TED Conversations

Eric Berlow
Berkeley, CA
United States

Founder, Vibrant Data Labs

TED Speaker TED Fellow TED Attendee Associate

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Instead of narrow specialization, how can our educational system better train integrative, innovative, and adaptive problem solvers?

Live TED Conversation: Join TED Fellow Eric Berlow

The world is facing many complex problems that threaten the future of life as we know it, and governments and corporations have been ineffective at implementing real integrative solutions. One problem can cause many, but on the flip side, one creative solution can cause many. The world’s most innovative problem solvers have an uncanny ability to see the entire picture and hone in on simple leverage points with widespread positive impacts, yet we are not actively teaching our students to do the same. How can we not only training more creative thought leaders, but also create a population of voters who vote for them and support holistic solutions when they are presented?

+11

Closing Statement from Eric Berlow

Thanks to everyone for the lively discussion!

If I had to summarize, it seems like there is general consensus that we need to better enable students to tap into their individual passions and to learn fundamental, transferable skills early on. While some highly technical jobs require very specific training (e.g., brain surgery), most jobs require the ability to learn quickly, to ask critical questions, and to apply the unique skills that we bring to the table (skills that maybe were never in the job description). Related to this concept, there were some very interesting arguments for the value of philosophy, art, and ethics as providing solid building blocks for embracing uncertainty, abstracting and mapping transferable skills, and balancing critical skepticism with creative leaps of faith.

Some felt that there is enormous potential in applying online tools for making education more modular and "remixable" to help students follow their individual passions. One model for this is Khan Academy, but its main success has been in teaching a very specific (and linear) subject matter (math) rather than broad, interdisciplinary education. Some felt that current online ed tools still don't do much to foster innovation. There is clearly much more we can do to improve online educational tools that enhance face-to-face learning - but there is potential.

A recurring, and very interesting, implementation theme was the concept of a "passion to action" curriculum that helps students tap into their passions, identify problems that map onto those passions, and execute a plan to act on them.

Thanks again for all the input!

Eric.

Sort By:

Tony Gruber
- 0
Sep 21 2011: My list wasn't exhaustive, but literature and music are artistic in nature. I might have listed Music first because of it's vital importance to development.
Tyler Harcus
- 0
Sep 21 2011: The educational system needs to be less worried about narrow or broad specialization and more worried about actually teaching people how to read. Literacy is abysmal and getting worse. Math is not far behind.
Rishab Shrestha
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Students learn a lot by teacher's actions. When students see, through out their schooling, teacher teaching using handouts, powerpoint slides and other tradition forms of teaching then students barely see any innovative methods of teaching from the teachers. Whereas using modern forms or innovative ways to teach would make the students think and work in similar innovative and fun way.

I think The Floating University's concept is heading toward the right direction in this matter.(http://www.floatinguniversity.com/)
I really like its core concept: Learning for the joy of learning. I think this important message is that every teacher should be capable of explain/convincing/transferring to every student in a interesting way. The dynamic media and the whole concept of this university is creative and interesting and very different from the usual university. Such creative idea will for sure inspire students find their own creativity in themsleves

I'm a physics major students and while i love physics i hate how teacher teach them and how uninteresting class they are. On the other hand, Arts/Drama/photography classes uses a lot of creative teaching tools. I think Non arts teachers could learn a lot from those artists and teachers.
So basically, i believe that students will be come more creative if teachers really try becoming and experimenting with creative stuffs rather than tradition methods of teaching, which is in my case, and probably still so in most of the eastern part of the world.
Krista Boos
- 0
Sep 21 2011: The book "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver Van deMille is an awesome read. It completely changed the way I think of education and what it CAN be vs what it currently is. It's very inspirational and offers great solutions that can be implemented in any learning environment. It's all about creating leaders, thinkers and innovators. A very inpirational and worthy read.
DANIEL REES LEWIS
- +1
Sep 21 2011: Design for America is one interesting attempt to address this problem. It's a network of student led studios at universities in the US. It provides a network, and the design process to help students become better innovators. It looks to inspire students address messy, real world problems in their community. As a Learning Scientist, I've been working I've been working for this organization to look at how we can support this practice.

