Improved Education Processes

Most UK education is still using 20th Century ideas.  With the now world-wide use of smart phones and increasingly AI systems to present information, our outdated education processes are very inefficient.  Young people deserve better.

Early years are not so much of an issue. These are about getting children to communicate and understand their bodies and learn how to interact with world around them.  While much of these early years education could be significantly improved with more teachers and helpers, it is not particularly inefficient

Older children, those embarking upon learning about the sciences, history, economics, and other technical subjects, are very poorly taught.  This is often not the teachers fault, it is built into the curriculum and exam processes. 

Young people should be taught to use their minds and the available tools that humans have developed.  But much of the currently applied education process is not about this at all, it is mostly founded on wrote learning.  This is massively inefficient. 

And while young people may learn how to use their minds and use some tools, along the way, such core abilities are often not directly addressed within the education process at all.

Ask any young person when they were last given any help to ‘problem solve’.  Ask any of them if they have had serious lessons about how to research a subject fully and make sure that the information gained is correct.

You will likely find that most children of any age have had no instruction or practice at these sort of tasks.  And, yet, it is just these sort of tasks that define our usefulness for most jobs and our ability to create a happy life where we are in control of our life’s progress.

The current education and exam system is still asking students silly questions.  In science and math it asks the student to remember many facts that can be found on the internet in seconds.  It should be asking student to explain how they derive a solution to a given problem.

By splitting subjects into silos, we spilt understanding and learning from the real world.  Nature, jobs and tools work across many subjects, all at once.  You cannot create a car by using physics alone.  You need materials science, physics, chemistry, math and applied engineering.

Real Life Education

A good way to learn and remember what you have learnt is to be taught about real life stuff and understand how it all works.  If we go one step further and apply the learning process directly to a real life situation, such as building a real car, (or perhaps a virtual car), then not only do we learn very well, we make significant leaps of understanding across many subjects all at once.  This is impactful, in the sense that we see the interaction of science with the many tools available.  It is this sort of understanding that improves our all round abilities.

In subjects like history current education asks for written essays.  New AI systems can and do provide good answers already.  Today, it is pointless asking such questions, no one knows whether the student or an AI gave the answer.  But educators could simply turn-around this problem; why not provide the student with two essays by two different AI’s.  Then ask the student to revue both of these essays and provide their analysis of which was more correct and why. 

Not only does this show that the student understands the topic, it also test the student on his or her ability to work with the output from AI’s.  And, if educators do not understand the importance of being able to do this yet, then they are in for quite a shock over the next five years.

Humans need some facts.  We also need the ability to harness our imagination.  Imagination provides the ideas to help us solve issues and create new tools. 

Equally important is learning the ability to ‘think’.  Humans consider that this is a natural process.  But it is not.  It requires intensive training and practice.  Yes, some people are naturally better at this than others.  But all young people can be taught this skill to a level that will massively change their future lives.  This skill is the basis for any human to attempt to provide for themselves, and others, a life that is both happy and fulfilling. 

The facts that we need to know to appreciate and understand our world along with many technical subjects - are not so numerous.  If we teach young people to think, and if we make sure that they are good at finding out facts for themselves, then we only need to provide basic building blocks for them to build upon.  We can call these facts bedrock facts.  The other facts are all built using these basic facts.  (See facts for Kids)

For instance, much of physics and  very nearly all chemistry is founded upon the electron and its interactions.  If we taught this as a bedrock fact then the students could infer many aspects of science from their understanding of the electron.   The higher level facts such as ohms law for circuits can be looked up in seconds, it is the application and real understanding of what is happening within a circuit that matters.  This is the type of understanding that provides lifetime interest in science and technology.  It also promotes the process of applying a students imagination to problem solving.  This is exactly the sort of learning outcome that all economies need and this will become even more important for future jobs.

Understanding the World

Ask any student about our place within the world and to explain how we got here.  Many will not be able to provide a useful answer as they have never been taught to see and understand the bigger picture.  Student are taught just snapshots of history and of human development, and these depend upon the subjects they choose to study.

And, yet, every single one of their lives is going to be influenced by the larger global issues.  If we taught them to think and analyse and imagine, then it is just possible, with a good understanding of their own place in our world, they could make a better job of promoting change for the next generations to come.

Politicians have almost certainly known this for a long time.  Perhaps this is why we have such a misaligned education systems in the first place.

CST

 

 

Education – It is not fit for purpose

Aug 2024

Secondary education has lost the plot. CST considers better options for the UK's education processes.

These promote learning across subjects and promote the core skills of imagination and analysis. These skills are core skills for a new world where AI's will be taking many lower level jobs.