Curb cuts in learning and work

This article is going to start off sounding like a bit of a flex, but there is a point I want to get across and it needs a bit of backstory.

Ready?

Flex time 💪

A student of mine sent me this recently:

Hi! I LOVE this teaching methodology.

I was a bit scared before coming to the workshop.

I do not like much talking about it, but I have been diagnosed with a "bit" of ADHD. I struggle mentally a lot with instructor-led training, as it is difficult for me to grasp all the details when the instructor lectures non-stop.

Your methodology is great for me, as I can go back if I miss an important detail, and I feel that I have some sense of control over the content I am learning... plus it is hands-on

Thanks

I loved this feedback because it showed me that I was getting something very important right.

The workshop was something I ran through Prelude, my training company. I've been running these things for a while and they are intentionally quite... unusual.

They are unusual in that they don't resemble traditional education much at all.

There are no sage-on-the-stage lectures; people get to move through the work at their own pace (because mastery based learning friggin' rocks); and the students are treated like adults with agency instead of being told what to do all the time (although, strong recommendations are made).

I trust my students, let them get on with things in a way that fits in with their lives, and let them manage their own attention how they need to.

Some people find the experience a little strange in the beginning, even jarring. Some people start off feeling pretty concerned and unsure. But as things progress and folks lean in, things go well.

An education system designed for humans

Something I'm trying hard to do is design learning experiences that work for most humans (Well, most english speaking humans with a software development background. But anyway...)

There are many education systems that are not designed with this type of robustness in mind.

Many education systems force everyone to move at the same pace. This is bad for folks who need to take more time to polish foundational skills, or who have any other challenges to work with. It's also bad for the folks who are fully capable of moving faster than the group.

It's better to build a system that allows folks to move at their own optimal pace. This has challenges, but it's worth it.

Many education systems force everyone to pay close attention as a lecture is delivered in real time.

This is bad for anyone who is not able to pay perfect attention throughout the lecture (most people). It is especially bad for anyone who needs to spend extra time understanding the words being said (folks who are missing foundational skills, or who are learning in a second language). It's also especially bad for anyone who has challenges around focus (for example any students with a bit of ADHD, or with a crying baby in the next room).

Lectures can be useful. But they would be way better for everyone if it was possible to pause or rewind.

There are many more examples like this - of systems and conventions that people rely on and expect that are sub-optimal. If educators were to rethink the mechanisms of education - the experience of learning - from the ground up, a lot would be done differently.

What has this got to do with "curb cuts"?

The title of this article talks about curb cuts. Let's dig into that for a moment.

A curb cut is a small ramp build into a curb. They are ramps that go from the top of a side walk, the the surface of the adjoining street.

They were designed and advocated for by folks who needed to get around in wheelchairs. It's a long story, you can read all about it on the 99% invisible website. I also highly encourage you to listen to the podcast.

There are a few things I want to highlight about curb cuts:

1. For some people, curb cuts are critical

For people in wheelchairs, getting around can be impossible without curb cuts.

If you’re trying to get across the street and there are no curb cuts, six inches might as well be Mount Everest - Lawrence Carter Long

2. Curb cuts are good for everyone

Curb cuts were advocated for for one group of people, but a lot of other folks find them useful.

Bicyclists, old folks with walkers, parents pushing baby-strollers, delivery people pushing trolleys, anyone with a roller bag... Curb cuts are so useful that many people feel that they were designed just for them.

This effect is big enough that it has its own name and Wikipedia entry. It's called The Curb Cut Effect.

The curb cut effect is the phenomenon of disability-friendly features being used and appreciated by a larger group than the people they were designed for. - Wikipedia

Curb cuts in education and beyond

When building out education systems and learning experiences, I try to build in curb cuts. These curb cuts are not specifically focused on disabilities, but rather on perfectly normal life challenges.

Many people have struggles with focus. Many people would struggle to catch up to a cohort of learners if they missed a few classes. Many people have imperfect memories and need to be told things more than once. Many people have struggles with motivation as they learn because they have competing concerns.

If we account for humans being humans as we build out learning experiences, people do better. It's useful to be aware of the challenges of the people you serve, and build systems that are robust to those challenges.

There are the standard-issue human difficulties I already mentioned, as well as group specific problems. Imagine teaching a group of folks who have financial difficulties - they might have attendance difficulties because life is complicated and they have fewer options. If a person misses a few lessons because the internet was unreliable, or their transport didn't show up, or they had some disaster to deal with, then the system should be robust to that. Anything less would be setting people up to struggle and fail for reasons outside their control - reasons that have nothing to do with their own capabilities and will to learn.

Oh the humanity

There is another podcast I would like to recommend. It might not seem totally relevant at first but listen to it to the end, it's a good one:

Hidden Brain - The Scarcity Trap: Why We Keep Digging When We're Stuck In A Hole

Us humans are embedded in so many systems - education, work, social policies, unwritten social contracts... many of these things are designed (explicitly or not) in ways that do not seem to account for our humanity.

For example, I was once stuck in one of those toxic-positive workplaces where the mere hint that people might be a little forgetful, inattentive, or prone to sticking to existing habits when new and uncomfortable habits would serve them better was, let's say, frowned upon. It was a bit of a mess.

Not every workplace is as bad as that, but think for a moment about where and how you work. If you are an information worker (which you probably are if you are reading this) then think about how your workplace encourages useful habits and behaviours; how it protects and directs attention; and how it sets people up to make the best decisions possible.

It is worth being intentional about these things. It's worth thinking about how people tend to fall short of the robotic expectations so often set. It's worth designing workplaces that set humans up for success.

It isn't only kind, it's effective.