Aprendizaje antifrágil durante el COVID-19: lecciones para profesores y estudiantes

Una decisión de la facultad donde trabajo ha provocado controversia entre mis colegas de la Universidad de Ottawa. Se ha decidido que debido a estas únicas y especiales circunstancias derivadas de la pandemia COVID-19, los estudiantes de pre-grado podrán escoger si hacen o no el examen final, y que no están obligados a notificar su decisión a sus profesores. Los estudiantes que decidan no hacer el examen final, recibirán como nota final la que llevan acumulada en el semestre (calculada sobre la base de 100%). Si los estudiantes prefieren, podrán escoger entre “satisfactorio” o “no satisfactorio”, cuando reciban su nota numérica. Esta opción no afectará el promedio de sus notas.

Algunas colegas están de acuerdo con la decisión de la facultad, pues consideran que los estudiantes tienen que tener opciones que los liberen del “estrés” que están viviendo por el cambio abrupto que en sus vidas ha significado el COVID-19. Muchos han tenido que retornar a sus casas e incluso a sus países de origen. Otros han perdido sus precarios trabajos. Y otros tienen familia de la que se tienen que ocupar en tiempos de incertidumbre.

Otros colegas, entre los que me encuentro, pensamos que debemos ser flexibles y comprensivos con los estudiantes, pero que esto no implica sacrificar la calidad académica ni el compromiso que profesores y estudiantes tenemos con el conocimiento.

A partir de un tratamiento caso por caso, con la razón y la empatía necesarias, hubiésemos podido encontrar un camino medio que significara una experiencia formativa más rica para nuestros estudiantes. Abandonar el examen final como opción es más que una mera formalidad. Es decirles a los estudiantes que la primera opción es rendirse. Y esto no está bien. Voy a explicar mis razones.

Antifragilidad y aprendizaje

Mis estudiantes del seminario de Comunicación de riesgo y crisis conocen el concepto de “antifragilidad” que introdujo Nassim Nicholas Taleb (el mismo que escribió el libro The Black Swan – El Cisne Negro). Para resumirlo rápido, antifrágil es el equivalente al dicho venezolano “lo que no mata, engorda”, o lo que “no mata, te fortalece”. La idea básica de esta noción es que hay sistemas, objetos y seres vivos que ganan en fortaleza y resistencia en la medida en que son sometidos a choques inesperados.

Me permito citar a Taleb, aunque es un poco largo, porque vale la pena entender las implicaciones de este concepto:

“Crucially, if antifragility is the property of all those natural (and complex) systems that have survived, depriving these systems of volatility, randomness, and stressors will harm them. They will weaken, die, or blow up. We have been fragilizing the economy, our health, political life, education, almost everything ... by suppressing randomness and volatility. Just as spending a month in bed (preferably with an unabridged version of War and Peace and access to The Sopranos’ entire eighty-six episodes) leads to muscle atrophy, complex systems are weakened, even killed, when deprived of stressors. Much of our modern, structured, world has been harming us with top-down policies and contraptions (dubbed “Soviet-Harvard delusions” in the book) which do precisely this: an insult to the antifragility of systems.

This is the tragedy of modernity: as with neurotically overprotective parents, those trying to help are often hurting us the most.

If about everything top-down fragilizes and blocks antifragility and growth, everything bottom-up thrives under the right amount of stress and disorder. The process of discovery (or innovation, or technological progress) itself depends on antifragile tinkering, aggressive risk bearing rather than formal education.”

Con la decisión de la facultad de eximir a los estudiantes de su examen final y de darles la opción de ni siquiera discutirlo con su profesor, la institución está enviando un mensaje “fragilizador” a los jóvenes. Como dice Taleb, está repitiendo el esquema de “sobreprotección” de padres que terminan por dañar más que formar a sus hijos.

Experimentar la “antifragilidad”

Cuando se decidió anular los cursos presenciales cara a cara y pasar al modo de enseñanza virtual, la gran mayoría de los profesores y estudiantes lograron adaptarse bastante bien a la nueva situación. Pasaron a dar sus cursos de forma virtual (por Zoom, Adobe Connect, entre otras plataformas). Los estudiantes asistieron a sus clases en línea. Hicieron sus deberes, ejercicios y lecturas. Claro que ha habido excepciones, y los profesores han buscado la forma de acomodar a aquellos estudiantes que han tenido más dificultad para adaptarse a los cambios de último minuto.

