Has the time come for the Internet to play a dominant role in education just as it has done in commerce, music, information and advertising? This infographic makes a convincing case that it has.

It has been compiled by Knewton whose adaptive learning software is used at all stages of the education system from pre-school to graduate level. It includes compelling statistics to show the current failure rates of the U.S. educational system:

• 46% of college students do not graduate
• 33% of college students require remediation
• 30% don't complete high school 

1 student drops out of high school every 26 seconds

The next section argues that this landscape is changing from the "one-size-fits-all model" that leads to unprepared students to "technology-enabled solutions" customised for individual students, i.e. the type of solution that Knewton provides.

I have been advocating the cause of digital education the past 20 years for the very same reasons as Knewton. Computer-based delivery enables educational experience to be customised for individual students, it can incorporate positive reinforcement and reduce or eliminate sources of friction and tension that often demotivate struggling students.

click to enlarge

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

For developers the information at the very top of the infographic has to be encouraging: Education is a 7 trillion dollar industry. So although there are already some big players in this market there is plenty of room for growth.

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