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| The ineffectiveness of “frictionless learning” is a recurring theme in current conversations at Denison and across higher ed. In this short essay, Vladimir Bratic explains how his concerns about frictionless learning are shaping his classroom strategies.
“Throughout history, humans invented technology in order to eliminate excess frictions which made life difficult and unproductive. The washing machine is an example of such a tool and today nobody looks back on washing clothes in the river with nostalgia. Productive friction, on the other hand, is the kind of effort that is the basis of real progress and meaningful growth. When we work through a hard problem without knowing the answer and sit in the discomfort of ambiguity, the pressure of thinking benefits us in the long run. Removing it damages the condition under which real learning occurs.” |