Professor Emeritus Chip Bruce has authored a new book that examines the future of education. In Beyond the Classroom Walls: Imagining the Future of Education, from Community Schools to Communiversities, which was recently published by Rowman & Littlefield, he asks readers to adopt "a critical and comprehensive view of education" that transcends the classroom. According to Bruce, our educational systems are organized in ways that complicate the integration of online learning, schools, and learning through work.
"We have elaborate systems of formal instruction––academies, schools, universities, and training institutes––all to facilitate learning within the walls," said Bruce. "At the same time, we have ample opportunities for learning in the wild. Unfortunately, these systems diverge to the point that they do little to support learning that allows us to draw from both of the realms of knowledge."
Bruce received his BA in biology from Rice University and PhD in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his semi-retirement in 2011, he had appointments in Education, Bioengineering, the Center for Writing Studies, and the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies at the University of Illinois. His work has focused on inquiry-based learning, community inquiry, and the information and communication practices that help people in communities learn and work together.