Solutions to Problems with the Educational System

Ok, here goes. For whoever might not know, this is a response to Andy Bloomfield's post on Facebook, "Problems with the Educational System."

First, to summarize the problems mentioned in Andy's post and the comments that followed:

1. Rote Learning. Facts are presented without instruction concerning their origin, necessity, theory, application, relevance to other topics, or potential development.
2. Research Methods Untaught. Rather than training the student to develop good research methods, or even to comprehend the concept and value of research, excessive focus is placed upon the memorization of temporarily relevant information for the purpose of testing.
3. Lack of Cultural, Social, and Practical Incentive. Rather than education functioning as a specific means to a specific end, the purpose is often confused, obscured, or even ignored entirely as the methodology resulting in so-called success within the current system is overemphasized. Culture and society are perhaps as influential in this regard as any other factor.
4. Lack of Flow. To reference Csíkszentmihályi, the skill level of each student is not matched ideally to difficulty level of subject, resulting in an educational system specifically designed to pander to mediocrity at the expense of both the exceptionally skilled and the exceptionally unskilled.

I think that covers the general concepts already spoken of, to which I would add a few of my own:

5. Derivative Syntax. Rather than teaching a concept by utilizing the material of its origin, derivative materials are preferred, often representing an iteration so far removed from the original material as to bear little if no semblance. Not only does this result in confusion, contradiction, dilution, and general inaccuracy, but it also deprives the student of the opportunity to engage in critical analysis of the original work, or to comprehend any of the critical commentary that has ensued in relation to that work between the time of its original publication and the time the student is exposed to the derivative version.
6. Inadequate Structure of the Liberal Arts in Relation to the Knowledge Base. This is, in my opinion, the single most tragic factor in the failure of the current education system. In “The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man” Jung states: “Even in a civilized community the people who form, psychologically speaking, the lowest stratum live in a state of unconsciousness little different from that of primitives. Those of the succeeding strata live on a level of consciousness which corresponds to the beginnings of human culture, while those of the highest stratum have a consciousness that reflects the life of the last few centuries. Only the man who is modern in our meaning of the term really lives in the present.” Likewise, the subject matter of our education system is deplorably constructed, and as such, represents not the current pinnacle of our knowledge base, but rather, those depths of primitive thought out of which we have just begun to escape.

Now, with these problems in mind, what is a viable solution? We will begin with the structure of the liberal arts. This is merely a proposition, which I shall follow with an explanation concerning the rationale.



This system proposes seven core disciplines to be mastered in four years time. Certain subjects occupy a whole year while others occupy half a year. Except for the discipline of contemporary studies, each subsequent subject is intended to build upon and compliment its preceding subjects.

This system would be intended to replace the current high school system. Its subjects would provide the student with the near equivalent of a liberal arts bachelors degree in our current college system. This would be the intent, as then the student would be free to pursue a specialized college education, being already in possession of a foundation upon which to build.

To address each discipline then, we shall start with Literature. Literature combines grammar and rhetoric from the classic Trivium with elements of today's English studies. The student first learns Grammar, a subject that includes instruction on proper academic writing techniques. Then he progresses to Writing, during which he practices and refines the skills learned in Grammar. He then begins to read Prose, and write essays and papers in response. After Prose he moves on to Poetry, and similarly, writes essays and papers in response. Finally he explores Non-Fiction, continuing to write essays and papers in response. Throughout these three subjects, his essays and papers should progress from being more responsive and opinionated, as is natural for amateur writers, to being more researched and theoretical, as is necessary for academic writers. Finally, the student is introduced to the study of Rhetoric, during which he will learn the art of classical argument and public address, as well as study logic and reason as they relate to argument and persuasion.

Second is Mathematics. Arithmetic and Geometry are represented from the Quadrivium. The student will progress through the basic study of Mathematics, beginning with Arithmetic and Algebra, and then Calculus, Geometry, and Trigonometry, or if the student is gifted in the art, Calculus, Statistics, Geometry, Analytic Geometry, Trigonometry, and Spherical Trigonometry.

The third discipline is Anthropology, which is only a more accurate term for the History of our current system. Prehistory and Ancient History are covered in the first year, followed by The Middle Ages, Modern History, and Contemporary History.

The fourth discipline is Metaphysics. This is a discipline that closely parallels Anthropology, focusing on the history of man's thought rather than the history of his actions. Following a chronological order, Sympathetic Magic and Alchemy are covered in the first year, followed by Religion, Philosophy, and Psychology.

