Hi learners,

have you ever designed your learning journey backwards?

Traditionally, many educators and learners use forward design. They plan learning activities and practice, assuming this will lead them to their goals. And it does, sometimes.

Yet, backward-design is a better approach to plan learning journeys that bring you (or your students) to a desired goal.

In backward design, you start with the learning outcome in mind. You think about the destination you want to reach and plan the exact itinerary to get there. You begin with the end in mind.

But how do you start with the end in mind? Answering the following question early on can help:

“Which concepts do I need to understand and which activities do I need to practice to achieve the desired learning outcome?”

This requires more planning than simply picking topics that might be relevant, but it’s far more intentional and effective.

​Ultralearner Scott Young applied the same principle when he learned new languages in record time. Instead of starting with Duolingo, he designed his learning journey with the outcome in mind: having actual conversations in real life (more on the exact steps he used in the "Learning Nugget" section below).

Now the question is: How do you know the exact steps that bring you to your learning outcome?

Skill trees can help. In Danny Forest words: "A SkillUp Tree gives you a clear sense of direction and makes it easier for you to judge the level of complexity required to learn a specific new skill."

Here's an example skill tree, designed by Danny, on playing the Ukulele.

Once you know the sub-skills necessary for reaching your learning goal, you can plan the specific activities. And that's how you can start your next learning endeavor with the end in mind.

Happy learning :-)

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Here's a collection of recent articles I wrote. All links are friend links, so you can read these stories without having a Medium subscription.
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• 🎯 3 Quotes by Yuval Harari That Changed the Way I Think and Live — On happiness, human extinction, and illusions. (4min)
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Learning Nuggets

🗣️ How can you learn a language in record time?

Scott Young, author of Ultralearner, is famous for teaching himself four new languages in a single year. He now speaks English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Portuguese, Korean and some Macedonian. In this blog post the explains how he learns languages:

1. Acquire minimum basic skills by using tools such as Pimsleur or Memrise​
2. Practice simple but real conversations, e.g.: through finding language partners on iTalki.com and LiveMocha.co​
3. Have real conversations, ideally by traveling through the country that speaks the language.

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✨ What's your level of emotional intelligence?

Can you always describe how you feel? Labeling your emotions can make it easier to understand and ruminate on the cause.

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“Learning isn’t the solitary act of developing one’s own faculties, but a shared effort of advancing our societies." ​
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- Alex Beard in "Natural Born Learners"

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