Leveraged Learning summary

Introduction

Leveraged Learning by Danny Iny Education can be transformed to empower lifelong learners and experts everywhere. Have you ever felt that traditional education falls short? Many students leave universities feeling unprepared for the real world. This book explores how to leverage our innate ability to learn.

It offers a fresh approach to education.

six layers of leveraged learning

Six Layers of Leveraged Learning What makes food taste good to people? Much of it comes down to how a chef layers fundamental flavors. These include sweetness, sourness, and saltiness. Education can be similar in many ways.

A leveraged learning program consists of six layers of education. A teacher, course, or self-led learner fuses them. This creates an optimal blend. Let us start at the bottom of the list.

The first layer is the most obvious one, the content of the program. Of course, this will vary greatly. It depends on the subject matter, students, and program objective. A college-level class on medieval European history will have vastly different content.

It differs from a web-based guitar class. But some general lessons do apply to any leveraged learning program. The key message here, content of leveraged learning begins with knowledge. But it does not end there on your journey.

Whether you are a graduate student attending a Master of Business Administration program or a professional practicing Spanish on Duolingo, ask yourself this important question today. Why are you actually learning? The answer is probably that you want to acquire some knowledge. This knowledge could involve declarative memory.

That is the ability to memorize information, facts, and vocabulary. For a Master of Business Administration student, that is memorizing the meaning of return on investment. For somebody learning Spanish, it is the translation of hello. Another type of knowledge is linked to procedural memory.

This is the ability to memorize steps for carrying out a task. An example is preparing a budget. Procedural memory normally goes hand in hand with declarative memory. You cannot create a budget if you do not understand financial terminology.

Either way, some knowledge is fundamental. It is key to learning new subjects or skills. Knowledge is, in fact, the foundation of education. But the whole point of learning is to build something on top.

That usually means being able to do something with your knowledge. And whatever you do, you want to do it well. That Master of Business Administration student might be learning about entrepreneurship. She wants to start a successful business.

The language app user might want to learn Spanish. They want to have fluent conversations with people in Latin America. Of course, that requires learning many words in Spanish. But it also means being able to use those words.

Not just with basic fluency, but with a high level of mastery. The idea that knowledge alone is not enough might seem obvious. But it does go against the grain of traditional education. After all, if you follow this school of thought, you will not only be focusing on memorizing facts and procedures.

Traditional educators might balk at this. But their approach harms both learners and employers. In the real world, these people want far more than just knowledge. In the job market, knowledge is no longer as valuable as it used to be.

Whole libraries of information can be easily accessed through the Internet. Many procedures that once required humans can be performed by technology. Think of online services like tax software and legal platforms. They do much of the work that used to fall to accountants and lawyers.

Meanwhile, increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence and automation are on the horizon. They are about to revolutionize the economy. We all need to learn how to be prepared for the future. That future is just around the corner.

The key message here, critical thinking, creativity and insightfulness are key to modern-day success. Soon, it will not just be lawyers and accountants who find themselves out of work. The risks are real for anyone whose knowledge or skills can be replicated by technology. That is almost half of us over the next 20 years.

This is according to a study from Oxford University. To become robot-proof in tomorrow's job market, learners need to focus on higher-level thinking skills. The sort of stuff computers will not be able to replicate anytime soon. Many of these skills fall under the broad label of critical thinking.

They include the abilities to evaluate claims and interpret facts. They also include weighing decisions, analyzing problems, and coming up with creative solutions. That last ability links critical thinking with another high-level skill. That skill is creativity in its purest form.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not just about doing art. It is not about being some sort of creative genius. It is also the more prosaic but essential ability to spot patterns. It means coming up with new ideas and connecting them together in fresh ways.

Put critical thinking and creativity together. You can achieve insight through daily practice. This is the ability to see the world in innovative ways. Insight opens up previously unnoticed opportunities.

Consider the rapper Pitbull and his career. Back in 2010, he noticed many fans wore fitness shirts. He realized that fitness gyms were playing his songs as workout music. But rather than view this as a threat to his intellectual property rights, he saw it as a business opportunity.

He cut a deal with the fitness company. He would send them his latest releases. The gyms would play the songs in their classes. The result, free publicity and his first number one single in the United States.