Sadly running out of time to say more - but here is their website:
http://designforamerica.com/

And a more in-depth explanation of what they do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_kVV9hgIRw
Alicia Farley
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Forgive the mess of the grammar .. hastily getting this out in time:
I believe getting rid of following a specific class or learning within a specific time frame (meaning: getting rid of 5 yr olds starting at kindergarten, then mandatory following your age and class). Just take classes not groups. Learn on your own level and speed. Testing on actual real life situations instead of memorizing a book and filling in answers. (Focusing how to apply the information we learn).
Jennifer Gray
- +1
Sep 21 2011: I mention BMC because it is a particular example of philosophy & art contributing to education in unexpected ways. As a philosophy professor, I may be biased, but it seems to me we need to introduce philosophy much earlier in this country than the collegiate level, which is where it is typically presented now.
Jeremy Peters
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Let's get rid of the college/university model and adopt a quasi apprenticeship model.

College should only be for academic pursuits and not job training pursuits. It is for research and academic study only.
Daniel Gluesenkamp
- +1
Sep 21 2011: Wow, great conversation! Thank you Eric for leading this.

In my work I find that good solutions are often frustrated by lack o critical, skeptical thinking. For example, many people excited about climate change adaptation operate under the premise that everyone knows what we need is more monitoring to detect change. Few of us challenge these assumptions or require our colleagues to apply logic and rigor in identifying goals, objectives, and actions. We need to train people to challenge assumptions, to require presentation of logic models, to somehow be skeptical while remaining open to leaps of faith. Not sure how we do that, but part of the problem is that we do not support a culture that shields skeptics --instead the culture supports those that go along.
- Jessica Green 200+
  - 0
  TED Fellow TED Attendee
  
  Sep 21 2011: Interesting, Dan. It would be great in a later conversation to learn more about your work. Perhaps you can initiate a new TED conversation?
- Jennifer Gray
  - +1
  Sep 21 2011: Philosophical training might help- at least a logic class taught sometime before the age of 18!?
- Eric Berlow 200+
  - +2
  TED Speaker TED Fellow TED Attendee Associate
  
  Sep 21 2011: Thanks for contributing Dan! One kernel in your post that is key to me is the dialectical tension between skepticism and being open to leaps of faith. Training students to be comfortable with that juxtaposition of apparent opposites is key.
  - Jesse Simko
    
    0
    Sep 21 2011: I've been struggling with how to bring this concept (of juxtaposing of opposites) across in a manner that can be easily understood. When it comes to being able to back away and look at something from a higher perspective, is there an age range where this should be taking place? Is there really an innate morality that is beyond culture and would it be dangerous or even wrong to give the power to a child to see that they have a choice of either behaving or misbehaving and that they are 'at choice' to do what they feel is right? Will that confuse a child to the point of depression or inaction for an inability to understand what to do? What about the kids who feel that it is right to harm others and go into a route that they gain power over others because it's what they want to do and what they enjoy? This morning I was writing about my own struggle with the dialectical tension in values and in being able to choose between two dynamic tensions. For example freedom vs. commitment. Both can be examined and seen as having lighter and darker aspects. The choice is there for anyone, but will a child be able to navigate through to do what is best for them in the future based on values as opposed to what they want to do and can children effectively choose values without having had much experience with the application of them in the world? Just looking to spark some thoughts, let me know how this settles on you. Cheers.
- Lola Adesioye
  - 0
  Sep 21 2011: I totally agree with Daniel. I think the biggest threat to the future of humanity is lazy, uncritical thinking that simple accepts and regurgitates conditioned ideas even when it is clear that they do not work. I am working on a book on this at the moment.
  
