (14%).
Perceptions of ways online learning can support
people to succeed when setting up a business
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
Learn new technologies
Increase knowledge of brand
Increase social marketing knowledge
Network globally
Develop management skills
Support business finances
Increase customer expertise
Make them more creative
Build resillience
More assertive decision making
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

PAGE TITLE
5 3
“Education is not just about preparing people for their
immediate jobs and their short-term futures. It’s about
big questions about who we are, who we want to be,
and what we want to do in the future.”
Professor Mark Brown Dublin City University
The Future of Learning

5 4

We all go through cycles of learning...
Whether that’s through formal education
or not is a separate question, but I think
the starting point would be that we’ve
really got to look to lifelong education,
rather than formal education only
happening at one point in your life.
Dr Rachid Hourizi Director, Institute of Coding

5 5
Ready for change
and innovation
A desire for a new way of learning
Across the UK, USA, and Australia, people showed optimism
and substantial appetite for change within the education
sector. Consumers and experts identified technologies,
ideas, and new innovations they would like to see disrupting
this space sooner rather than later, with the majority also
highlighting the power of education to change the future
for the better.
Despite their different perspectives, our panel of experts
were passionately aligned on the need for traditional
definitions and norms to evolve. For one, learning content
needs to be considerably more grounded in experiences,
and less about solely providing a pathway to employment.

I think we have to be
much better at allowing the
recognition of what people’s
experiences bring to their
knowledge and learning, and
not try to disassociate their
academic learning and
experiential learning.
Provost Ian Dunn Coventry University

5 6

Online learning is what’s going to preserve the
education system… it’s going to expand, it’s
going to become more unique, more customised.
It’s going to become more catered to individuals.
Ranata Hughes Visiting Instructor, Florida AM University

5 7
Customising learning experiences
The interviews with experts continuously circled back to
the broader theme of how we educate, the role of the
educator, and the demands they place on students.
Many feel that traditional education is simply too directive,
that teachers are not consulted in terms of how they
educate, and that we need to quickly move beyond this
approach and be more collaborative and communicative
with educators and the latest methodologies. For Dr Rachid
Hourizi (Director at the Institute of Coding), modular
stackable education “gives us something more agile.
It allows people to show different value.”
In turn, this will impact how educators teach. All experts
were adamant that teaching needs to be more of a
conversation, less about the recital of facts and more about
teaching students to think critically and make value
judgments. Such pattern recognition and distinctions are
incredibly important in an era of fake news, and this new
pedagogical discipline is thought to be vital.
Professor Mark Brown explained, “I have yet to come
across someone that would challenge the argument that
what we should be doing is producing more creative,
more critical, and more imaginative learners. But if that’s
one of the outcomes we’re seeking out of our education
system from school right through to university,
then... we need more creative, critical, and
imaginative teachers and educators.”
Our experts were also adamant that the future of
education will evolve around a continual breakdown
of the traditional linear pathway. This is not about
changing school-age learning, but more about
technology enabling a more fluid and customisable
experience for learners of all ages.
Monash’s Professor Susan Elliott stated that
modern learners “have a curated world, they are
used to such a personalised environment which a
teacher can’t necessarily create.” And Dr Hourizi
went so far as to argue that, “in ten years this
notion of linear learning pathways will have been
eroded further and possibly be almost gone.” While
Maya Penn commented that, “I don’t think it should be
unusual for people to be pretty much learning for their
entire lives.”
As such, the education experts were enthusiastic advocates
for the idea of lifelong learning – the idea that education is
something that can be returned to as and when the desire
and opportunity permits itself. Mark Adams explained how,

If we come back in 10 years
I think this notion of linear
learning pathways will have
been eroded further and
possibly be almost gone.
Dr Rachid Hourizi
Institute of Coding

