Learning by Design as Opposed to Learning by Rote

Would you like to have a teacher telling you exactly what you have to reproduce in your exams or would you much rather solve problems and write answers in your own words? There is a difference between internalizing knowledge and memorizing concepts as facts. If you really wish to learn then memorizing by rote will not take you a long way forward. It may seem convenient but it only seems convenient. In reality and principle memorization is neither convenient nor enriching. In the United States the positive aspect in the system of education is that you are not encouraged to swallow chunks of matter and store them in memory. You are taught to reflect on what you are taught. This is what we call learning by design.

Learning by design is a completely different philosophy of learning where efforts are made to make concepts deducible through reason, creativity and common sense. You are not encouraged to store knowledge through force as that is not learning. It is a common belief that axioms in Mathematics, formulae in Chemistry and tables cannot be taught creatively. That is quite simply our own limitation. We may be required to take axioms for granted but that does not mean that memorizing them blindly is the answer. We can always apply pattern recognition and games through which we can remember basic facts or axioms. This is knowledge by coincidence. It is a bit tricky as the intention is to learn but the learning and storage of concepts is a natural consequence of a tutor-student interaction and not an enforced one.

In your online classes Mathematics and Science are taught as gifts of humanity. The moment you start pursuing online education you will notice that learning is organised but it is not artificial. Tutoring employs genuine methods of interaction where through your natural response you will begin to learn. You will then realize the leaps you have made in your chosen subjects be it Geometry or Calculus. Online tutoring employs the technique ‘learning by design’ as that is the most transparent way of education. Be transparent with yourself when you learn. When in doubt raise questions and your tutor will be ready and more than happy to guide you. Your tutor will encourage your unique perspectives. So do not shy away from sharing your signature style of thinking.