  I was very fortunate (although I did not realise it at the time) to be educated in such a way where I was taught to ask questions continuously, in addition to my natural curiosity. I did extremely well at school and then at university at Cambridge because I simply loved to use my brain to solve problems. I was the kind of kid who would find a new subject to learn during the summer holidays and study it to death, such as renaissance art or something I was unfamiliar with but would challenge me.
  
  My biggest struggle since leaving university 8 years ago has been operating in a world where critical thinking is generally not found and where, in the workplace in particular, you are seen as being obstructionist for asking the question why. So at 25 I decided I had to leave traditional employment and create my own path because it was the only way in which I would thrive.
  
  The issue with the western education system in general apart from a few schools like montessori or the ones I attended, is that it is designed to churn out good workers. Good workers are not supposed to, or are not required to in most places, think critically. So both the world f education plus the real world into which children are being sent must change.
  
  Critical thinking is a necessity, however, for the evolution of our species.
Jennifer Gray
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Is anyone here familiar with Black Mountain College? It was an experimental 'happening' in education, in Black Mountain North Carolina from the 1930's to 50's. For those interested in the power of interdisciplinary learning, I recommend checking it out! Amazing things happened there- despite the lack of curriculum or testing...
Kathryn Hoban
- 0
Sep 21 2011: A few months ago, I was reading up on the ranks of various education systems around the world and noticed that Finland was much higher on the scale than I expected it to be, considering education power-houses such as China and Japan. One of the things mentioned in the article I was reading was the average acceptance rate into teaching programs in Finland. Although I do not have the article on hand, I believe that the acceptance rate was somewhere around fifteen percent. Do you think that more stringent requirements for becoming a teacher would help improve the American education system? I know the old saying is "Those who can, do, and those who can't, teach." - but what if we could reverse that statement?
Amanda Arceo
- 0
Sep 21 2011: I think as private schools we have much more of an ability to innovate. It all comes down to the leadership of these schools, though, and their ability to truly step outside of the box and do the work that's involved with rebuilding and restructuring a school. I'm hopeful that with the increase in frustration directed toward standardization, more and more leaders of private institutions will step up and pave the way for school communities that are collaborative, creative and value questioning, problem-solving (without multiple-choice options) and encourage independent thought as opposed to one "right answer" solutions. Perhaps my optimism is unwarranted, but I refuse to give up hope yet. Many of the responses and posts in this conversation have added fuel to fire in my belly. I hope the same is happening with others as well.
Kamil Pawłowski 10+
- 0
TED Translator Associate

Sep 21 2011: From my experience and from what I am hearing from my friends who are working as teachers we need to change teachers. In my country teachers are not innovative, they are quite opposite they work only for work sake and only what teaching program tells them. But kids are looking for inspiration for good example how to live. If teachers are not innovating how can they teach it to kids?
Tobi Boas
- 0
Sep 21 2011: I'm from Holland. Over here, we've focussed on teaching and practicing competences, instead of knowledge. This would enable people to acquire and apply the right knowledge and skills (just-in-time) at the right time.
It's not really a succes. We are already talking about teaching facts again.
- Daniel Spooner
  - 0
  Sep 21 2011: Interesting, in Quebec Canada the primary school system has been reformed to go towards a competencies based system. The idea is interesting, putting it in practice is quite another issue. Success here is also quite limited.
  
  At the university level however I find the competencies view is bringing some very interesting opportunities. The traditional master vs. class is slowly changing to,I believe, a more constructive mentor and class relationship.
  