5 8
“we’re letting people learn in their own time and at their
own pace. It really dismantles time and place as barriers.”
It was perfectly clear to our experts that a digital model
encouraged people to ‘learn and earn,’ taking up degrees
and courses that they may be unable or unwilling to attend
in a face-to-face setting. As FutureLearn’s Matt Jenner
explained, digital technology “tends to increase access
to education,” opening doors for people “with accessibility
or learning requirements.”
This allows them to gain more professional training and
means that they are less likely to be locked out of
opportunities simply because they did not get the right
qualifications earlier in life. By extension, it makes for a
more competitive marketplace and can only benefit the
wider economy. For Dylan Williams, “lifelong learning has
to be a philosophy we all live by.”
Part of these discussions was a recognition that the
degree system has to change – it was seen as archaic and
inflexible and does not take into account an individual’s
needs or circumstances. Professor Mark Brown pointed
out that the current system “comes from the 19th century,
not even the 20th century. And it’s not fit for purpose.”
Mark continued, “The idea that you can have a degree
that’s now disconnected from where people might use that
and apply it, that’s a very old and out of date view and
assessment and credential is a key to this.”
Nick Isles agreed that the current system is out of date,
“it’s very clear the demands of the economy are for both
broad and specialist technical and vocational education
for more people, at a younger age, in a more sensible way.
And what instead we’re doing is following a rather Victorian
curriculum of narrow academic study for too many young
people.” Nick continued on what he saw as a positive, “I
think our obsession with exams has been dented through
COVID-19. I think that’s a very good thing.”
Mark Adams also agreed that the education system in
general needs to change, saying, “It isn’t fit for purpose
in a world that’s moving at such an accelerated speed.
We’ve got to ask ourselves the hard question, is education
setting us up for the world that’s accelerating with the
skills that really matter?”
There was a desire to see some qualifications move over
to a system of microcredentialing, whereby learners are
rated and assessed at different points in their journey,
allowing for an ongoing feedback loop and avoiding the
pressure of intensive examination periods.

5 9

If microcredentialing can offer us a way to move
health workforces from the Philippines in a more
timely way... recognising previous qualifications
and skills, then the world will be in a better
place…. We need to be smarter about how we
identify those skills and how we bring them to
the right place at the right time.
Rebecca Hall Commissioner for Victoria to South East Asia,
Victorian Government

6 0

We would be naive to
think that we’re going to
prevent the increasing
commercialization of
education. We may not
like some developments,
particularly for-profit
initiatives, but we have
the opportunity as
educators to engage
and change that.
Professor Mark Brown
Dublin City University
For some, a much more qualitative assessment of learning
was preferred, allowing for nuance and more sophisticated
distinctions between pupils. Professor Diana Laurillard at
UCL said she has “always been an advocate for profiles
or portfolio assessments, so I can look at a more rounded
description of what a student is and what they’ve achieved.”
Despite their positivity and optimism, there was some
concern among the experts that this vision of a new
educational model can only really be achieved with more
commercialisation of the sector. Many struggled with this,
concerned that only the most well-off would benefit.
At the same time, there was an appreciation that the
education sector can open itself to more opportunities if
it ‘lets the private sector in’. Mark Brown acknowledged
that “We shouldn’t just sit on the sidelines of increasing
commercialisation of education.”
Mark Adams agreed, “If it was an ideal situation, I would
hope to be able to rely on the public sector to drive this
type of change. I’m going to be brutally honest. I haven’t
yet ever been convinced that the public sector has the
people, the funding or the inclination to drive that kind
of disruptive thinking.”

6 1
The role of technology
Respondents were shown a selection of technological innovations and asked which they would like to see in education
by 2030.
When presented with a list of five technological innovations, the top selection in all three countries is virtual reality;
one in three UK adults (33%) would like to see this in the education space by 2030, alongside slightly larger
proportions of American (37%) and Australian (42%) adults.
Innovations in technology the public would like to see in the education space
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Education features
on social media
Personalised chatbots
Drone delivery of
course materials
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Technology is changing that
model of taking three years to
learn something then applying
it in a workplace.
Rebecca Hall Commissioner
for Victoria to South East Asia

