Today, Maria talks with Michael Horn, an expert on disruptive innovation, online learning, blended learning and competency-based learning. He speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student. He is a senior strategist at Guild Education, which partners with leading employers and organizations to help offer education and upskilling opportunities to America’s workforce. He is also the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, a non-profit think tank that aspires to change the world through Disruptive Innovation. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is also the author and co-author of multiple books, white papers, and articles on education, including the award-winning book “Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns” and the Amazon-bestseller “Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools.” His latest book is called “Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life,” a must-read for students and parents today more than ever before. During our conversation, we unpack the future of higher education and dive into the challenges and opportunities for students, adult learners, as well as academic institutions and online learning service providers. Michael shares thoughtful advice and words of wisdom for students and adult learners in the current situation. Tune in to learn from a thought leader who was named byTech&Learning magazine as one of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education.
Production team:
Host : Maria Xenidou
Producer: Julie-Roxane Krikorian
Introduction Voice: David Bourne
Contact us:
impactlearningpodcast@gmail.com
Music credits:
Like Lee performed by The Mini Vandals
Transition sounds: Swamp Walks performed by Jingle Punks
Where to find more about Michael Horn:
The Class Disrupted Podcast Webpage
The Class Disrupted Podcast on iTunes
Mentioned in this episode:
Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
Southern New Hampshire University
Episode of Class Disrupted with Larry Berger
Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns by Clayton Christensen, Michael Horn and Curtis Johnson
Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools by Michael Horn and Heather Staker
Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life by Michael Horn and Bob Moesta
Listen to this episode and explore:
Michael's childhood: being coached by his dad and his early interest in learning a wide range of topics (3:48)
Choosing to go to Yale and major in history: his process of selecting the right school (6:36)
Deciding to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School (11:00)
Co-authoring “Disrupting Class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns” with Clayton Christensen (13:12)
Co-founding the Clayton Christensen Institute, a non-profit think tank around Disrupting Class (16:18)
Explaining Disruptive Innovation for business and education (18:38)
Independent learning platforms vs universities programs: who is winning amid pandemic and in the future (24:58)
The critical next steps for institutions that need to improve their online offerings (28:05)
The proactive approach of mergers and acquisitions for colleges and universities (30:54)
What Michael sees as the future of learning and higher ed considering the current situation (32:18)
Michael’s advice to high school grads thinking about college right now (37:22)
How to prototype and test what might be the right path for a college student or high-school grad (40:17)
Advice for recent grads in current times: the importance of exploring social networks and opportunities vs following established career paths (45:09)
Advice for adult learners amid uncertainty and ambiguity (46:46)
Michael’s twin daughters learning experience during the pandemic (50:00)
The one thing Michael wants to leave his mark on during his lifetime (52:52)