  What are the main reasons in Holland for the redirection to knowledge training instead of competencies ?
Jeremy Peters
- 0
Sep 21 2011: I am working on doing a Kahn Academy style program with foreign language.
David Churches
- +2
Sep 21 2011: years ago I proposed a course at Indiana University that was designed specifically to help students integrate what they learned across the various disciplines. They accepted the proposal but by that time I had a great job offer in Baltimore. But I haven't forgotten the issue: deep canyons of specialization fostered by most universities not to mention the job market.
Another approach is "active learning" in which each learner becomes the teacher on a topic. I've employed it when I was asked to teach content and had no time to learn it before teaching. So the learners and I rotated responsibility for teaching specific topics. At first they objected because it wasn't the traditional approach. But by the time it was over, everyone had learned faster and more effectively than if I had been the "professor". The learners put more pressure to learn & communicate on one-another than I could have done.
I know this is somewhat off-topic but it contains two keys to effective learning: teamwork and the need to learn & communicate to others new/ relevant information.
Krista Boos
- +2
Sep 21 2011: I homeschool my children and I see my main role as teaching them how to learn and how to find and follow their passions. Someone already mentioned that so many people don't even know what they're passionate about and I believe that's true and it's due to the fact that we've all spent so many years being told what to learn and how to learn it. If we ask children what they want to learn and be open to letting kids learn in the way that they do naturally (verbally, kinesthetically, etc.), I think we'd see a lot more passion from our kids who grow into passionate adults. As it stands, the schools teach to the test. Well, my kids have to be tested every year too by MN state law. I don't teach to that test one single bit and they test 3-5 grade levels above where they currently are; they are smart kids but I wouldn't call them "gifted". The No Child Left Behind ties the hands of our teachers and gives them no autonomy. There's no time left in the day once the've covered the material they have to cover in amongst managing their rooms. It's really a tough position to be in. I see the impetus for change being the Charter School system at this point. There are some really amazing Charter Schools out there that have the same requirements and the same budgets as the main public schools but they are doing some awesome things. I don't know that the online schools like K-12 or Connections Academy are doing a whole lot for innovation. Their curriculum is just as dry as the classroom can be but the kids can be in their pajamas to do it. It's another option and I'm glad it's there but I don't think it's going to be what changes the system or creates great thinkers and innovators.
- Eric Berlow 200+
  - 0
  TED Speaker TED Fellow TED Attendee Associate
  
  Sep 21 2011: Hi Krista - Amazing work. Any thoughts on how some of your home schooling approach could realistically be integrated into a more traditional ed context? One advantage of traditional schools is the potential for group learning in a larger social context.
  
  Also, since online tools are growing so fast, how could they better train for innovation or better fit with your model?
  - Krista Boos
    
    +1
    Sep 21 2011: I think having a more discussion-based learning environment is a good place to start. Asking kids "what do you think about 'x' " gets them thinking and not just regurgitating facts although I do think that there is some use for memorizing things at a young age because 1) it's what young children's brains like to do and are good at and 2) it gives a future basis for answering those "what do you think" questions. For young children, it should be so much more about play and exploration and checking things out. Touch things, see things, do things...then as they get older, those discussions can be awesome and they can have th freedom to innovate and have their voices heard.
Nina Myers
- 0
Sep 21 2011: How about having schools act as "Industry Consultants". Students get real life problems brought up by industry leaders and Companies get to tap into fresh new creative minds. Schools get paid by the firms seeking advice and students tuiton is free. Students leave schools with real life experience. Is this sustainable?
Ean Vickrey
- 0
Sep 21 2011: I think that specialization and adaptive problem solving are not exclusive. Students will retain more and gain a better understanding of the world they live in if education is done within a specific context. I would suggest a simpler model of what science students experience at a graduate level. We need to start with a problem students need to solve - how can we fix something, find a measurement, understand this historical document, etc. Students will then search for these answers and in the process learn about the subject as a whole and pointed information that has a context. Only once you understand a topic can you truly be analytical. This is the major problem with simple fact retention - it does not lead to any true world "understanding" just the ability to recite. If this learning approach is applied in teams of students, then a leadership component can be developed. Suddenly, students are put in the driver's seat of their own education!
Jessica Green 200+
- +2
TED Fellow TED Attendee

Sep 21 2011: Hi Eric. One idea is to implement a new flavor of bottom-up, DIY, community-based problem solving. A great example of this model was recently introduced to me by Camilo Rodriguez-Beltran http://www.autrement.taleo-initiative.org/. Is this along the lines of what you are envisioning?
- Eric Berlow 200+
  - 0
  TED Speaker TED Fellow TED Attendee Associate
  
