The independent consumer

• Further resources

Overview

• There is a diverse landscape of educational offerings, with no national curriculum
• Students choose their educational experiences from a diverse 'catalogue' of choices
• Assessment is primarily summative and for certification purposes on completion of modules
• Individuals and families are responsible for producing a coherent educational 'narrative' for learners
• Curriculum and pedagogy are not tailored to individual need, but are standardized offerings to whoever chooses to purchase them

In this scenario...

The very rapid withdrawal of the state, including the overnight removal of the National Curriculum, OFQUAL and OFSTED, has led to a dramatic change in the way education works and has led to the increased responsibility of individuals to manage and determine their own educational decisions.

Beyond the primary years, education is funded by individuals and employers with learning offerings available in a range of sites such as workplaces, homes, local communities and educational institutions. Personalised, wearable technologies also enable the diversification of sites of provision and access to educational resources, enabling the learner to 'wrap' educational provision around their needs and preferences.

Individuals are able to select from a 'catalogue' or 'online marketplace' of educational choices, and are responsible for determining how these offerings meet their personal needs. Teaching in these settings does not focus upon individual histories, but instead involves the development of expert standardized pedagogies that are uniformly delivered so that the student 'knows what they are buying' each time.

Individuals are responsible for making their own educational decisions, creating a personal trajectory with help, where available, from their families. Educational decisions may be based on immediate needs and interests, with no requirement to take account of past history or long term future trajectories.

Assessment is primarily for the purposes of certification, to demonstrate the attainment of particular skills and competencies. Such lists of qualifications are the means by which individuals demonstrate their abilities to employers.

See what technology, identity, curriculum and motivation look like in this scenario

This scenario is based on the same world as Scenario 1: Informed choice and shares its underpinning values. See www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk for a description of their common world.

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