Dlaczego tak mało pamiętasz ze szkoły? | Radosław Kotarski | TEDxKatowice

Summary

The speaker delves into the inefficiency of traditional education systems, highlighting how little we retain from school. They attribute this to the system's focus on general knowledge rather than useful skills. Drawing on historical reforms in Prussia post-Napoleon, the talk explains how the current educational model was designed to create compliant citizens. The speaker challenges conventional learning methods, advocating for modern cognitive psychology techniques to enhance retention and engagement, using their experience learning Swedish in six months as a testament to effective learning strategies.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script addresses the issue of poor retention of school knowledge, with the speaker questioning why so little is remembered after education.
• 🧠 It mentions a study by Professor Art Graesser, which found that less than 10% of information taught is retained by students after a week.
• 🤔 The speaker raises the question of the scale of the problem and whether the information learned is useful or just general knowledge.
• 🏛 The script links the current education system to historical events, specifically the Prussian education reform after Napoleon's defeat of Prussia in 1806.
• 👥 The Prussian reform aimed to create an obedient and compliant citizen, focusing on general knowledge rather than specialized skills.
• 📚 The emphasis was on encyclopedic knowledge, which was thought necessary for students to decide on their field of study after graduation.
• 🏫 The script describes the organization of the school year into academic terms and the standardization of class sizes to 30 students to reduce social, religious, and cultural differences.
• 👨‍🏫 It discusses the role of teachers as overseers of class discipline and the low pay for teachers, which was intended to make them work for the idea rather than money.
• 🛠️ The script criticizes the traditional teaching method of presenting knowledge and then testing retention, comparing it to learning to swim by watching and then being thrown into the water.
• 🔄 The speaker advocates for modern learning methods, such as interleaved learning, which involves mixing different types of problems or exercises to keep the brain engaged.
• 🎓 The script concludes by emphasizing that learning can be made more effective and less of a 'sentence' by applying scientific research on cognitive psychology to educational practices.

Q & A

Why do we often forget what we learned in school?

The script suggests that we forget much of what we learn in school because the information is not particularly useful or engaging, and it is often general knowledge that doesn't require deep understanding or application.

What percentage of information do students retain after a week according to Art Graesser's study?

According to Art Graesser's study, less than 10% of all information is retained in students' minds after a week.

What was the main goal of the Prussian education reform in 1806?

The main goal of the Prussian education reform was to create an ideal citizen who is obedient, lacks personal opinion, and would do exactly what is required by the state.

How did the Prussian education system influence the way students were taught and assessed?

The Prussian education system influenced teaching by focusing on rote learning of general knowledge, with an emphasis on memorization rather than understanding or application. Assessments were often about recalling information rather than demonstrating comprehension or critical thinking.

What role did Georg Hegel play in shaping the Prussian education system?

Georg Hegel, a renowned philosopher, concluded that creating an ideal citizen would only be possible through comprehensive education, shifting the focus from unspecified knowledge to general, encyclopedic information.

Why were students in the Prussian education system not encouraged to have free time?

Students were not encouraged to have free time because it was believed that idle time could lead to foolish thoughts and sinful ideas. Keeping them busy with learning was seen as a way to prevent such problems.

How did the Prussian education system organize the school year and classes?

The school year was organized into academic terms under the influence of Wilhelm von Humboldt. Classes were structured with desks facing the teacher, and class sizes were standardized to 30 students to promote social, religious, and cultural integration.

What was the role of the 'class steward' in the Prussian education system?

The class steward was responsible for monitoring students to ensure they did not stand out too much or develop individual thoughts and teaching paths. Any deviations were to be reported to the appropriate person responsible for the students' upbringing.

How did the script's speaker learn Swedish in just half a year and what was the significance of this challenge?

The speaker learned Swedish using modern learning methods and techniques backed by cognitive psychology research. The challenge demonstrated that with effective learning strategies, it is possible to achieve good results in a short time, contrary to traditional learning methods.

What is the 'blocked practice' method and how does it compare to 'interleaved practice' in terms of effectiveness?

Blocked practice involves repeatedly practicing the same skill or task in a single session. Interleaved practice, on the other hand, involves mixing different tasks or problems in a single session. Research has shown that interleaved practice leads to better retention and understanding compared to blocked practice.

Why is it important to understand how to learn effectively according to the script?

Understanding how to learn effectively is crucial because it allows for better retention and application of knowledge. Traditional methods of learning, such as rote memorization, are often less effective and can lead to wasted effort and time.