La capacidad de adaptación rápida de la mayoría de los profesores y estudiantes era un ejercicio de antifragilidad en pleno movimiento, con algo de confusión, pero con mucho entusiasmo. Valía la pena seguir con este ejercicio hasta el final del semestre, y no pararlo como la he hecho la institución.

Dice Taleb que escribió su libro sobre el Cisne Negro y lo antifrágil a partir de sus propias vivencias como bróker en Wall Street. Puso lo que él llama “skin in the game”. Eso es lo que queríamos lograr en esta experiencia pedagógica disruptiva pero rica en enseñanzas. Espero que los estudiantes capten este mensaje, y no caigan en la “fragilización” sobreprotectora.

Antifragile learning during COVID-19: lessons for professors and students

A decision from the Faculty where I work has sparked controversy among my colleagues at the University of Ottawa. It has been decided that due to these unique and special circumstances derived from the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate students will be able to choose whether or not to take the final exam, and that they are not required to notify their professors of their decision. Students who decide not to take the final exam will receive as a final grade the one they have accumulated in the semester (calculated on the basis of 100%). They will also be able to choose between "satisfactory" or "not satisfactory,” when they receive their numerical grade. This option will not affect their average.

Some colleagues agree with the decision of the Faculty, since they consider that students should have options that free them from the stress that they are living through the abrupt change that COVID-19 has meant in their lives. Many have had to return to their homes and even to their countries of origin. Others have lost their precarious jobs. Still others have families to support in uncertain times.

Other colleagues, among whom I am, think that we should be flexible and understanding with students, but that this does not imply sacrificing academic quality or even the commitment that professors and students should have with knowledge.

Looking to case-by-case, with the necessary reasoning and empathy, we could have found a middle ground that would have meant a richer formative experience for our students. Dropping the final exam as an option is more than a mere formality. That is to say to the students that the first option is to surrender. And this is not right. I will explain why.

Antifragility and learning

My students at the Risk and Crisis Communication seminar know the concept of “antifragility” introduced by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (the same author of the book The Black Swan). To summarize it, antifragile is the equivalent to the Venezuelan saying:  "what does not kill you, strengthens you.” The basic idea of ​​this notion is that there are systems, objects and living beings that gain strength as they are subjected to unexpected shocks.

I prefer to quote Taleb, although it is a bit long, but it is worth for understanding the implications of this concept:

“Crucially, if antifragility is the property of all those natural (and complex) systems that have survived, depriving these systems of volatility, randomness, and stressors will harm them. They will weaken, die, or blow up. We have been fragilizing the economy, our health, political life, education, almost everything ... by suppressing randomness and volatility. Just as spending a month in bed (preferably with an unabridged version of War and Peace and access to The Sopranos ’entire eighty-six episodes) leads to muscle atrophy, complex systems are weakened, even killed, when deprived of stressors. Much of our modern, structured, world has been harming us with top-down policies and contraptions (dubbed “Soviet-Harvard delusions” in the book) which do precisely this: an insult to the antifragility of systems.

This is the tragedy of modernity: as with neurotically overprotective parents, those trying to help are often hurting us the most.

If about everything top-down fragilizes and blocks antifragility and growth, everything bottom-up thrives under the right amount of stress and disorder. The process of discovery (or innovation, or technological progress) itself depends on antifragile tinkering, aggressive risk bearing rather than formal education.”

With the Faculty decision to exempt students from their final exam and to give them the option of not even discussing it with their professor, the institution is sending a "fragile" message to young people. As Taleb says, the Faculty is following the behaviour of "overprotective" parents who end up harming more than educating their children.

Experiencing antifragility

When the University of Ottawa decided to cancel face-to-face courses and switch to virtual learning mode, the vast majority of professors and students managed to adapt quite well to the new situation. They went on to give their courses virtually (using Zoom, Adobe Connect, among other platforms). Students attended their online classes. They did their homework, exercises, and readings. Of course, there have been exceptions, and professors have sought ways to accommodate those students who have had difficulties adjusting to last-minute changes.

The quick adaptability of most professors and students was an exercise in antifragility in full swing, with some confusion, but with great enthusiasm. It was worth continuing this exercise until the end of the semester, and not stop it as the institution has done.

Taleb says that he wrote his books The Black Swan and Antifragile based on his own experiences as a broker in Wall Street. He put what he calls "skin in the game.” We, professors and students, wanted to put “skin in the game” in this disruptive but enriching learning experience. I hope that students get this message, and not fall into the overprotective fragilization.