“Education is the most powerful weapon which
you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
Few innovations have greater potential for social change than the emergence of technology-enabled learning platforms. From Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to more personalised and adaptive systems, the effective distribution of knowledge is a must in the wake of the fourth industrial revolution.
Offered mostly for free to thousands, MOOCs are transforming the future of education by democratizing access, breaking down traditional barriers like high costs and location. With millions worldwide without access to education, this high-growth, high-impact sector has the potential to benefit not just individuals but society as a whole.
While MOOCs disrupt knowledge acquisition for the masses, the modern workplace is undergoing an equal skills revolution. According to the World Economic Forum, 65% of children in school today will graduate into jobs that don’t yet exist. By 2030, up to 375 million workers will need to switch occupational categories due to automation. Businesses are facing the need to upskill and reskill employees in order to future-proof their workforce as organizations themselves need to learn and adapt in the age of digital disruption.
Beyond Business invites you to an evening of conversation with two companies that are transforming the way that millions of people learn and using technology to shape the future of education.
Coursera, the world’s biggest, most successful* MOOC provider with a social mission. (*Coursera’s closest MOOC competitors, nonprofit edX and for-profit Udacity, have fewer than 30 million registered users between them.)
D2L is a software leader whose cloud-based platform helps organisations personalise the learning experience and deliver results.
Schedule:
6:30-7:00pm - Arrival drinks and registration
7:00-8:00pm - Panel Discussion
8:00-8:45pm - Reception, drinks and light bites
9:00-?? - Optional post-event small group dinner
Registration: £25pp until March 31st/ £30ppm thereafter, while supplies last
Venue: W1 - To be disclosed to guests
Due to capacity constraints, we recommend early booking to avoid disappointment
SPEAKERS
Dil Sidhu, Chief Content Officer @ Coursera
Dil’s focus is to work with global academic and industry partners to enable them to provide exemplary content online for a global learner audience.
He has an impressive background and variety of experiences in the public, private and academic sectors. Most recently, he was Vice Dean of Executive Education at Columbia Business School. Previous roles include Chief External Officer at University of Manchester (UK), Director of Corporate Programs at London Business School and Deputy CEO, London Borough of Lambeth, Principal Consultant at KPMG and Director of Group Operational Planning for Dixons.
A self-described life-long learner, Dil enjoys teaching and has been a visiting Professor of Management Practice at 22 colleges and Universities around the world. He has run workshops on topics such as Authentic Leadership, Systematic Inventive Thinking and The Science of Influence & Persuasion. Past clients include: Honda Europe, KPMG UK, Telenor, UK Cabinet Office, RBS, Singapore Health, just to name a few.
Alan Hiddleston, Enterprise Account Director @ D2L
Alan has been a senior sales leader, advisor, and investor in a variety of Learning and Talent Technology companies for the past 10 years, ranging from global brands like Lockheed Martin to innovative start-ups. Fanatical about innovation, Alan always delivers valuable and practical insights into what does and does not work in HR technology, frequently sharing his thoughts as a prolific speaker and blogger. Today he leads D2L EMEA’s Corporate sales sector where he helps companies maximise their most valuable asset: their people.
FEATURED COMPANIES
Founded in 2012 by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera , provides universal access to the world’s best education, partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online, specializations, and degrees in a variety of subjects. As of June 2018, Coursera has 170 international university partners, 1,400 enterprise customers and 37 million registered users, of which about 45% are from emerging markets.
Located in Silicon Valley, California, the company is valued at $800 million with estimated 2018 revenue of $140 million, landing Coursera on Forbes’ list of Next Billion-Dollar Startups.
D2L (Desire2Learn) is the company that created Brightspace: the online teaching and learning platform that is easy, flexible and smart. This technology is used by more than 15 million learners in higher education, schools, healthcare, government and corporate organisations. By working closely with educators and our technology partners, we’ve been able to bring positive change to learning – and the world. More about D2L here