Tag: minerva

Presenter: Eric Bonabeau

With Minerva, we have a chance to start from scratch, with first principles…we know how to maximize learning, based on a set of metrics. Let’s build a delivery mechanism that will maximize learning.

Putting 300 students in a big auditorium and lecturing them should be illegal! Well, let me walk that back…the issue is that classes of that size will not allow for students to meaningfully interact with the (likely world class) professor. In a city like Los Angeles, Berlin, San Francisco, the city is your campus, in smaller towns, the campus is your city.

93% of employers said a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems is more important than a job candidate’s undergraduate degree. This is the reason Minerva exists.

What is the most common job in America today? What will it be in ten years? Self-driving cars were not something that would have been predicted ten years ago…what’s next?

“A future proof education”

• Practical knowledge
• Engaging Classrooms
• Global Immersion
• Accessible Admissions

We get students involved in lots of co-curricular activities.

Tuition is $12,000/year, which is inexpensive by American standards. However, for the rest of the world this is pretty expensive. Out of 12,000 applicants, we only accepted 300 students. We want innovators and global citizens.

Specific Aspects

• Thinking critically
• Thinking creatively
• Communicating effectively
• Interacting effectively

Habits of mind/automatic cognitive reflexes

Use plausibility checks to determine whether claims are reasonable; use principles of effective debating, ID your audience & tailor oral & written work accordingly, and more.

It’s a journey toward mastery; active learning is key

Eric then showed a video that sampled class instruction and interaction with students.