Fifth is Science. The subject of the History of Science is covered in order to provide the student with a framework to comprehend the progression of scientific thought. Then Astronomy is covered in the same year as it is a simpler subject than those that follow: Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. Chemistry would include lab work. Biology would focus on chemical biology, as opposed to being the study of animal life that it is sometimes considered to be. Physics would cover not only standard physics subjects but also theoretical physics, and would come in the fourth year as the student would need to have taken Calculus and Geometry first.

Sixth would be the discipline of Music. As I am not a musician and know very little about the art, what I have written here is tentative at best. However, it seems sufficiently reasonable to me to act as a starting ground. Notation and the History of Music are covered in the first year. Notation gives the student the resources to communicate in the language of music; the History of Music provides him with the capacity to perceive the progression of musical thought, and also to experience and study the works of the great musical artists throughout history. The subject of Performance follows, as the student applies his knowledge to the mastery of his own instrument. This enables him to apply the information he has learned thus far to a practical end. He will then study Music Theory, not only to improve his performance, but also to prepare him for the final item of the discipline: Composition. It seems rational that this should come last as composition seems to stand within the musical kingdom as the paramount endeavor, especially orchestral composition.

Finally, the seventh discipline is Contemporary Studies. This discipline is designed to provide the student with information that may be relevant to his life that may not yet have been incorporated into the standard knowledge base to the point that it would be covered in one of the six previous disciplines. As such, this discipline would function as a mutable discipline, and the subjects I have suggested here could easily be replaced or modified in order to better accommodate the intent of the discipline. As per my suggestions, the first year would be devoted to the subject of Cultural Studies, in order to provide the student with information concerning his own culture that may have been too specific to be included in his study of Anthropology. His second year would be concerned with Computer Science in order to enable him to function within a society of advanced computer technology, and also in order to introduce him to the field of computer science in case he should determine to specialize in that endeavor in his college studies. Basic theory and syntax of computer programming would be covered in this subject, but no specific programming language would be taught; rather the instruction would focus around understanding and working with different operating systems, understanding and working with computer hardware, and understanding and working with various essential and widely-used software. Thirdly would be Political Science. This would likewise function as an introduction to a field that could be of potential future interest to the student, and would cover political subjects specific to his own government, that would likewise be too specific to be included in his studies of Anthropology. This subject would also include instruction concerning the law of his country and province. In his fourth year the student would undertake the study of Film and Art. Emphasis would be placed on interpretation and criticism, but the subject would similarly function as an introduction to the two fields should the student desire to specialize in one or the other at a later point.

Having constructed what may be a more adequate structure of the Liberal Arts system and a more accurate representation of the knowledge base, we can progress to the issue of derivative syntax. Two issues in particular are of import in this regard: first, that standardization is necessary in order to achieve the highest quality; second, that the cataloging and free and immediate access to all original material required for the instruction of the Liberal Arts outlined above be affected. In order for these two necessities to be the case, a single educational program would have to be constructed and utilized as a standard, if not throughout the entire world, then at least throughout each individual country. Whatever the scope of the system, for the entire area it serviced, all original materials necessary for the program would have to be available to the participants. As an example, if part of the standard curriculum for the study of Poetry be Dante's Divine Comedy, then any student participating in the educational system must have immediate access to the Divine Comedy no matter his physical location. For this to work, it would also be necessary to strictly regulate the usage of derivative materials (and I am not talking about censorship here, which I am entirely against; I only speak of integration of materials into the educational system).

Next we consider the lack of Flow. As Andy mentioned in the comments to his first post, this is a difficult issue to address. The problem is twofold: first, some measure of discernment is necessary to distinguish measurements of capacity from measurements of willingness or incentive; second, the structure of the educational system must be of such design that it promotes the Flow state, rather than hindering it or disregarding it. My answer to the first problem is rather simple. There is no test or machine or other device in the world that can discern the human psyche (unless we want to go militant and have children hooked up to polygraph machines throughout their entire education... no thank you). Therefore, the only answer is good teachers, teachers who understand the concept of Flow and are equipped to perceive the student's psychological state and influence him toward enjoying and being dedicated to his work. Now the problem of where to get such good teachers is another issue entirely and one that I won't attempt to provide a solution to here. The second half of the problem is much more difficult to address, though it too was touched on in Andy's post and the subsequent responses. Csíkszentmihályi identifies eight factors relevant to the Flow state, which I shall list shortly. An examination of these factors may elicit insight into the problem at hand.

Csíkszentmihályi's eight factors of the Flow state:

• Clear Goals. Expectations and rules are discernible.
• Concentration. A high degree of concentration is devoted to a limited field of attention. The individual engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and to delve deeply into it.
• Immersion. There is a loss of self-consciousness or the merging of action and awareness.
• Isolation. There is a distorted sense of time such that the individual's subjective experience of time is altered.
• Direct and Immediate Feedback. Success and failure in the course of the activity are apparent so that behavior can be adjusted dynamically.
• Balance. The ability level and difficulty level are equal or near equal.
• Influence. A sense of personal control is maintained over the situation or activity.
• Benefit. The activity is intrinsically rewarding.