  Sep 21 2011: YES! thanks for the link. I think the most powerful part of this Taleo Initiative is giving people the tools to map solutions from elsewhere onto their local context. This demystification of the process of science is key.
sule donertas
- +1
Sep 21 2011: practice & inquiry skills may be developed. we should let students ask questions, let them try, let them observe.. let them practice so that they could detect the deficiencies themselves and may develop creative solutions.
Garland Thompson Jr.
- 0
Sep 21 2011: We must give people the tools that will allow them to be great critical thinkers who can apply their thoughts to all manner of problems or issues, and come up with great solutions. For some reason this always seems to get lost in any equation dealing with education here in America. Why is that?
Thomas Jones 100+
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Hi Eric,

Your question implies we can "solve ourselves out of problems" that we "solved ourselves into" in the first place.

Personally, I think if we stopped solving problems, they would "disappear." (I don't think many will grasp that idea.)

So to provide another type of answer:

1) Teach thinking skills - for example, Edward de Bono's stuff.
2) Teach learning skills - for example, Tony Buzan's mind maps.
3) Encourage "self-actualization." - When we are satisfied "within ourselves" we will be less likely to compensate for internal imbalances by trying to solve external problems.
- Dana Linnell
  - 0
  Sep 21 2011: I love how you brought up self-actualization. It should be the ultimate result from our education but so often it is not. Maslow himself felt that creativity is what led to self-actualization.
- Christopher Coniglio
  - 0
  Sep 21 2011: Certainly in some cases no course of action is the correct course of action, but that is actually quite rarely the case.
  
  With regard to number 3, I would say that encouraging "self-actualization" especially among an age group who aren't experienced enough to even grasp that concept is really a futile and pointless exercise. Being dissatisfied with oneself is a part of the human condition, and one which leads one to better oneself much more so than vaguely aiming at an intellectual construct. You also forgot that solving external problems is also a part of the human condition, examine the last 10,000 years of human history and you will see nothing but humans solving external problems. If we had never engaged in that pursuit we would be at peace with nature, at peace with our fellow animals, and nothing like the species we are today.
Daniela Martinez de la Mora
- 0
Sep 21 2011: In my opinion, the answer is in letting students to explore and BE! After exploring the world, there are things we like and things we don't like, and we can be very passionate about the things we like. When people feels passion, they can't stop thinking about it. In order to innovate and be a problem-solver, people, students and workers, must have free space to give ideas instead of being afraid, they must feel comfortable. If students do what they like + they are not afraid, they can turn into happy innovative problem-solvers!! The educational system should let students think by themselves, trust them, treat them with respect, not arrogance, with compassion, not punishment.
Rishab Shrestha
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Here's an interesting article dealing with standardized testing
http://bigthink.com/ideas/40118
Daniel Spooner
- 0
Sep 21 2011: Project work done by students when included in the curriculum has huge benefits. It is a great place to learn how to learn, make some errors, be responsible for the errors, fix them and learn from them.

I am involved in engineering and industrial design education in Montreal Canada. The recent introduction of more significant and complex project work had a huge impact on the interest of students in their studies and the level at which they question what work needs to be done and why. We are now having teams of 20 students from 3 schools (engineering, industrial design and business) collaborate for 8 months on the development of future products. In this context, innovation gets very real.

For engineering and design the CDIO initiative is an interesting forum for exchanges on education and training: http://www.cdio.org/
elise d'hauthuille
- +1
Sep 21 2011: This is a quote from my 17 year old's first college paper..."We mindlessly work on what is given to us, with all of our sheep eyes focused on the same symbol, the letter A."

I feel sorry for the youth of today. The whole system is working against them. They see no way out except anarchy.

Load more comments…

Sign In

To join or start a conversation, you'll need to sign in. Not a member? Register Now (it's free and fast).

Live Conversations

Live Conversations are hosted by TED speakers and TED Fellows. Ask your questions and participate in the discussions on the following dates and times: