Introduction:
Vinod Khushla, a venture capitalist, will join Jon Najarian on stage. He is a graduate of IIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Stanford University. He was a former employee at Kleiner Perkins and currently runs his firm, Khushala Ventures, which invests in education and education tech companies. His wife is also involved in CK12 Foundation, which develops open-source textbooks.

Twitter Questions:
Najarian asks the audience to submit questions on Twitter for Khushla. He displays Khushla’s Twitter handle on the screen and encourages participants to send questions there.

Friendship and Joking:
Najarian mentions that Mike Mo insisted he moderate the panel. He joked about the different definitions of a friend, saying that a friend will help you move while a good friend will help you move a body.

Infrastructure Discussion:
Najarian and Khushla plan to discuss infrastructure. Many of the companies on the panel that Najarian moderated use infrastructure such as Class Dojo, mobile apps, and devices like iPhones and iPads to communicate between students, teachers, and parents.

Diversification of Education:
The concept of competency-based education, where specialization is valued, emerged from the diversified world’s needs.

Need for Various Types of Education:
Education should be adapted to different needs, including competency-based learning, computer programmers, critical thinkers, etc. Traditional institutions are unsuitable for this adaptation and lack expertise in newer teaching methods.

Slow Pace of Innovation in Ed Tech:
Despite the rapid advancements in technology, educational innovation (ed tech) is lagging behind other areas. The iPhone’s rapid rise should have dramatically changed learning, but the education system is slow to adapt.

Obstacles to Change:
Faculty tenure is an outdated concept that hinders change and innovation within traditional institutions.

Innovation at the Fringes:
For innovation to happen, it often occurs outside traditional models before the best innovations are adopted. Resistance is often encountered when new ideas are forced upon teachers from outside sources.

The Changing Role of Teachers:
Traditional, lecture-based teaching may no longer be necessary due to advanced technology. Teachers may assume new roles as mentors, coaches, and motivators rather than instructors. Technology is automating many tasks, changing the assumptions about the human role in teaching. Qualities like empathy, coaching abilities, and encouragement become more important in selecting teachers.

Cost Concerns and the Role of CK12:
CK12 Foundation aims to provide free, open-source textbooks for all high school content, addressing the issue of rising textbook costs. The goal is to make education more accessible and affordable, eliminating the need for continuous updates and recharges.

Open Source Textbooks and the 1800s Example:
Vinod Khosla highlights the lack of significant changes in textbook content over the years, using an 1800s algebra text as an example. He emphasizes that the content should be free and open-source, allowing for customization and adaptation to different learning styles and environments.

Modular, Adaptable, and Personalized Content:
CK12 creates modular content, enabling teachers to assemble materials suited to specific needs and regions. With over 100,000 pieces of content authored by passionate individuals, there is a wealth of rich and diverse educational resources. The focus is on creating a vast library of content that allows for personalized and adaptive learning experiences.

Beyond Textbooks: Assessment, Exercises, and Recommendations:
CK12 Flexbooks incorporate assessment, exercises, and personalized recommendations based on individual student performance. This expansive library provides a more comprehensive learning experience beyond traditional textbooks.

Teacher Empowerment and Adaptability:
Teachers can experiment with different teaching methods and customize content for their classes or even on a per-student basis. CK12 enables teachers to adapt and personalize instruction, tailoring the learning experience to individual student needs and learning styles.

Rejection of Conventional Wisdom for Educational Innovation:
Vinod Khosla criticizes traditional approaches to education, such as reducing class size, as insufficient for driving innovation. He believes that ed departments at universities are largely out of touch with what is needed for true innovation in the education sector.

Vinod Khosla’s Perspective on Education Innovation:
Piazza, a peer-learning platform, demonstrates the effectiveness of collaborative learning. Students actively engaged in 3,000 interactions across three courses on Piazza, indicating a paradigm shift in education. ClassDojo offers a critical infrastructure for communication between teachers, students, and parents.

Factors Influencing Khosla’s Investment Approach:
Highly scalable platforms that enhance the education process are of particular interest. Course Hero’s content-sharing platform provides valuable learning resources for both students and teachers. Adaptive learning platforms, such as DreamBox, cater to individual student needs, adjusting difficulty levels as required.

Importance of Engagement in Education:
Khosla believes that student engagement is a key factor in educational success. Large-scale implementation of innovative educational tools can have a significant impact on education. ClassDojo’s potential to improve communication and foster collaboration in the classroom is highlighted.

Lessons from Failures in the Investment World:
Khosla emphasizes the importance of embracing failure as a learning opportunity. Innovation is often hindered by the fear of failure, leading to a lack of willingness to try new approaches. Khosla’s success stems from his willingness to experiment and learn from failures.

Iterative Learning and Technological Advancements:
Khosla acknowledges the lack of definitive guidelines for effective education in the digital age. Research papers often fail to connect with the realities of the classroom, leading to a disconnect between theory and practice. The click generation of students prefers interactive learning experiences, which align with the rapid iteration and learning-by-mistakes approach.

Education and EdTech Startups:
Experience in education is not a prerequisite for success in EdTech startups. Experienced educators may have biases that hinder innovation in a rapidly changing world. Most innovation happens from outsiders who bring fresh perspectives and learn rapidly.

Expertise and Accuracy:
A study by Professor Tetlock showed that the average accuracy of experts across domains is comparable to dart-throwing monkeys. Expert opinions should be taken with caution, especially when they are based on backward-looking perspectives.

The Role of Experience in Innovation:
Experience often leads to biases that may not be helpful in a changing environment. Innovative ideas often come from individuals with no prior experience in the field. Examples include Elon Musk in cars, Jeff Bezos in retailing, and Airbnb founders in hospitality.

Collaboration in EdTech Startups:
While innovators lack domain expertise, they can benefit from collaborating with experienced individuals. A 25-year-old entrepreneur with fresh ideas can be guided by a chancellor to create a successful EdTech startup. A diverse team with different backgrounds, including those from the education domain, can enhance innovation.

Novel Approach to Retail:
Steve Jobs’ unique vision for Apple stores, driven by his personal insights rather than industry norms, revolutionized the retail experience for tech products.

Education Innovation Principles:
Vinod Khosla emphasizes the importance of discarding preconceived notions and approaching education from first principles to drive meaningful innovation.

Cost Reduction through Technology:
Khosla believes that drastically reducing education costs is essential for improving quality, as it forces institutions to adapt and innovate.

Personalized Learning:
Khosla advocates for personalized education through technology, using facial expressions and engagement metrics to adapt content and keep students engaged.

Peer Learning Potential:
Khosla sees peer learning as an underutilized resource, proposing that it may be more effective than traditional teacher-based learning.

Coursera’s Role:
Khosla acknowledges Coursera’s contributions but suggests that shorter, more engaging formats may be more effective in keeping students’ attention.

Focus on the Improbable:
Khosla believes that improbable approaches often lead to breakthroughs, and he encourages entrepreneurs to pursue unconventional ideas.

Impactful Innovations:
Khosla emphasizes the potential of education innovators to create significant impact through their work and ventures.