If we examine each of these points we can construe much of what is necessary for an educational system to promote a Flow state. The first point, Clear Goals, is relatively simple. The student should understand throughout the process of their education precisely where it is taking them and how the system works, as well as the potential consequences of failure. A career-oriented approach is preferable, and should be maintained and explored consistently throughout the educational process. The second point, Concentration, is also relatively simple. The student must be free from distractions, especially from the influence of peer pressure that is contradictory to a Flow state. Being mocked or bullied due to academic success must be an impossibility. Also, the student's work environment must be isolated from sensory distractions such as noise or visual stimulants unrelated to his work. A classroom environment is probably not ideal to promote Concentration. The third point, Immersion, is more of a side effect of a Flow state than a particular agenda in regard to its pursuit. However, it could be mentioned that the student must have adequate time to devote to a single subject, rather than being rushed from one subject to the next. I would probably venture to promote a system whereby a certain portion of each of the seven days of the week is devoted to a single discipline. This would permit 52 lessons in each subject a year, which in my mind would be more than sufficient to permit mastery of the subject, and depending on the student's rate of completion, he could have a much greater portion of time each day to himself, free from directed study. The fourth point, Isolation, is entirely a side effect of a Flow state, so I won't discuss it further. The fifth point, Direct and Immediate Feedback, however, is very intriguing. Rather than the student completing assignments and waiting days or even weeks to receive feedback, it is more ideal for the student to receive immediate feedback. In more subjective subjects such as Writing, this may be impossible as it will take the student's teachers time to consider his work. However, in purely factual subjects, such as Algebra, this could be an extremely important factor. The sixth point, Balance, could relate well to the fifth. If measurement is being made in real time of the student's performance, then adjustment to match his skill level with an appropriate difficulty level is also possible in real time. This could exponentially increase his rate of learning. The seventh point, Influence, is also very important. Rather than the student feeling as though he is being forced to engage in his studies, he should maintain some measure of authority and direction over his own work. Not only does this allow him a more positive attitude in regard to his work, it also enables him to experience the rewards or consequences of his own choices. The eighth point, Benefit, is of course the crux of the whole issue. The student's pursuit of his education must be an activity that is intrinsically rewarding. He must value the knowledge that he acquires in and of itself, not just the resultant career it may provide him.

In examining these points, I am reminded with striking clarity of the scene from the new Star Trek movie depicting Spock's education (god forbid, my stupid spellchecker doesn't know who Spock is... right click, add to dictionary... ok whew). It may seem a little far-fetched to some, but I am seriously of the opinion that it is not far off the mark, and that an implementation of a similar system, combined with the personal interaction with skilled teachers, could revolutionize our education system.

Concerning the next point, lack of cultural, social, and practical incentive, I would venture to say that such problems would largely evaporate should the issue of Flow be remedied. Students engaged in an educational system that promoted Flow would become, later in life, generations that provided a cultural and social incentive promoting education rather than discouraging it. As far as practical incentive is concerned, I would be prone to suggest that the educational system be constructed as a loaned service to be reimbursed by a period of unpaid apprenticeship, and that the exceptional student would be rewarded for his efforts by earning reductions to the time he would have to pay into this apprenticeship following his graduation. This seems to be a very reasonable incentive to me, but the question of its implementation and legal ramifications would require not a small amount of devoted effort to resolve.

Concerning the next point, research methods being untaught, I would personally consider a complete abolishment of the testing system to be a reasonable approach; students could then perceive their education as much more akin to a struggle toward the acquisition of permanently valuable information rather than as an effort to continuously meet certain excessive benchmarks for memorized information. Research as a process promotes this better paradigm, or rather, parallels it.

The last point, rote learning, would also be solved by proxy of the issues already discussed, for the educational system would be so constructed that each of the disciplines relate not only to their own progressing subjects, but also to each other, and to the future goals of the student. These connections would not be overlooked but rather emphasized throughout the educational process.

Well. I'm done. If anyone has had the patience to read this far, I would be very, very appreciative of a response. Once again, sorry you had to leave Facebook for a minute (or hour) to come read this on Blogger, but I do like to shamelessly promote my blog whenever I get the chance, and as this is a rather serious post I would rather have it here only than duplicate it. I'm big on efficiency, in case you couldn't tell from this very verbose and rambling lecture. Haha.