6 2
Following virtual reality, the innovations people across the
three countries would most like to see in education by
2030, in order of priority, are augmented reality, education
features on social media platforms, and personalised
chatbots. Relative to these options, a lower proportion
indicate being interested in seeing drone delivery of
course materials.
Alongside this appetite for increased innovation in education,
half of adults in the UK (48%) believe that education will
be delivered digitally in the future. Meanwhile, Australian
adults are slightly more likely to believe this will be the
case (57%) and American adults (43%) slightly less likely.
Possibly linked with this is a belief that there will be better
access to education; just over half of Australian adults (54%)
and two-fifths of UK and American adults (42%) believe
that future education will be easier to access globally.
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
Proportion who believe that in
the future education will be
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Delivered digitally
More accessible and
better for people
with disabilities
Easier to
access globally
Individually tailored
Using more inclusive
teaching methods
Empowering people
to solve the world’s
biggest issues
that education will be
easier to access globally
of UK adults believe
education will be delivered
digitally in the future
1/2
54%

6 3

Technology has no ends of possibility, for example
using AI to identify patterns or students at risk.
I think there are lots and lots of opportunities.
What we need to do as educators and consumers
of education is inform the development and
implementation of that technology, and not follow
the technology.
Dean Patricia Davidson School of Nursing,

6 4
Future education technologies
We asked our experts to think about the role of technology
in the future. Many were, perhaps understandably, reluctant
to make specific predictions about what this might look like.
They all, however, spoke about the enormous investment
potential in EdTech, which they felt will continue to grow
exponentially over the coming years.
Many were especially positive about the use of augmented
reality and virtual reality in a learning environment, which
could help to expand the tools at an educator’s disposal,
and make the learning environment more fun and engaging
for young people. Professor Josie Fraser went as far as
to say, “AR and VR are already here. I think they will grow
in use, but it requires more people to have understanding
of the art.”

If you gave teachers opportunities
to build lessons, some online, some
physically, some through VR, some
through augmented reality, and
found a way to let them infuse
those technologies with that genius
and desire to help young minds
grow, you would explode
people’s learning journeys.
Mark Adams VICE

Talking technology with the experts
Moreover, technology provides opportunities outside of
the learning environment. Experts talked about how data
analytics and machine learning can make predictions about
how individual students will behave, including difficulties
they may face, and tailor individual support to them in a
way that an individual teacher never could.
This is a particularly powerful idea as traditional class sizes
continue to grow and as more classrooms move online.
Professor Susan Elliott enthused about how, “AI will support
the learning of students right from a very young age. I think
it’s remarkable to think of how that might complement
the human teacher in the classroom.”
However, not all were quite so optimistic. Learners should,
of course, come first, and experts felt that we should
not simply continue to develop technology for its own
sake. Sara Ali, Head of Culture at The Hopenclass, says
that educators “need to be the ones controlling where
the technology is going and that the investment from
institutions and from big firms is going into the right thing.”
Maya Penn agreed with that sentiment and wanted to ensure
technology in education was accessible as it developed,
saying, “I think that anytime that we’re thinking about
technological advancements within the education system
and how to improve virtual learning, for example, there
needs to be an emphasis on how we can make this
accessible. That should be one of the top priorities.”
Maya went on to say, “There’s a lack of funding around
making some of these technologies more accessible so I do
really challenge a lot of these companies to be really creative
and innovative about how they can make it accessible.”
Some were also concerned that technology should not
replace dynamic face-to-face learning, but supplement it.
Professor Diana Laurillard emphasised that “Big Tech think
they know education. And they don’t. They have really old-
fashioned ideas about the nature of teaching and learning.”
Mark Adams was very positive about the role of
technology and especially the internet in general when it
comes to the discussion around online learning and what
it perhaps lacks compared to face-to-face learning. He said,
“the Internet, generally, is an interconnected set of networks.
That’s basically what it is, and so we should be able to
find some of that pastoral care that we lost in the physical
space through these networks, in these communities.”
He continued, “We talked about recreating the world as a
global village and I think that the Internet really is doing
that now. It’s starting to say it doesn’t matter where you
live. It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter.
You can find your people.”

