Education Archives

John Kotter: Change Management Is a Team Effort

What does John Kotter say about managing change? How is leading change similar to a team sport? Why is it so important to properly support developing leaders? According to John Kotter, change management is a team effort and should not all fall on one individual. This is because many organizations are interdependent, and a change in one department could dramatically affect another one. Here’s what Kotter says about managing change in an organization.

Why Soft Sciences Are Flawed and Available Solutions

Why Soft Sciences Are Flawed and Good Solutions

What are soft sciences? What is the problem with social sciences? Soft sciences are academic disciplines that seek to interpret human and societal behavior using qualitative analysis for which strictly measurable criteria may be impossible to establish. The problem with soft sciences is that the desire to achieve the level of precision in hard science has led to excessive complexity and the overuse of statistical models that ignore real elements of human behavior such as biases and vices. Read on to learn more about the problems with soft sciences and how they can be fixed.

The Importance of Continuous Learning to Life Success

What is the importance of continuous learning to success in life? What is the right way to learn? The ability of voracious readers to see the world differently and to constantly develop solutions to complex problems affirms the importance of continuous learning. To succeed in life, you need to spend each day trying to be smarter than when you woke up. The best way to learn is to figure things out yourself instead of being spoon-fed information that has been modified to suit the machinations of others. Read on to discover more about the importance of continuous learning.

How to Build a Latticework of Mental Models

Why should you build a latticework of mental models? Can mental models help you deal with your cognitive biases? Building a latticework of mental models will help you become a versatile problem solver. You will use multidisciplinary learning to combine ideas across different disciplines to find solutions. Mental models will also help you recognize the psychological biases that could influence you, leading to better decision-making. Read on to discover how to build your own latticework of mental models.

The 3 Most Effective Learning Strategies

What are the three slow learning strategies from Daniel Epstein’s book Range? Why are these strategies more effective than the traditional learning methods? In his book Range, Epstein describes three effective learning strategies: the generation effect, the spacing effect, and interleaving. All three of these methods would be considered slow and difficult learning methods because they require time and analysis rather than memorization and cramming. Keep reading to learn about Epstein’s three most effective learning strategies.

The Importance of Transferrable Skills for Your Career

Why is it better to experiment with different skills and hobbies rather than mastering one specialty? What is the importance of transferable skills? The traditional way of thinking says that it’s best to choose one specialty and focus your efforts on mastering it. However, according to David Epstein, the author of Range, it’s actually better to have a broad range of transferrable skills than one specialist skill. Here is why broad experience is better than specializing.

50 Types of Mental Models for Better Decision-Making

What are the major types of mental models? What should be your focus when learning a mental model? The many types of mental models cut across several disciplines including math, psychology, economics, physics, and more. They include models like Gaussian distribution, reciprocity, autocatalysis, and opportunity cost. Your focus should be on learning the fundamental meaning of these models and not their nitty-gritty details. Read on to discover more about the major types of mental models.

Self-Teaching: You Are Your Own Best Teacher

What are the benefits of self-teaching? Do you really learn more through slow, directionless learning? Is there such thing as overlearning? In his book Range, David Epstein asserts that the slow and directionless self-learning process is more effective than structured learning. This is because when you learn on your own, you’re forced to struggle through experimentation—which ultimately leads to a better understanding of the subject matter. Here is why learning through self-teaching may actually be better than taking structured classes.

“How” and “Why” Questions: Which Are More Valuable?

Are “how” or “why” questions more valuable? Which one is more often used in the education system? Although asking both “how” and “why” questions is necessary, “why” questions are more important because they get the recipient thinking. “Why” questions are slow and difficult and increase one’s critical thinking skills. Sadly, they’re not asked enough in schools. Here’s why “why” questions are such valuable learning tools.

The 3 Levels of Engagement: Play, Test, and Practice

What are the three levels of engagement? Which level is the most effective for learning a skill? According to Angela Duckworth in Grit, the three levels of engagement are play, testing, and deliberate practice. Duckworth thought that deliberate practice was the only way to really improve at something, but many experts disagree and say that play and testing are just as important. Continue reading to learn more about the three levels of engagement, according to Angela Duckworth.