optimizing education

[SyThink@aol.com]

Wednesday, August 11, 1999

It is my theory that if one were to thoroughly apply Deming's principles, 
especially his concepts of system optimization, to education systems, several 
traditional practices in addition to "A" "B+" etc. type grades (discussed 
recently on the DEN) would be sloughed off.  These would probably include:

-- 12 years of grade school usually preceded by kindergarten and possibly 
followed by college (this is the U.S. model).  (Why 12 years?  Why not 13 or 
5 or 16 or 3 or 28?  What are the years *for*?)

-- Divisions called "preschools," "elementary schools," "middle schools," 
"high schools," "colleges," and "universities."  (Are these divisions 
helpful, or more an arbitrary function of tradition?  Might they not be 
suboptimizing intrasystem barriers?)

-- Semesters or terms, as they are known now.  (What if a semester is too 
little or too much to do the job?)

-- Classes or courses, as they are known now.  (What if a body of knowledge 
needs a different kind of unit?)

-- Credit-hours and transcripts.  (Any necessary relation to competence?)

-- High school diplomas, college and university degrees.  (Again, any 
necessary relation to competence?)

-- "Honor" societies; separate "honors" curricula and colleges.  (Deming 
nightmare.)

-- Tests or evaluations after which nothing is necessarily done if a student 
scores below all-correct.  (Lost opportunity.)

-- Textbooks that every student uses.  (Is a single, given textbook optimally 
suited to serve all learners in a given instance in time?)

Here are a few features of what I would imagine a Deming-based education 
system would look like:

-- A wide menu of services, and service delivery options, would be available 
to serve the precise, moment-in-time needs of individual learners, for a full 
range of existing development and competency.

-- Useful standards for competencies would be developed as needed by society, 
and these standards would be operationally defined by specific demonstrations 
of competency.

-- Teaching methods would be designed for maximum synergy of effect.  Subject 
matters would be integrated to match reality.

-- People would be motivated to learn because it is satisfying and joyful, 
not because they will get bad mark if they don't.

-- The system would have the means to constantly evolve and improve its own 
activities.

Mike Makepeace
systemsThink
http://www.sythink.com
P O Box 811 / Fennville MI 49408
ph. 616 857-5520
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