Real learning realizes that the brain is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. This kind of learning requires teachers to step aside more often than their egos would prefer. The problem seems to be that the educational process is not designed for learning but for teaching. This essay suggests that real learning can flourish face-to-face in small groups.

Russell D. Roberts is the president of Shalem College in Jerusalem, Israel, and the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is the founder and host of the weekly podcast EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious. His latest book is Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us.
EducationHigher Education
Other Independent Review articles by Russell D. Roberts
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