Grasp

An MIT professor looks at what science has to say about educational systems and learning. His focus is how people learn practical problem solving, but he also wants to change how schools disadvantage students or deny them opportunities based on their test scores, gender, ethnicity, and/or socioeconomic status. Though the authors' writing can be tedious, narrator Neil Shah's beautiful timbre and lyrical phrasing lighten the listening. His gentle touch promotes engagement with the author's broad ideas and altruistic sensibilities. The history and research cited argue that outcomes are improved when schools focus on individual interests and collaboration with other students, rather than rigid curricula designed by a central authority. He offers compelling ideas on how to remedy the disparities he found and optimally combine online learning with direct teacher contact. T.W. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine