Teaching with context, not control

You can read this article in Spanish published on Revista Inspiración Educativa México.

It is Saturday night, time to watch a movie. You turn on your Netflix, select your favorite genre, and voilà! There are hundreds of movies to pick from. Are you in the mood for a longer story? You can choose to binge your favorite series. Not long ago, on-demand streaming was unimaginable - someone else decided what content you could watch and which day and time. In today’s world, users are in charge. There is a context (on-demand streaming) where you can watch any movie anywhere, at any time.

In the expansive realm of education, a paradigm shift is brewing. Schools worldwide are at a crossroads, contending with rapid technological advancements, fresh pedagogical strategies, and an evolving societal matrix to serve a digital generation accustomed to being in charge. The call for transformation is loud and clear: to shake up the existing educational model and move away from rigidity and control towards a more fluid and empowering approach or fail on the mission to educate the young. After all, schools haven’t changed much since the 1700s.

What could be a better example of this concept than Netflix, which has consistently defied traditional business models to unprecedented success? In his book “No Rules Rules” co-authored with Erin Meyer, Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings shares how he built a company culture where employees are granted incredible levels of autonomy, nurtured by a context-setting leadership model.

Since it was founded in 1997, Netflix has grown to over 12,000 employees and $31.6 billion in revenue (2022). Of course, there were big mistakes along the way, such as the subscription price increase in 2010 that motivated thousands of customers to drop out. One may think that the solution to avoid such flaws is to tighten the decision-making process. But it did not happen. Netflix stood up, cleaned the dust, and continued forward with the same autonomous culture, along with learning from its mistakes.

The essence of Netflix's culture is a compelling model from which educators can draw inspiration. Today’s fast-paced, app-driven world urges education systems to discard the authoritarian, pyramid-like power structure and embrace a tree-like model, setting context rather than strict controls. A controlled environment calls for one curriculum with specific resources to teach from and one correct answer for each question. A tree-like model has a learning framework (context) that students (branches) use to learn, grow, and flourish to their highest potential.

There's a valuable lesson for educators: transitioning from a traditional pyramid-like authority, where rules and restrictions limit teachers' and students' autonomy, to a tree-like model where context sets the tone and direction. The traditional educational model seems archaic in today's fast-paced, information-dense world. Students are no longer empty vessels to be filled with knowledge; they are critical thinkers, digital natives, and active participants in their education.

Just think about it: the brain is the only organ born without instruction. We are created to learn, and students are eager to do it. Do you still have doubts? Just check the online course with the most enrollments ever on Coursera, “Learning How to Learn” by Dr. Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski. How can we bring “learning how to learn” to the classroom experience?

Teachers must take on the role of context setters, akin to the trunk of a tree. They provide the learning framework and guide the classroom's overall direction, but each student — each branch — can explore within that framework. The trunk provides the grounding, and the branches reach out, exploring various paths rooted in the same fundamental context or framework. Moreover, the trunk focuses on what students already have while using the external resources available. When we focus on content, we require textbooks, labs, etc. When focusing on skills, we use whatever is around us to develop abilities such as goal setting, planning, research, etc.

During the pandemic, my organization live-streamed webinars where autonomous learners could share their learning experiences at home. One of these students, 11-year-old Brenda, received an email from my team with a letter that one of her parents had to sign and authorize her to participate in the webinar. She read the email at an Internet Café and did not have money to print the document. Instead of answering back to communicate that, she transcribed the letter on a piece of paper, got her mother’s signature on it, took a picture with a cousin’s phone, and sent it back to us. Brenda’s skills learned at school prepare her to function in any environment.

The benefits of this approach are multi-dimensional. Students learn to work autonomously, develop decision-making skills, and apply their learning to real-world situations. It nurtures a sense of ownership and responsibility over their education, transforming passive learning into an active pursuit. Moreover, this prepares them for the future world of work, which increasingly values autonomy, creativity, and critical thinking over rule-following.

In a world where information is readily accessible, teachers must transition from mere knowledge disseminators to learning facilitators. They should offer the 'why' behind the 'what' and 'how.' For instance, in a lesson about climate change, a teacher might pose a problem instead of delivering facts: How can we reduce our carbon footprint at school? The teacher provides the context — climate change and its impacts — and students explore solutions, fostering engagement and relevance under a learning framework.

This context-driven teaching is far from free-for-all. It comes with high expectations and accountability, just as in Netflix's culture. Students are expected to participate, collaborate, and contribute actively. On the other hand, teachers must be prepared to step back, allowing students the freedom to explore while providing support when necessary. The earlier students can become autonomous learners and practice skills throughout their schooling, the more they will be ready to succeed in this ever-changing world.

This method also encourages inclusive education. Removing stringent rules creates an environment where diverse learning styles and thinking can flourish, regardless of students’ proficiency levels. It acknowledges that not all students learn the same way, thus creating a more equitable learning environment.

However, a shift of this magnitude comes with challenges. In a system traditionally designed for control, changing the status quo takes time, effort, and a considerable upgrade in mindset from educators, parents, and administrators. Existing evaluation models, like standardized tests, will not capture the full range of skills and knowledge that students acquire through context-based learning. Therefore, assessment models must evolve in tandem, focusing on skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and learning autonomy rather than rote memorization.

Netflix's story shows that the journey may be filled with mistakes and setbacks. However, the potential rewards — a dynamic, engaged, and inclusive learning environment that truly prepares students for the future — make the journey worthwhile. After the subscription price increase debacle, Netflix dusted itself off and learned from the experience, so educators must be willing to learn, adapt, and move forward. 

It's time for a new educational paradigm where teachers lead with context, not control. Just as Netflix revolutionized entertainment, let's revolutionize education. Teaching with context can become a habit – it is just a matter of practice. After all, in the words of Albert Einstein, "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."