America’s education system was a groundbreaking effort to help a growing nation thrive in the 19th century. Now, 200 years later, the world has changed; the horizon looks drastically different. Collectively, we need to redesign our education system to enable all of our children — and, by extension, our nation — to thrive today and tomorrow. “Horizon Three” or “H3” names the future-ready system we need, one that is grounded in equity serving learners’ individual strengths and needs as well as the common good. This series provides a glimpse of where H3 is already being designed and built. It also includes provocations about how we might fundamentally reimagine learning for the future ahead. You can learn more about the horizons framing here.
By: Chris Unger
In the complex chemistry of education, motivation stands out as a powerful catalyst, accelerating the reactions between a student’s latent potential and their actual engagement and achievement. This catalytic role is particularly potent when we empower youth to pursue their interests and become agents of their own learning. But this transformation most often comes when fueled by students’ true interests and intrinsic motivation – that which propels students to pursue learning not for external rewards, but for learning itself. And in an environment that fuels the reaction that leads to learner transformation.
Horizon 3 learning environments pay attention to motivation in very different ways than traditional schools, representing a paradigm shift in education. They move away from reorienting students to what we want them to learn and how we want them to learn it, to new pedagogies and curricular designs that focus on what drives and engages the learner. In traditional schools, we actually do battle with learners’ intrinsic drives and interests. We tell them to sit down and pay attention. We threaten them with bad grades if they don’t turn in their work on time or do it as we want them to. And we berate them if they aren’t paying attention to what we want them to pay attention to. But to what? And for whom? Us?
H3 Schools: Paying Attention to Learners’ Intrinsic Interests … and Why
Horizon 3 learning environments operate differently. The educators, mentors, and advisors are paying attention to what intrinsically drives their learners. What they are interested in. What they want to do. What they want to make and create. The difference they want to make in the world. This approach takes students’ authentic interests seriously and even build their practices to assist them in their pursuit of those interests. And in such a way that students are also acquiring the skills and their ability to be self-directed that will benefit them going forward – how to thrive in a rapidly changing world. These schools place great value on their learners’ deeper learning, development of durable skills and competencies, and put their energy into a broader definition of success for their learners that includes life skills, career readiness, and civic engagement. Not getting A’s. Not passing in papers. Not focused on covering prescribed state content. But rather focused on the development of their learners’ agency to see, think, and act in the world that transcends the coverage of content and subjects.
The plethora of research on learner engagement and learner outcomes through intrinsic interest vs. extrinsic rewards is tall – a mountain of evidence. When one pays attention to what inherently and intrinsically engages a learner, and creates opportunities, experiences, and supports where students can follow those interests, learning looks, feels, and sounds very different. Learners are meaningfully engaged. They are pursuing learning activities because they want to learn. They want to know. They want to get better at something. They want to build, create, make, or do something because they want to, not have to. They are driven by their own curiosity and intrinsic need to do something. Thomas Edison didn’t make bulb after lightbulb because someone told him he had to. Marie Curie didn’t experiment with radioactivity because someone said, “You better, or else.” The same for Da Vinci and his experiments in science and art. Virginia Woolf, Hemingway, and Bradbury, their explorations in writing. They all did what they did because they wanted to. And they were persistent in these activities because they wanted to. Our schools are not designed to assist learners in their learning “because they want to.”
Horizon 3 schools tilt the iceberg upside down and work to build on their learners’ inherent interests to drive their learning, even working hard to assist them in identifying what they are interested in and assisting them in pursuing those interests, including getting good at what they want to get good at. When schools are designed in this way, learning outcomes are different: we see deeper engagement, enhanced learning, increased ownership of students learning, and increased learner agency.
The Stories of Kayden, Shelby, and Ted at Three Horizon 3 Schools
Three schools that exemplify Horizon 3 learning environments and how a central focus on learners’ intrinsic interests can deepen meaningful learning are Big Picture Schools, the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program, and One Stone in Boise Idaho.
