By Alexandra Caufin

It was a good year; 2013 saw the release of the first-ever Google laptop, the rise of globally accessible education via the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), the eager implementation of the flipped classroom model and growth of platforms like Khan Academy, and a new feverish development around cloud computing. The second era of online education—one with multimedia, interactivity and social media rich at its core—has, aptly, reached a galloping pace as it proceeds into 2014, the Year of the Horse.
It’s no coincidence. The technologies coming out of the woodwork are answering a public demand to make education more accessible globally, more affordable, more practical for working adults, and more relevant in our digital and mobile-centric world. We’ve reached unbelievable momentum in the evolution of online learning tools, and here’s what we’re betting you’ll see more of in 2014:
It’s no coincidence. The technologies coming out of the woodwork are answering a public demand to make education more accessible globally, more affordable, more practical for working adults, and more relevant in our digital and mobile-centric world. We’ve reached unbelievable momentum in the evolution of online learning tools, and here’s what we’re betting you’ll see more of in 2014:

A ROGUE CERTIFICATE SYSTEM will rise from the influx of continuing education learners and the public’s ongoing criticism of the conventional university degree. We are beginning to see online programs that compete with university and college certification in the way of theory, practical skillsets and sophisticated evaluation systems (read: grades). Khan Academy for instance, awards ‘badges’ with the successful completion of its courses. Alternative learning certificates, diplomas and the acknowledged participation in online workshops and seminars will become the norm on resumes and CVs, complexifying the concept of a single person’s “education.” Associations and organizations, in turn, will be able to deliver more highly-recognized certification to their members.