E-learning an ICT Solution for the 21st Century

The report "#SMARTer2030: ICT Solutions for 21 st Century Challenges" (GeSI 2015) suggests that computers and telecommunications can provide a "triple win" delivering "significant environmental, social and economic benefits":

1. Environment – Decreasing emissions and resource consumption whilst allowing for growth
2. Economic – ICT is good for business, creating new revenue opportunities and reducing cost
3. Social – Boosting incomes, cutting costs and improving lives

The areas the report suggests will benifit most are: Health, Learning, Building, Food, Mobility, Energy, Work/business and  Manufacturing. The authors suggest three groups who need to act are: Policy makers, Business and Consumers. Curiously ICT professionals, educators and researchers are not included.

The #SMARTer2030 report is incorrect in suggesting that in the future e-learning will be used for collaborative, location-independent education. This revolution has already happened, it is just that most people (including most university professors) have not noticed. In 2008 the ACS commissioned the design of an on-line course on how to reduce carbon emissions by and with ICT. The ACS approach treats it students as working professionals who collaborate on-line and produce real proposals for their employers. The versions of the "ICT Sustainability" course are now also run by ANU in Australia and in North America. This form of education is also in routine use for other courses for millions of students world wide.