Big Picture Schools focus on personalized learning, real-world experiences, and student agency, with students in charge of their personal learning plans, pursuing their interests through internships, and pursuing personal learning projects. CAPS programs get kids out of the school building with the usual rotation of periods across traditional disciplines and immerse them in profession-based learning journeys, where students spend half a day undertaking client-based projects, interest-driven internships, and learning how to think and act professionally through their numerous interactions with adults in their communities. One Stone focuses on their students taking ownership of their learning, pursuing personal projects, interest-driven internships, and community-connected contributions, pursuing what they call “living in beta.”
To illustrate the transformative power of such Horizon 3 (H3) learning environments and their potential impact, let’s dig into the stories of three students and how their H3 learning environment contributed to who they are and their future journeys. The interviews with students and alumni of Gibson Ek High School and the GO CAPS Monett program were facilitated through America Succeed’s Research Practice Collaborative study looking at how schools assist and support the development of their students’ Durable Skills.
Kayden, the Industrial Psychologist, from One Stone. Kayden was lost. Disengaged. Depressed. And disappointed with his experience in high school. “What’s in it for me?” He was more than capable of doing well in school but struggled academically because he felt disconnected from any real reason to learn, which pressed him to seek out whether there were any alternatives to schooling as he had come to know it. Researching online, he came across the late great Sir Ken Robinson and his TED talks, which lit a fire under him. And then discovered that there were a number of schools that were “doing school” differently, eventually coming across One Stone.
Upon entering, Kayden at first struggled not knowing how to take advantage of the opportunity to direct his own learning. As he said, he was biding his time and not doing much at first, but one day, Chad, the founding Director at Lab 51, the high school at One Stone, happened upon him while wasting his time and said, in short, you know it’s on you. No one else is going to make this happen for you. YOU are in charge.
The way Chad said this – non-punitive and matter-of-fact – woke Kayden up and ignited him to seek out and pursue things that interested him, eventually immersing himself in the graphic design business the school ran and philosophy… and chess. Yes, chess. For whatever reason, this grabbed his attention and sparked his focus on how to get better, eventually leading him to be state champion.
This bent to direct and pursue his own learning led him to pursue several majors at the College of Idaho as well as reach out to several faculty to pursue research opportunities within and outside the college For example, he sought out an opportunity to collaborate with epidemiologists at the Idaho Department of Health in public health research. And over one summer he worked at the University of Missouri on an NIH-funded project on alcoholism.
This work eventually led him to apply to and enroll in Virginia Tech’s PhD program in industrial-organizational psychology where he is now studying the use of LLM models to evaluate human competencies. And, in fact, it was recognizing that he wanted to pursue a PhD in psychology that pushed him to pursue all of the research he did during college – even outside the college walls – so that it would lead him to successfully enrolling in the program of his choice.
Talk about being self-directed … and having agency.
Shelby, the cadaver researcher, from Monett GO CAPS. CAPS programs, now with over 100+ initiatives across the country, provide students with real-world, professional experiences in their areas of interest. As part of the Medicine and Healthcare strand in the CAPS program in Monett, MO, Shelby participated in extensive job shadowing at local hospitals, observations of several medical procedures, and several medical activities, such as drawing blood and taking vital signs. All of these had an impact, particularly observing a c-section, which she identifies as a pivotal experience in wanting to become a physician. But ultimately it was a visit to a cadaver lab at the local hospital that ignited her fascination with brain anatomy, which then led Shelby to specifically enroll in Missouri Southern State University because of its cadaver lab. Crazy, right? But in fact this proved to be pivotal, because Shelby then became so involved in the work of the cadaver lab that she became a student assistant in the university’s dissection courses, then a lab technician responsible for maintaining the cadaver lab, eventually undertaking her own research. In this research as an undergraduate she traced the nerves of cadavers discovering unexpected anatomical variations, counting fascicles that showed positive antibodies for tyrosine hydroxylase, an enzyme involved in dopamine production and sympathetic nervous system function, leading to several hypotheses related to the phrenic nerve’s role in breathing and the vagus nerve’s potential in treating conditions like seizures and depression. No small stuff. And now, off to medical school!
