Practical implications. Applying the HLT to education would produce these recommendations: (Page no-151)
- Help each child improve from his or her own starting point. Do not set the bar for success
at any one level for everyone. It will be too easy for some, too hard for others, and just
right for very few. - Concentrate on individual achievement, not group achievement. The so-called achievement
gap is based on statistical averages based on large groups beyond the reach of any teacher
or school district. - Reward improvement and success for a variety of learning outcomes. The high-stakes
testing programs tend to sample with multiple-choice items just a few mathematics and
English comprehension areas. Success in this world is possible in countless additional ways—
computer skills, singing, dancing, painting, archeology, psychology, chemistry, football,
golf, history, biology, foreign languages, and food preparation to name just a few. - Make the educational process satisfying and enjoyable for all participants—students,
teachers, parents, counselors, and administrators. Suffering is neither necessary nor desirable
for learning to take place. - Arrange circumstances that require students to perform valuable learning tasks. Students
learn best from their own actions, not from lectures. - Assess the outcomes of education by the performance of students and graduates in the real
world. Marking bubbles on a multiple choice answer sheet is not the goal of education.
Excerpt from
The Happenstance Learning Theory-John D. Krumboltz-Journal of Career Assessment 2009; 17; 135 originally published online Dec 30, 2008;DOI: 10.1177/1069072708328861