Education in Utopia

Building an Education Utopia: 3 Key Insights from Children in Covid-19 Confinement

Driverless cars today instead of horses. And yet a classroom today: the same as one from a century ago.

A rectangular room. A teacher standing at the front. Children seated at individual desks in orderly rows and columns.

Covid-19 threw that model out quickly. Prior to Covid-19, pilots and grant funding towards education initiatives globally did exist the Nordic countries are way ahead of everyone [as usual!]; Summit Learning in the US with around 400 partner schools is a well-known example of a relatively new model; and Montessori programs, first developed over a century ago, continue to increase in popularity. However, this remains a fraction of the education system globally. Much of what is considered fundamental in our education system, from the layout pictured above to grades, have long been proven to be counter-productive.

But little has changed across an entire system perhaps until now.

What do children want more of in their education?

I worked to improve a video education platform over 16 consecutive days/nights in June. The platform for children features video lessons by real teachers by year level and subject, as well as other content such as assemblies and art activities.

I spoke with parents and children, reviewed hours of footage of children using the platform, and collaborated with the team to analyse quantitative feedback and existing user data analytics. Through this research, I gleaned the following 3 key insights about what children feel and want in their education, and the learnings extend far beyond the location where people use this tech the most:

1. Im unique, so my education should be too.

I expected most children to say they missed school, their teachers and their friends: I was wrong. The majority of children I spoke to enjoy the personalised experience of learning remotely. It allows them to go at their own pace, in the subject matter order they choose, to skip ahead/back a year or two if theyre struggling, and to have the teacher all to themselves.

In fact, students typically with good grades and extroverted personalities in good schools miss the social aspect of their education. But, others who struggle, in a specific topic [like Math], because of a deficit [like Dyslexia], or because their schools are inadequate, are able to learn and appreciate topics in a way they never have before thanks to their new remote learning experience through this online platform. Further, the children using the platform bond [a specific word heard repeatedly by parents and students alike and is visible in video footage of children using the platform] with teachers via video even though they have never met them, while the videos are broadcast to hundreds of thousands of children per day, proving this personalised attention can go incredibly far with tech and AI.

Imagine it: In a world with perfectly personalised learning, the opportunity gap [ie, the disparity between learning resources available to low-income students vs. their peers] disappears. Children with disabilities feel fulfilled. No one gets the worst grade in the class. No child is deemed a failure. What effect would that have on society?

2. I dont want to be told what to like, I want to figure it out on my own.

Children often ask their parents directly to explore an activity [pleeeaaase can I get a drum set?], but schools, peers, siblings, media, parents, the internet and everything else in a childs environment plays a key role in determining what those children ask for. And, oftentimes, parents place their children in classes they deem appropriate, without automatically intending to be pushing an agenda [eg, ballet for girls, football for boys, or chess classes for children who are good at Math].

When using this online platform, children navigate to different pages, and many enjoy exploring on their own. One child picked up Latin without telling his parents until he was through with most of the lessons.

With this kind of tool, children figure out on their own what appeals to them, without any guidance or judgment from others. Their choices become personal and independent.

Imagine it: In a world with unbridled exploration for children to access any [age-appropriate] information/activity, where they are not judged for what they choose to pursue, they build independence earlier. They believe in themselves. They trust their instincts. They find their passions faster. They are encouraged to pursue those passions. What effect would that have on society?

3. My favourite teacher is Maxine.

Who was your favourite teacher and why? If youre lucky, you can tell me a story about a teacher who changed your life or inspired a passion. The importance of mentors and adults in childrens lives will not disappear, nor will the relevance of the idiom it takes a village. Every child I spoke to told me about their favourite teacher on the platform, and some about their teachers at school too. Humanity is not replaced by tech. The purpose of technology we create should be to enhance human relationships and wellbeing.

So, putting the pieces together for this education utopia:

Imagine it: In a world where children could access perfectly personalised learning, get unbridled exploration to access any information and not be judged for what they chose to pursue, and were supported by teachers who guided them throughout their learning journey society would be in a much better place.

Its not just about the Covid-19 epidemic. Its about how we can improve education systems globally, and fast. Governments should be establishing new and lasting partnerships to take advantage of this opportunity to integrate technology to empower children and radically transform education, and society, as we know it.

A note on the client

The client, with over 250,000 daily users in May, has asked I not share the name of the platform as my views diverge from their main messaging. The team comprises some of the most agile, creative people I have had the chance to work with, and parents and children expressed such joy to have this tool in their lives. This article represents solely my personal point of view from my research, as I dream of a better, fairer society.