When asked how her experience in the GO CAPS program contributed to her pursuits and journey, she says that the program taught her to take initiative, pursue her interests proactively, and develop her critical thinking skills, which were crucial in her research work, enabling her to approach anatomical variations and research challenges creatively. She also said that the program improved her communication skills, which led her to interact effectively with professors and colleagues in her research work. And it had a big hand in building her confidence in medical settings, through her extensive shadowing. Amongst many other things related to professionalism, career clarity, and adaptability.
Eventually, her research led to several co-authored publications, and upon graduation, Shelby secured a position as an EEG technician at Freeman Hospital, quickly advancing to become the EEG coordinator and currently getting ready for her engagement at medical school. In Shelby’s words, she thinks she never would be doing the work today that is doing and has published medical research if it wasn’t for the CAPS program, exposing her to opportunities and supporting her real-world journey.
Ted, the LEGO enthusiast, from Gibson Ek. Ted has loved LEGOs from an early age. But it wasn’t until his experience at Gibson Ek that he saw the possibility of turning his passion into a profession. The school’s emphasis on real-world learning and ultimately two internships with professionals at LEGO encouraged Ted to think big. With support from his advisor, Ted took the initiative to reach out to LEGO directly, seeking a virtual internship opportunity. After several attempts through social media and a few targeted emails, it was a meeting with a marketing professional in Billund, made through a connection his mom had at work, that led to his first virtual internship pursuing marketing with LEGO. This subsequently led to Ted working directly with a LEGO designer by way of the marketer, where he developed several design ideas under his guidance and mentorship.
What did he gain through both of these experiences? Professional connections, marketing knowledge inclusive of consumer behavior, skills in market research, product design, concept development, and user testing. As well as the design pipeline, toy landscape, play categories, gap analysis, concept development, prototyping, and play testing. And confidence. Confidence that he could work in these two worlds … and that he wanted to!
As Ted put it, the skills he developed – from professional communication to design thinking to consumer research – prepared him well for his post-secondary education. Ted is now pursuing a degree in Interactive Arts and Technology, with the goal – yes, of course – of becoming a product designer at LEGO, in Billund, Denmark.
Not Just These Three Students
While these all sound fascinating and unusual, let me tell you, having interviewed dozens of other students across these three schools, they are not unusual. The transformative experiences of Kayden, Shelby, and Ted are echoed in the stories of these three H3 schools. These innovative learning environments consistently nurture students’ intrinsic motivation and self-direction, empowering them to confidently pursue their interests while in school and their personal, educational, and professional aspirations beyond school.
Elise from One Stone leveraged her experience to launch a freelance career in New York’s competitive creative industry. Ethan discovered his passion for emergency medical services, becoming an EMT with Ada County paramedics. From the Monett GO CAPS, John found a passion for psychology, leading him to pursue advanced research in a social psychology lab at Columbia University. Sadie’s classroom rotations and professional development in the teacher education strand prepared her to excel in her college elementary education program. At Gibson Ek, Sae combined her passion for pottery with community service, independently organizing a charity event called Empty Bowls, which included writing grants, collaborating with the school foundation, and engaging other students in the process. Finally, Lyn secured an internship at Swedish Hospital, where she was able to work with biomedical technologists, combining her interests in biology, nutrition, and cultural heritage.
What is inherent in all of these stories?
Personalization. Each student was able to substantively pursue their unique interests, whether it was graphic design, philosophy, chess, medical research, or LEGO design rather than spend large chunks of their time rotating through subject-specific courses.
Real-world relevance. From hospital shadowing to industry internships to running charity events, most of these experiences took place in real-world contexts in real-world activity, not trapped and isolated within prescribed curricula in prescribed subject-matter classes
Emphasis on agency. All students were pushed to take initiative in their pursuits grounded in their interests with others and in real-world contexts in ways that significantly contributed to their future education and professional pursuits.