6 6
Education is a catalyst for change
A third of adults in the UK (34%) believe that, in the future, education will directly empower people to solve the
world’s biggest issues, such as the climate crisis and human rights abuses among others. This increases significantly
to close to two-fifths of USA (38%) and Australian (43%) adults.
However, when looking to the future, large proportions of respondents across the three countries surveyed believe
that education will have the power to develop technology to create sustainable communities. Just under half of UK
adults (49%) and a similar proportion of American adults (46%) report this conviction. Overall, Australian adults are
significantly more positive towards this prospect, with three-fifths (61%) making this prediction.
Australian adults continue to show the most faith in the power of education; close to half (46%) believe that
education will have the power to save the planet, which is significantly higher than the proportion of those in the
USA (38%), who generally tend to be the most critical about the power of education overall. Meanwhile, just over
two-fifths (43%) of UK adults report that they believe education could save the planet in the future.
Experts were positive about this concept as well, and many felt that there is a greater acceleration in global access
to laptops and to WiFi.
Professor Diana Laurillard agreed that technology offers vital access to the teachers and leaders in communities
where education is lacking, “Some of the most challenged environments in the world still have some kind of access
to technology. Adults are the community leaders in those remote environments. We can teach the people who can
teach the children and give them the support they need to do that.”
United Kingdom
Australia
United States
Proportion who believe that, in the
future education will have the power to
Develop technology
to create sustainable
communities
Increase innovation
in medicine
Help save the planet
End inequality
Decrease domestic
and international
levels of violence
Make the world more
diverse, culturally accepting
and lessen violence
Opportunities to try
different industries before
commiting to a career path
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

The digital divide
Although most of our experts acknowledge that
technology access is sufficiently widespread, many believe
that the resulting digital divide that exists within countries
– accelerated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic – needs
to be addressed before we can truly deliver online
education at scale.
As Professor Ian Dunn put it, “The fear is that it
disables certain groups who don’t have access to those
technologies. We have to be conscious that we don’t
create new disadvantaged groups.”
Dr Rachid Hourizi believes that personalised, well-designed
learning pathways can go some way to reducing the
number of people alienated from online learning. He thinks
identifying what type of online learning is right for each
learner and designing it accordingly, is vital: ”There are
some people for whom online education is exactly the
right path. And without it, they would not have the
opportunity they currently do. It’s perfectly possible to
design brilliantly useful online education, but it’s equally
possible to create a new set of exclusions if we design
online education poorly.”

Acceleration is going to compound
the problem of the digital divide.
Kids who are lucky enough to have
lessons on Zoom and access to
digital technology are going to
leap forward, but there are 1.82
million children who don’t have
access to the Internet who are
going to be left behind, which is
a significant worry.

PAGE TITLE
“Huge thanks to our brilliant network of over 250 partners.
We’ve been able to work with the most enthusiastic leaders
and brands across education, industry and government
during a truly transformative year.”
Matt Jenner FutureLearn
Conclusion
6 8

6 9
Leading the future
of learning
In order to continue making education more accessible,
transformative, and inspiring for as many people as
possible, there are significant challenges to overcome.
Investment in and development of education technology
must work in tandem with educators and learners. This is
the only way to build tools for learning and ensure digital
educational experiences are relevant, meaningful and
enjoyable, while adhering to universal accessibility standards.
To help learners make informed education choices, and to
empower educators to adopt innovative teaching methods,
it’s also vital that we offer qualifications, credentials and
learning outcomes that are recognised – and sought
after – by employers.
And while the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been
seismic for the industry, leaps forward are not normally so
big, nor change so abrupt.
We might return to taking smaller steps forward, ones we
can all manage, take part in, and benefit from. However,
we also must create space for technological change
because, as a global society, we must guarantee that
learning truly is for everybody – and that goal must not
be too far into our future.
Matt Jenner Director of Learning, FutureLearn
CONCLUSION

