Grasp

How many Einsteins have we lost to outdated education systems that fail to work with, rather than against, how our brains learn best?

1. Traditional Education Doesn’t Match How Humans Learn

Many schools emphasize memorization over understanding, which clashes with how brains naturally work. Education should provide knowledge that is deep, contextual, and applicable to real-world scenarios. Yet, systems often focus on rote learning and testing.

This mismatch is partly due to a historical focus on “winnowing,” or separating students deemed “worthy” from the rest, largely through standardized tests. These methods fail to measure real intelligence or ability and often exclude deserving students based on arbitrary factors.

The cost of this mismatch is significant. Countless talented individuals are filtered out of opportunities due to systems that favor test-taking over true learning, limiting the potential to solve global challenges like climate change.

Examples

• Students acing theoretical tests but failing practical applications, such as engineering graduates unable to address oil rig malfunctions.
• Standardized tests prioritizing memorization over creativity, leaving behind students with non-measurable talents.
• Historical underrepresentation of certain demographics in education due to biased systems.

2. Learning Can Be Fun and More Effective When It’s Enjoyable

People learn better when they’re engaged, curious, and enjoying the process. From childhood, humans are naturally inclined to learn through play and exploration, like touching and testing water at the beach to discover its properties.

Modern schools often rely on outdated ideas that link learning to struggle—“no pain, no gain.” This approach kills students' curiosity and passion for learning. Research now shows that creating enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences is far more effective.

Engaging methods, like hands-on projects, make learning stick. At MIT, for instance, engineering students create robots instead of taking final exams, blending testing with fun and application in real-world scenarios.

Examples

• Childhood learning through sensory exploration, such as building sandcastles or testing how things float.
• MIT’s Course 2.007, encouraging hands-on experimentation instead of lectures alone.
• Schools emphasizing theory-based instruction over real-life problem-solving.

3. Cramming Doesn’t Work; Spacing Out Learning Does

Cramming for exams might help pass tests, but it’s terrible for long-term retention. Brain science shows that spreading out learning over time strengthens memory and deepens understanding.

Spacing allows us to reinforce knowledge through a process called long-term potentiation, where repeated retrieval builds stronger connections between neurons. Schools can implement techniques like pre-tests and interleaving subjects to encourage spaced learning.

Forgetting and re-learning also plays a vital role in solidifying memory. When we recall information after a gap, it becomes easier to remember in the future and stays encoded longer in our brains.

Examples

• Research showing better retention when students revisit topics periodically.
• Pre-tests that improve memory by forcing learners to retrieve information ahead of exams.
• Alternating practice subjects, like switching between math and languages, for longer retention.

4. Curiosity Is a Superpower for Learning

Curiosity acts as a natural turbo-boost for the brain. When we’re genuinely interested in a topic, the memory-enhancing parts of the brain become active, facilitating stronger learning connections.

Discovery-based learning environments cater to this drive for curiosity. Montessori schools, for example, incorporate play and exploration into education, allowing students to engage with subjects of interest.

Though curiosity-based systems work well, they require resources and well-trained teachers. While it’s a powerful tool, curiosity alone isn’t enough for complete education; instruction is needed alongside discovery.

Examples

• Students at Montessori schools excelling by following their interests in hands-on ways.
• Children exploring tide pools and asking questions about coral, stimulating deeper learning.
• Neuroscience research showing curiosity sparks memory retention in the brain.

5. Learning Needs Structure for Real-World Application

While curiosity and exploration are essential, structured learning provides necessary building blocks for understanding complex concepts. Formal teaching offers clarity, debunks misconceptions, and ties fragmented knowledge together.

An optimal balance includes structured instruction alongside opportunities for discovery. Using examples, anchoring concepts, and guiding students fosters deeper knowledge application.

Programs like MIT’s TEAL system merge classroom teaching with experiments, group discussions, and simulations, making learning collaborative and adaptable to real-world scenarios.

Examples

• Students learning molecular structures of sand through lectures after hands-on exploration.
• “42,” a coding school where students work on projects to master programming without grades.
• TEAL improving academic performance by blending instruction with hands-on learning.

6. Forgetting Can Be a Part of Learning

Ironically, forgetting things can actually improve memory retention. When we relearn forgotten information, we strengthen neural pathways, ensuring it’s remembered longer.

This process mirrors how paths are made in the jungle—clearing new trails gets easier when revisited. Letting students forget something briefly, then making them recall it, results in deeper understanding.

Teachers and learners can take advantage of this effect by using study methods that alternate between review and breaks. Re-learning proofs, for example, makes later recollection more accurate.

Examples

• Forgetting a name at a party, then recalling it later, reinforces it in memory more effectively.
• Alternating study patterns by leaving a concept and returning ensures stronger learning.
• Experiments showing retention increases when forgetting is followed by retrieval practice.

7. Testing Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful

Traditional testing methods create stress, bias, and fail to promote understanding. Alternative evaluation methods, like project-based assessments, engage students while assessing their real skills.

MIT’s robot-building competitions allow students to showcase abilities without the pressures of traditional exams. By design, these methods evaluate application alongside mastery of concepts.

Reforming assessment techniques can also reduce winnowing and prevent capable students from being excluded due to test anxiety.

Examples

• MIT’s project-based mastery learning in engineering courses.
• Montessori schools’ lack of grades, focusing on progress and practical application.
• Reduced stereotype threats during group problem-solving compared to solitary testing.

8. Education Systems Need to Blend Technology With Humanity

Technology can deliver quality learning but must be used cautiously. While it can connect more students to resources, overuse risks surveillance and depersonalization.

Proper implementation focuses on enhancing learning participation, not replacing teachers. Schools should aim to supplement classrooms with tools like virtual simulations or collaborative platforms, not automate education.

Institutions like MIT succeed by intelligently integrating technology into lesson plans, like online interactive experiments that support teaching.

Examples

• Virtual tools allowing students to experience historical events or science experiments.
• “42” coding school fostering peer learning through technology, with minimal instructional staff.
• Drawbacks in underfunded schools where tech substitutes rather than augments education.

9. It’s Time to Rethink Education Structures

Our current education structures are holding us back, favoring outdated systems that prioritize conformity and standardization over creativity and learning.

Using cognitive science and modern tech, schools can adapt methods that not only teach students facts but also how to apply them. Education should involve practice, exploration, and project development that builds usable skills.

Curriculums must evolve. Change won’t be easy, but addressing inequities and outdated teaching practices is worth the effort to better prepare learners for tomorrow’s challenges.

Examples

• Redesigning curriculums to align with cognitive science and brain-based learning techniques.
• Course 2.007’s success reflecting the shift toward project-based, application-oriented education.
• The push for eliminating winnowing systems that exclude diverse student capabilities.

Takeaways

1. Space out your studying: Study a little each day rather than cramming the night before for better retention.
2. Engage curiosity: Approach a learning topic like a mystery to solve, actively seeking connections and questions.
3. Use “forget and recall”: Let yourself forget information briefly, and then work on recalling it for stronger memory retention.