A lever is a means for gaining some advantage. For example, when relocating a large rock, a steel bar could be used as a lever. A door handle is a lever for sliding back the closing mechanism. A coat hanger is a lever. As too is a toothbrush. Every tool is a customized lever. All physical levers refer to external aids used for achieving a goal. Levers extend capabilities, making life easier. Every apprentice acquires practical skills for using relevant tools of trade.
Unlike physical levers, learning levers exist in-head. These are invisible mental levers for getting better grip on what is to be picked up as learning.
Mostly, learners get on with the job but have little awareness of using practical levers.
What makes a successful learner is their implicit working of these cognitive levers, even if they have never been described or identified. That is, successful learners apply these levers subconsciously.
We have orchestrated these levers into an elegant design that can be discovered by all learners at some practical level. They make intuitive sense.
We have identified six levers. These are arranged from simple to complex. Each lever introduces a completely different view of the world, providing a new lived-in environment.
[Prepared and written by John@designschool.ac.nz, one of the course designers, without any assistance from AI GPT]