Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Charting a new course
Excerpts from article by Divya Lal published in The Hindu
Why constant innovation is required in the education sector, especially with the advent of edtech
Almost every aspect of life has been transformed by the Internet and technological innovations that have made it easier for us to communicate, cooperate and connect with each other, and widened our social networks and professional orbits.
Amid the pandemic, India has seen an exponential adoption of online learning that has made home-schooling more pertinent than ever. Many edtech platforms have been launched to help schools, children, and parents tide over this unusual disruption. From face-to-face to live conferencing classes, from written tests to online assessments, from class quizzes to gamified assessment, face-to-face and one-on-one to group and interactive learning, there has been a complete transformation with AI, AR, VR and other new-age technology playing a key role.
The need
Everyone has adapted to newer technologies and developed a level of comfort that did not exist before. Interactions with teachers and school heads have shown that the former, despite having to learn the nuances of online education overnight, worked extremely hard to ensure that learning did not stop. This has only accelerated the need for constant innovation and development. Educational innovation concerns all stakeholders — schools, students, parents, teachers, administrators, policy makers, and requires their active participation and support.
AI and Machine Learning (ML) are beginning to alter education tools and changing what the future might look like. It is estimated that, in the near future, students will have personalised assistants to guide and help them through the education process. Gamification of learning has used video game designs as collaborative features for positive peer challenge and to maximise enjoyment and engagement by capturing the students’ interest and inspiring them to continue learning.
The pandemic has become a signal event that has helped chart a new course in education technology and delivery. Software, hardware and newer advancements combined with user-friendly and target-specific apps are beginning to play a huge role in helping bridge the learning gap.
Career
9 mental models that can help boost your career
Excerpts from article by Devashish Chakravarty, published in The Economic Times
A mental model is an image or representation in your mind about how the world works. The more mental models that you can use from your toolkit, the more effective you are. Consider a simple mental model like multiplication—it’s faster than adding the same number many times.
1. First Principles
Elon Musk is disrupting multiple industries at the same time including space exploration and automobiles. His biggest mental model is reasoning from first principles. The best way to practice is thinking on your own, separating a large problem into smaller parts and finding new answers. For Musk, buying a rocket was expensive so he started with the basic price of aluminium, copper etc and figured out how to reduce a bulk of the cost.
2. Circle of Competence
This mental model is your single most valuable strategy for success and wealth in your career. Investment billionaires Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger developed this concept and the motto: “Know your circle of competence, and stick within it. The size of that circle is not very important; knowing its boundaries, however, is vital.” Using this, you can focus your efforts for best rewards and know where you need help.
3. Feynman Technique
Bill Gates called Richard Feynman the best teacher I never had. The Nobel prize winning physicist and teacher is known for his four-step learning technique. Study your chosen topic. Try to explain it to a 10-year old, either physically or in your mind. Thus, true mastery is only when you can explain the most complex subject in simple words.
4. Regret Minimisation
Jeff Bezos, currently the world’s richest man, used the Regret Minimisation framework to quit a great job and participate in the internet boom and start Amazon. Are you struggling with a tough decision like switching a career? Ask yourself whether you will regret your proposed decision when you are 80 or even five years later? Go with the option that causes the least regret.
5. Reframing
When you are stuck for answers to a question, the best mental model is to reframe the situation. As you try new perspectives, the question will change and multiple answers will come through. One way is to switch between past and future —if this were true, what would I do now? Similarly between the views of different people, liability vs asset or victim vs choice. Ask: What have I gained in the pandemic? Or, what small step can I take to avoid this situation? What would I do if I wanted to lose customers get fired?
6. Availability Bias
Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel prize winning psychologist, says that we tend to take mental shortcuts in decision making by relying on the most recent information that we remember. Thus, you may be judged heavily on a recent mistake or success at work. Your customers will remember the recent advertisement You will be biased by the recent news. Taking notes, reviewing past data and questioning why can guide you to better results at work.
7. Actor Observer Bias
When judging people as an observer, you believe all actions come from their personality leading to Fundamental Attribution Error. However, as an actor, you may believe that your own actions arose from the situation and not personality. This leads to a large blind spot in your career and poor relationships. Use MRI—Most Respectful Interpretation—to judge any action and thus improve your options and relations.
8. Thinking Grey
Steven Sample in his book The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership asks you to pause on instant judgments and snap decisions. Don’t see the world in black and white and see the grey in between. Hence, delay your decision as much as is reasonable to buy time to think, gather information and to go beyond your immediate thoughts around stupid, bad, false, enemy etc. This improves both your leadership and quality of decision.
9. Multiplication by Zero
Prabhkiran Singh, a Founder of Bewakoof, believes sudden deaths and breakdowns of stressed professionals and entrepreneurs is a zero outcome case and thus invests an hour in daily exercise and says no to unhealthy habits and addictions. Which tasks or choices in your project, career or life carry a multiplication by zero risk.
Use your tools
- Pursue
Before you use, you must know. Choose the mental model you like and read up online. You will get a sense of when it works and doesn’t. Think about similar stories from your past or current work where this model works or explains the event.
- Print
After knowing the model, write it down in a note card or print it. Similarly, pursue as many models that interest you and print or write out small cards. Keep them around where you will see them often and thus remember.
- Pick
Now learn to use a few at a time until it becomes second nature. Pick up the top three or five that seem most relevant to you. Think about situations where you will need them.
- Pause
Next examine that 80% of your day where you work without thinking. Pause the flow of your work and examine your long term and short term assumptions. Using your favourite models, question your career, role, tasks and what you are doing right now.
- Partner
To become an expert with your models, find a friend who will enjoy this journey as much as you do. Discuss your excitement about what you learnt, what worked and what didn’t, The more you share and bounce off, the faster you become a mental model master.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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