Now

Here are some of the problems I’ve been interested in:

  1. How can we transform the current learning system from obligation and social signals and truly nurture our curiosity and personal growth? It seems that learning is strongly tied to the incentives of social expectation and success. Yet, discovering people’s inner motivation can still make social success a by-product, making the choice of personal growth and success a false dichotomy. How might we engineer an environment more like this?
    1. What I build: None. I see Minerva, Exploratorium, and buildspace as successful cases, but I don’t know how to experiment with this yet.
    2. What I write:
      1. Advice on curiosity
      2. Learning shouldn't be a transaction, but an experience
      3. I don’t know shit. People don’t either
  2. How to collect learning that isn’t taught in school? Schools teach us subjects and knowledge, while the many important lessons are often not taught (e.g., confidence in engineering, how to “behave” in the workplace, how to be okay with making mistakes). How do we create an environment, community, and experiences to facilitate learning?
    1. What I build:
      1. Digital elements to learn from the teachers around you
    2. What I host:
      1. How to navigate the tech environment as a women
      2. How to get over the fear of rejection
    3. What I write
      1. Lesson in Minerva #4: What is Perspective?
  3. How do we create learning-driven tech products rather than tech-driven learning products? So far, we see tech-driven individual lonely learning like MOOCs is unable to replace traditional education. Plus, most tech companies working on content haven't worked well either (except Duolingo, even if it’s not effective learning). If I can only do tech, what opportunities exist? (See Note)
    1. What I build
      1. Turn a lengthy scary curriculum into a playful learning experience
      2. Visualizing vocabulary
      3. Rethink the self-learning journey for a junior engineer
    2. What I write:
      1. Reimagine digital learning experiences
      2. Why most AI curriculums suck

I might be terribly wrong on the premises or observations. Anyway, opinion is a belly button; everyone has one.

Note: Even with the rise of AI, it seems that many AI companies serve technology, not people. Yet, Nitesh mentioned Twitter and Pinterest have been teachers' great resources even though the purpose isn't even for education. I wonder if the indirect impact on education is worth exploring (?)

For tech products, the entertainment style of learning (e.g., TikTok, YouTube) seems to be much more prevalent and widely accepted (even though the effectiveness is questionable). But shall we dismiss or shall we leverage?

Lastly, content-driven ed-tech products are still working under the assumption of a certain format of learning (how people should learn and what to consume), while both learners and teachers are also opinionated on it already. Given the existing system, is that really the right premise to base on?