Education vs. Learning

One of the exciting insights I have gained from the discussions in the Transforming Business course is that there is a difference between education and learning. Here is how I perceive those differences.

Education has students hear about a subject. Learning has students do something with the subject matter.

Education conveys information. Learning involves application.

Education is future oriented; it is about what students will need to know someday. Learning occurs in the present; we learn what we want or need to learn when we want or need it.

Education is a spectator sport. Learning requires the learner’s participation.

Education is about control; faculty control what students are to be exposed to and required to do. Learning allows the learner the freedom to decide what is needed when and what to pursue in the learning process.

Educational assessment is test oriented. Learning is assessed through results achieved.

Education develops followers; students are conditioned to be order takers. Learning facilitates the development of leaders.

Education is structured. Learning is unstructured.

Education considers hypotheticals--case studies, examples. Learning acts on reality--projects.

Education is passive. Learning is active.

This is a quick summary. Each of these points can and need to be explored in more depth. It also may be argued that this is a simplistic differentiation. However, I find the summary helpful as I consider how I want to design my own courses. My goal has become to move my course designs away from an educational model toward facilitating learning.

Facilitating a new course

This semester I am facilitating a new course entitled Transforming Business. To transform business, the students and I decided we must begin by transforming ourselves. As we considered how education is typically conducted, we realized that to prepare students to be future business leaders, we need to reconsider how we educate. As a result, we in the course have been collaborating to transform the course into a learning community. We started by rearranging the seating into an open circle. We employ name tents to help us get to know each other. This has had a dramatic impact on the class dynamics. No one sleeps or texts in class. Everyone is more engaged. There is no packing up early as class nears the end of the scheduled time. In fact, students are not in a hurry to leave. And when students arrive to class, the room is filled with energy as students are talking with each other. We are all getting to know each other. This is in contrast with the typical class where students arrive and go to their seats and text, sleep, read, or daydream before the start of class.

In our class sessions we have been exploring how we may transform the college education process. We have invited outside guests to join us in these working sessions. We also would welcome comments on this blog. I will share more about our findings in subsequent posts.

Geekspeak

Geekspeak: How Life + Mathematics = Happiness by Graham Tattersall, an English freelance engineer, is a fun and fascinating read. If you are a math teacher, I recommend you consider using this book as the text for your course. At the least, get a copy for yourself as a resource for lesson planning. The problems in this book are far more interesting than the traditional two trains traveling at different speeds. For example, Tattersall explains how to calculate the time it would take Scotty to beam you from Earth to Mars. Or how to determine the speed in miles per hour of a sneeze as compared to a fart. Now that’s interesting! If you prefer to consider more serious issues, there is calculating the number of trees you would need to plant each year to offset your carbon footprint. Or how to determine which is more efficient, a car powered by gasoline or electricity.

Geekspeak is for everyone. This book could even be a cure for those who have a phobia for math. Tattersall’s purpose is to help non-mathematicians use figures to analyze and understand the world better. He laments that we have come to rely too heavily on experts without checking for ourselves the reliability of their advice. What is the danger of sea levels rising because of melting artic ice? How much energy does it take to construct a home? How has smaller families contributed to lower social connectivity and loss of community? These are a few questions Tattersall addresses using math.

There is also plenty for trivia enthusiasts. Learn how to calculate how many flies it would take to pull a car. Determine how long you could keep a 100-watt light bulb lit with the energy released by jumping off a 300-foot cliff. Be able to tell the weight of a bus by simply looking at it.

Tattersall has a clear and engaging writing style. This is no dry mathematical treatise filled with complicated formulas. In fact, most of the math in the book can be done in your head. Tattersall has an entire chapter on things you can figure out while sitting on a deck chair at the beach.

If you are a student who complains that math is irrelevant to everyday life, read this book. If you are out of school and glad you are no longer tortured having to take math classes, read this book; it will help you develop an appreciation and interest in math you never thought possible. If you want to be an informed citizen, read this book. If you are just looking for something to read while sunning yourself on the beach, take this book along. You’ll discover just how enjoyable math can be. Who would have thought being a geek could be so much fun?