Accelerated Learning Skeptics

I've been blogging about accelerated learning for months now.  I'm surprised by all the resistance to speeding up the learning process.  I've yet to see the value of slow learning but there are a lot of people adamant about it.  Remember the story about the tortise and the hare, well I've put another animal in the mix.  That's the cheetah.  Not only did the cheetah win the race, he also ate the tortise and the hare.

The first thing that has to happen in this discussion is to assume that the results are different but one method is faster than the other.  For example, if you can read a book with 100% comprehension is it better to read it in one hour or six.  The value of going faster is significant.  This means I can read 6 books in the time it takes you to read one..or I could read the same book 6 times.  I know you'll say that you'll pick up more of the nuance if you read slower.  I'd say that's more a function of your reading ability that your speed.  But again, we start with the assumption that the results are the same.

Take the example of learning algebra.  Let's set the results at being able to solve any algebra problem.  You know the ones about the trains leaving different stations.  Would you prefer to get to this level in 6 weeks or 6 months.  Same result, only the time is different.

So who might have something to lose if students learn faster?  Well some might think it's a threat to job security for teachers.  Indeed if students learn faster, it reduces teacher time as well.  If K-12 became k-8 with identical results, that's a big reduction in teachers.  The upside is that people who know more and learn faster want to learn more.  So teachers could expand their offerings.

Interestingly in a business setting, learning faster is at a premium.  Executives understand the costs of not having employees up-to-speed.  In fact, if the training was only an hour that would be okay.  It's the resutls that matter.

So in the argument about slow versus fast, if the results are the same I can't think of any situation where fast doesn't win.