Children only learn what they want
The Zurich University of Teacher Education Intrinsic Campus teaches the methods of intrinsic learning - in other words, learning out of one's own motivation. In other words, children should learn what they want to learn. «My learning plan is based on current experiences and the needs of my everyday life - these lead me to my interests and talents,» says Christian Müller. The business economist founded the Intrinsic Campus with Daniel Straub, a learning expert and former head of a Montessori school.
The concept: pupils learn some of the subject matter individually and digitally, for example through high-quality YouTube tutorials. Teachers and coaches help the students to find their way through the sea of information available on the internet. Pupils decide what they want to learn and to what extent.
Away from rigid CVs - towards an individualised life path
This is also changing the role of the teacher, says Müller: «It used to make more sense to teach according to a strict curriculum. In times of industrialisation, service by the book was required. "The economy expected employees to follow orders. Today, on the other hand, other skills are important,» says Müller. The children and adults of tomorrow need to think more creatively. «In the new digitalised society, many jobs will disappear and people will have to find their own recipes and their own individual path,» Christian Müller is convinced.
«In this generation, the focus is no longer on increasing prosperity - but on solving the really big questions in the digital age,» says the economist. Children need to be prepared for this - as do the teachers of the future. In the teacher training programme at the Intrinsic Campus, prospective teachers therefore learn in a similar way to their pupils: closely supported by experts and coaches, individually tailored to their needs and capacities.
Is basic social knowledge being lost?
But what happens when the child has a slump, when the inner motivation to learn and discover something new is suddenly gone? «Parents have to endure such phases,» says Müller. It's part of the process. In his view, it is also important to «get away from thinking «I have to» and let go of expectations of what a 7-year-old, for example, already has to master». Curiosity usually comes back, you just have to give it time and space.
Critics of learning for pleasure, on the other hand, fear that basic social knowledge will be lost. A common knowledge that also represents the kit of a society. For example, how can a young person understand the international movement «Black lives matter» and the concerns of the African-American population without knowing anything about the slave trade? Or how can it be ensured that children and young people learn English or acquire the most important maths rules? A subject that is not a favourite for many.
«Learning material that has nothing to do with the students' genuine interest is forgotten within weeks.»
That is certainly an argument, replies Christian Müller. But: «The reality in Switzerland today is that around 20 per cent of school leavers do not have a comprehensive basic knowledge,» says Müller. «In today's rapid digital development, other skills are needed, not everyone has to be able to do everything in the same way.» Expertise is always available on the internet. Conversely, this means: Anyone who wants to deal with a topic out of interest will do so, specialise in it and pass on their knowledge. «Learning material that has nothing to do with the students' genuine interest is forgotten within weeks anyway,» says Müller.
«The experience with homeschooling during the lockdown has shown that education works very well regardless of time and place with the right methodology,» says Christian Müller. In addition: «The personal responsibility and self-organisation in learning that are trained in this way are important skills in Curriculum 21». According to Müller, these are qualities that provide young people with sustainable tools to go their own way in a self-determined and responsible manner in the age of digitalisation.
4 tips from Christian Müller on how parents can promote intrinsic learning in their child:
- Observe where the child is drifting and start there
- Allow for playfulness
- Get away from thinking «I have to»
- Let go of expectations of what your child «should already know or learn» according to their age
Intrinsic Campus
The Intrinsic Campus was founded in 2019 and explores school culture in the digital age with its prototype of a new type of teacher training programme. The thesis is that digitalisation in education is individual work on realistic challenges. Pupils and teachers use technical tools to work on topics at their own pace and using appropriate methods, regardless of time and place. The philosophy behind it: Providing scope for inspiration and mutual support in the classroom enables sustainable and enjoyable learning.
www.intrinsic.ch
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