In education, we often overcomplicate learning.
It’s really quite simple: people learn best by doing. Nothing to do with different learning styles. I’ve always believed that to be a concocted view of education – created by academics distant from the classroom.
Much of what I do is create experiences that enable active, hands-on learning. This means designing curricula where students aren’t passive recipients of information, but active participants in their own learning.
What does “learning by doing” look like?
• Create hands-on activities
• Design simulations that mirror real-world scenarios
• Create exercises where theory is immediately applied
• Build assessments that require demonstration of skills
• Develop projects that challenge learners to solve actual problems
Take public speaking, for instance.
You don’t learn confidence by reading about it. You learn by speaking, getting feedback, and iteratively improving. A curriculum should provide structured opportunities to practice, fail, reflect, and grow.
The goal isn’t just knowledge transfer—it’s skill development. When learners do, they understand. When they do this repeatedly, they master.
Learning is an active verb.