7 0
CONTRIBUTORS
Sara Ali
Head of Culture,
The Hopenclass
Dean Patricia Davidson
School of Nursing,
A huge thank you to the thought leaders and
experts who shared their insights and predictions
with us. Here’s a bit more information about who
they are and what they do.
An award-winning communication expert in the business of
luxury, Sara has a leading perspective on legacy, heritage,
social responsibility, and entrepreneurship. Sara is special
advisor to two royal households and several pioneering
artists, as well as Senior Consultant to Sir David Adjaye,
OBE. Sara has received awards for outstanding work in
fashion mentoring and for launching over 1000 female-
owned creative businesses.
Dean and Professor Patricia Davidson has been a registered
nurse since 1980. Dr. Davidson is secretary general of the
Secretariat of the WHO Collaborating Centers for Nursing
and Midwifery, counsel general of the International Council
on Women’s Health Issues, and a board member of the
Consortium of Universities for Global Health. In 2016, she
won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding
Mentor of Young Researchers.
Mark Adams
Senior Vice President
and Head of Innovation, VICE
Mark’s journey started in 2003 when he created the first
digital transformation consultancy for celebrities and public
figures. After leading the digital transformation for over
100 entertainment brands, his new start-up set strategy
and upskilled teams to drive digital transformation across
their business. In 2015 it was acquired by VICE where Mark
became Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation.
Professor Mark Brown
Director, National Institute For Digital
Learning, Dublin City University
Mark is Ireland’s first Chair in Digital Learning and Director
of the National Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL). He has
over 30 years’ experience in Higher Education and has
led the development, implementation, and evaluation of
several major digital learning and teaching initiatives.
Before taking up his current position, Mark was Director
of the National Centre for Teaching and Learning at
Massey University, New Zealand.
Contributors

Rebecca Hall
Commissioner, Victoria
to South East Asia
Dr Caitlin Hayward
Associate Director, Research
Development, University of Michigan
Rebecca’s role involves managing Victoria’s interests within
South East Asia by facilitating commercial engagements
between businesses, attracting foreign direct investment
into Victoria, and strengthening bilateral relationships
through strategic collaboration. She leads a team of trade,
investment, and education specialists based in Singapore,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam which serves 11 markets
in the region.
Caitlin manages the research and development portfolio
at Academic Innovation. She manages the data science and
user experience research teams, and provides data analysis
and research design at all stages across Academic
Innovation. Prior to this, Caitlin co-founded the GradeCraft
platform while completing her PhD in Information Science,
with a focus on learning analytics, the theoretical foundations
of gameful pedagogy, and novel educational technologies.
Professor Susan Elliott
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Vice
President (Education), Monash University
Professor Elliott leads a dedicated education portfolio
at Monash and is responsible for providing an integrated
approach to the education elements within Focus Monash.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of
Physicians, and her many appointments on committees
include the first female President of the Asia Pacific
Association for International Education (APAIE).
Professor Ian Dunn
Provost, Coventry University
Ian led the development of Coventry University College in
2011 and was involved in the developments of campuses
in Scarborough and Dagenham. He led the creation of
Coventry University Online in 2017 to create a suite of fully
online degrees available in partnership with FutureLearn.
Ian was awarded Inspiring Leader of the year in 2016 by
the Guardian Higher Education Awards.
Professor Josie Fraser
Deputy Vice-Chancellor,
The Open University
Josie joined the OU in 2017 as Executive Dean of the Faculty
of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
before taking up the DVC role in 2019. She holds a BSc
degree and PhD in neurobiology, but shifted towards
teaching due to her passion for broadening access to STEM
for under-represented groups, and technology-enhanced
learning. She is a role model on the Leadership Foundation
for Higher Education Aurora programme (developing
women academics’ leadership skills and aspiration).
Dr Rachid Hourizi
Director, Institute of Coding
Rachid has been Director of the Institute of Coding
(IoC) since its launch in 2018. He previously worked on
national and international Human-Computer Interaction
(HCI) research and teaching coding, digital skills and
entrepreneurship at the University of Bath’s Department
of Computer Science. Amongst other initiatives, Rachid
led efforts to launch the UK’s first Masters level digital
skills degree apprenticeship.
CONTRIBUTORS

