Peter Cochrane: The future of education - solving problems by thinking?

Education has become too focused on grades and exams, rather than actually learning and understanding, argues Professor Peter Cochrane

It was originally thought that television would provide education and enlightenment for the masses - a belief that was pretty quickly disabused. Nor has the technology revolution that has gathered pace since the 1970s delivered on this vision either.

In fact, progress appears to have gone into reverse. According a recent OECD report¹, the US is at the bottom of international tables for literacy and numeracy, along with the UK.

In both countries, education has degenerated into a series of memory tests and a quest to hit abstract performance targets. So, students who are apparently well qualified are often unable to tackle the most basic of mathematical, scientific, engineering or even logical principles. Nor do they have any appreciation of history or design. This does not bode well for a future of faster change and greater complexity.

How the heck did we get here?

Pupils, parents and teachers are now focused on getting lots of good grades rather than learning or understanding anything

The list of reasons is almost endless! First, the technology industries are perpetually short of skilled/educated people and suck-up much of the available talent that might otherwise become inspirational teachers.

Second, the teaching profession has fallen a long way from its position as a highly respected profession to one that is not so well paid or regarded.

Third, the technology available to students has become a huge distraction, rather than a learning aid. Fourth, after several cycles of falling standards, parents now lack the knowledge they ought to be passing on to their children.

Fifth, modern life means that adults are busier earning a living and have less time to devote to their children - when they're not distracted by the same technology that's distracting their kids. Sixth, a lack of skilled and qualified science and maths teachers means that these subjects are all too often taught, instead, by graduates of the arts, history and geography.

Pupils, parents and teachers are now focused on getting lots of good grades rather than learning or understanding anything. So, students leave school or college with a fist full of ‘A-star' qualifications arrive at university and/or the workplace with no working knowledge of maths and science.

It seems that many students have been told to just remember ‘stuff' and not to try to understand anything

It seems that many students have been told to just remember ‘stuff' and not to try to understand anything. In the worst cases, they cite teachers writing on a white board with a book in on hand. Why not just give the book to the student? No value is being added. Such a process does not constitute a lesson or an education.

This education crisis will see the GDP of nations stall as a result of a lack of capable, thoughtful people.

However, there are solutions. Using the limited number of good teachers, lecturers and professors available: Broad/narrow-casting of lectures by the ‘best-of-the-best' using video conferencing can be followed up by tutorial sessions employing skilled staff in colleges and universities. The development of AI mentors (as learning entities in their own right) is also feasible.

We must also stop the teaching of maths, physics, chemistry, biology et al in isolated bubbles. They need to be put in their broader context of ‘science' by introducing practical laboratory/learning-by-doing sessions.

Our ‘safe societies' have not only neutered risk they have attenuated all the excitement of play and discovery as a natural part of learning, whatever educationalists may say.

Linking theory to practice is vital for scientific, engineering and technology understanding, and sparking a genuine life-long interest in a given subject. A focus on one or the other with a very early early specialism is damaging to the student body in need of a more holistic preparation through school into college and/or university/industry.

There is also a need to demolish the discrimination between the academic and the practical. Having one ability without the other renders greater inability in a fast moving world!

For sure; today's education and learning methodologies have to move toward new models that furnish a broader understand and appreciation across science and society.

"Education isn't something you have to get done and dusted - it is a lifelong pursuit - and it will increasing be something that is afforded JIT at the point of need"

Professor Peter Cochrane OBE is the former CTO of BT, who now works as a consultant focusing on solving problems and improving the world through the application of technology. He is also a professor at the University of Suffolk's School of Science, Technology and Engineering.

See also the slide-deck, The Future of Education: Solving Problems by Thinking

¹World Economic Forum, ‘Which countries have the best literacy and numeracy rates'

There appears to be no indication in this report with regard to the impact of a high proportion of immigrants and refugees who's mother tongue is not English