Skill development beyond academics. Communication, research, design thinking, and other crucial skills were developed through authentic projects and explorations.
Supportive mentorship. Educators’ focus in these programs was to guide and encourage their students to identify their interests and pursue experiences that extended and expanded their future potential and possibilities.
The schools’ focus on personalized learning and real-world engagement allows students to explore their interests deeply, develop crucial professional skills, and gain the confidence to adapt to new challenges. This approach consistently produces graduates who are well-prepared to navigate their chosen fields with purpose and resilience, far beyond what most traditional schools do.
The Future, Taking Into Account Learners’ Intrinsic Interests
As we look to the future of education, Horizon 3 learning environments offer a significant path forward. By recognizing and harnessing the power of their learners’ intrinsic interests and motivation, these models create educational experiences that are not only more engaging and effective but more aligned with the needs and opportunities provided in our current world.
The challenge is not small. It is hard for educators and systems to change what they are doing (think policy, systems, and practices) out of years of habit to pivot to a completely new mindset, new focus, and new practices. This is why most Horizon 3 schools started from scratch – built from the ground up, unencumbered by history and unshackled by traditional expectations, typically led by courageous visionaries and educators committed to starting something new.
We have several examples of such schools and programs – albeit not yet enough. Perhaps these examples of possibility can assist and support current and new communities to focus on the growth of learners grounded in what we know to be true about real learning and the critical role of motivation – how it can fuel and catalyze the development of youth as agentic, self-directed learners, igniting the flame in each student toward their potential futures.
As educators, parents, and policymakers, our challenge is to fully embrace and implement the principles of Horizon 3 education, creating learning ecosystems where learners’ interests and intrinsic motivation can flourish. By doing so, we can unleash a potent catalyst that can transform the potential of each youth, setting the stage for a lifetime of engaged, self-directed learning. The research is clear, the observations from innovative schools are compelling, and the potential impact is enormous. It’s time to harness the catalytic power of learners’ true interests and ignite the flame of true, deep, and lasting learning in every youth.
Postscript
As I wrapped up this piece, I emailed everyone to be sure it was ok for me to use their first name. They all said yes. But imagine my smile when they also shared the next step in their adventures, proving once again the value of giving students agency to pursue their intrinsic interests:
From Elise, formerly of One Stone, who had moved to New York City to pursue her creative interest in fashion there: “A lot is new actually! I temporarily moved to Portugal in August until the end of the year for a residency in a woodworking and metalworking studio alongside other sustainability-minded artists. It’s been so amazing!”
And from Ted, who dreamed of working for LEGO, a 14.5-hour plane flight from home: “Life’s been a little busy lately [drumroll] as I’ve been gearing up to try and make it over to Denmark for my next term in school to continue my work with LEGO.”
Now if that isn’t cool … I don’t know what is.
Chris Unger is a Teaching Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University and supports the Graduate School of Education’s Network for Experiential Teaching and Learning (NExT) with a number of his colleagues at the University.
This blog series is sponsored by LearnerStudio, a non-profit organization accelerating progress towards a future of learning where young people are inspired and prepared to thrive in the Age of AI – as individuals, in careers, in their communities and our democracy.
Curation of this series is led by Sujata Bhatt, founder of Incubate Learning, which is focused on reconnecting humans to their love of learning and creating.
The post Igniting the Flame: How Motivation Catalyzes Student Potential in Horizon 3 Education appeared first on Getting Smart.
America’s education system was a groundbreaking effort to help a growing nation thrive in the 19th century. Now, 200 years later, the world has changed; the horizon looks drastically different. Collectively, we need to redesign our education system to enable all of our children — and, by extension, our nation — to thrive today and tomorrow.
The post Igniting the Flame: How Motivation Catalyzes Student Potential in Horizon 3 Education appeared first on Getting Smart. Future of Learning, New Pathways, Personalized Learning, Post-Secondary, Sustainability, agency, career readiness, deeper learning, design thinking, events, H3, mentorship, new learning models, personalized learning, science Getting Smart