Nick Isles
CEO, Condé Nast College
of Fashion Design
Nick is an experienced writer, researcher and consultant
with over 20 years’ experience of engagement with
organisations across the private, voluntary, and public
sectors. In recent years he has specialised in working with
a wide number of universities in the UK and elsewhere.
He has delivered leadership development programmes for
Henley Business School and has been a visiting lecturer
at Nottingham University Business School.
Dylan Williams
Chief Strategy Officer,
Droga 5 and MD at Accenture
Dylan started his career at BBH as a Strategic Planner.
He was promoted to the BBH board as its youngest-ever
director and shareholder. In 2004, he became the first Chief
Strategic Officer at Mother London. Dylan then joined
Publicis Worldwide as Global CSO in 2014. He also launched
the Publicis Drugstore, an innovation facility that fosters
relationships between start-ups and multinationals.
Ranata Hughes
Visiting Instructor/Internship
Coordinator, School of Journalism
Graphic Communication,
Florida AM University
Ranata has worked as a public relations practitioner for
over ten years, specializing in the areas of non-profit and
agency PR. The SJGC alumna holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in public relations along with a Master of Science
degree in integrated marketing communications from
Florida State University. She is the adviser of the FAMU
chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America.
Professor Diana Laurillard
Professor of Learning with Digital
Technologies, UCL Knowledge Lab
Diana is the former Head of the e-Learning Strategy Unit
at the Department for Education and Skills, and Pro-Vice
Chancellor for learning technologies at the OU. Diana is
also the author of ‘Teaching as a Design Science’, and holds
a Lifetime Contribution Award from the E-Assessment
Association, as well as an Honorary Life Membership at
the Association for Learning Technology.
Maya Penn
Entrepreneur and
CEO of Maya’s Ideas
Founder, CEO, environmental activist, artist, eco-designer,
and three-time TED Speaker Maya Penn founded her brand
Maya’s Ideas at just eight years old from a passion for
art and design and a drive to tackle the negative impact
the fashion industry has on the environment. Penn was
named one of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of visionaries
and influential leaders in 2016.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
For enquiries about the report,
email media@futurelearn.com

7 3
Research methodology
Background
In 2020, FutureLearn commissioned YouGov to undertake
a global study to interrogate and explore the future of
learning. This was shaped around the key themes of
personal development, career aspirations, the power of
education and online learning, and expectations for
education in the future.
For the purposes of this research, online learning was
defined as: “virtual learning or learning over the internet
(in contrast to traditional learning that takes place in a
physical space). This does not include learning through
social media posts e.g. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok (although
this trend is referenced in the report). Online Learning
includes (but is not limited to) companies and websites
such as FutureLearn, Coursera, EdX, Cavas, Codecademy,
Udacity, Khan Academy, Udemy, TED-Ed and digital
offerings from traditional schools and universities that
offer various online learning options from online resources
to structured learning online.”
Approach
Quantitative Stage
Survey fieldwork was carried out among nationally
representative samples of adults aged 18+ in the UK, USA
and Australia between the 2nd and 7th December 2020.
The survey was conducted online using YouGov’s online
research panel and the results were weighted to be
representative of each country’s adult population.
The sample sizes were 2,200 adults in the UK, 1,182 adults
in the USA, and 1,040 adults in Australia. To obtain a
representative sample of these countries’ populations,
sampling quotas were placed on age, gender and region,
as well as socio-economic status in the UK.
Throughout the report, references are made to Millennials
and Generation Z. For the purposes of this analysis,
Millennials have been defined as those born between 1981
and 1996, and Generation Z as those born from 1997 onwards.
Analysis by generation and gender is conducted at the
total sample level, based on combined data from the UK,
USA and Australia. These combined samples are not
proportionally weighted to each country’s relative population,
and therefore should not be treated as representative.
Qualitative Stage
Following on from the surveys, fifteen online interviews
were conducted with sector experts. The purpose of these
expert interviews was to explore the key survey themes in
greater depth and add specialist insight to the findings.
The qualitative insights are designed to supplement the
quantitative data in this report.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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