The Future of Education: Blending Real and Online

This column, where we've discussed the essence and potential of online education, has now reached its final installment. Defining education as "a place to rediscover excitement and flip that switch" changes the landscape we see, whether in person or online. And when educators fulfill their role as navigators of excitement, a truly exciting future may unfold. In this final installment, I'd like to introduce the potential of "the future of education," which integrates both in-person and online elements.

Professor Tanaka's online lecture. Broadcast from a studio in Kojimachi, Tokyo, it is attended by students residing in 110 countries worldwide. Professor Tanaka teaches BBT University's popular course, 'Fundamentals of Marketing'.

It's been eight years since I joined BBT University, which operates 100% online, and what always makes me appreciate the essence of online education is "communication transcending time and space." For instance, in just one of my seminars, students are scattered across Japan and around the world. Consequently, for years I've maintained an educational style where the first hour involves Zoom discussions with students in the U.S., the next hour with students in regional Japan, and the following hour with students in Thailand...

Connecting people across time and space. Seeing diverse backgrounds emerge. Understanding someone's background reveals their way of life and the environment they inhabit. We mutually encounter new values and fresh perspectives, constantly expanding our horizons. It's akin to multiple programs airing simultaneously, switching channels by the hour to enjoy a wide variety of shows. We traverse the world freely, and an energy of excitement spreads.

Of course, as an inherent limitation of online learning, there is much information that cannot be conveyed through digital conversion. It likely cannot match the quantity and quality of information gained through face-to-face meetings. However, the ability for people who "cannot physically be in the same place" to converse across borders and overcome time differences is undoubtedly a unique value of online learning. In this sense, online education will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role going forward.

At the same time, the value of real-world education will be reevaluated. Face-to-face interaction is what enables the direct exchange of energy between people. There is undeniably an energy that can only be gained and felt in that moment, in that place.

Scene from an in-person workshop

So, can we explore an entirely new form of education by combining the strengths of in-person education with those of online education? I see that potential in avatar robots, which act as our alter egos. In fact, in March 2020, while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, I launched an "Avatar Graduation Ceremony" initiative at BBT University. This project utilized avatar robots from ANA Holdings (now avatarin), allowing graduates to operate the robots from home to receive their diplomas from the university president. The key point was the ability to "physically intervene on-site online." By effectively leveraging this feature, we might unlock the potential for education that intertwines the real and online worlds. Avatar study abroad, avatar workshops, avatar boot camps... Right now, I'm starting new trials at BBT University.

At BBT University, professors themselves shape their excitement. In March 2020, responding to COVID-19, Professor Tanaka produced the "Avatar Graduation Ceremony." Graduates operated avatar robots from home to receive their diplomas from President Kenichi Ohmae.

The world is overflowing with information. It's easy to get swept away by this flood of data. However, if you act following your own excitement, you can walk your path without wavering. You can build your own philosophy and accumulate experiences. As a result, your maturity as a person deepens, allowing you to respect people living with diverse values and coexist harmoniously. Flip the switch to turn your excitement ON, and this world will change. The true essence of education lies within that excitement.