Kaplan EduNeering Knowledge Summit: Day Two

Everyone had a great time last night, we went on a cruise and today we are going to have a keynote by WIRED editor Thomas Goetz.

He spoke on the topic of “How to Get better at anything”

Thomas Goetz making a point about technology.

He opened with a great story about Coach John Wooden. He said the coach was carefully studied and they found out that the coach would provide targeted directives rather than praise or criticisms to improve his player’s performance. He spoke about Coach John Wooden giving Woodsism. like don’t do this…do that. The researches found out that the coach provided clipped, didactic quantitative approach to coaching and that the players loved it. He provided focused player specific corrections in small 10 second increments.

Use Evidence, Relevance and Consequences to create Wooden-like atmosphere. Goetez then gave an example of how you can provide feedback to people who are, for example, speeding. Redundant information without punitive consequences people slowed down by 10-15%. People see evidence they are speeding with the sign, they know it is relevant because they shouldn’t be speeding in their car and the consequences are a possible ticket and social stigma and then people take action, feedback loops help people to change behavior.

Good method to give people who are speeding evidence, relevance and consequences of speeding.

He then spoke about the use of sensors to provide feedback and listed all the sensors in an iPhone. GPS, Accelerometer, light sensor, Gryro sensor, and a proximity sensor. Sensors can help create information out of nothing. Capturing data automatically helps make it easier to to use data as evidence for change.

He spoke about Rypple, GreenGoose, FitBit, OPower, Withings and other ideas that provide feedback that helps people to change behaviors which provides data that provides incentives to change behavior.

Next he detailed ideas of consequences of creating goals and helping people to become aware of what happens based on the data they are receiving. Awareness of behavior can help to change or modify a person’s behavior.

Thomas Goetz talking about behavior changes with feedback loops.

Feedback loops let people know where they stand and how they can get better. With technology, it can be a tool to optimize consumption and help with productivity, communication and performance.

Thomas Goetz answers audience questions about feedback and data collection with sensors.

Check out his book: