Example
From Recall to Reasoning
For this challenge, I redesigned a question from the 1912 Bullitt School Exam on latitude and longitude.
Memorize. Reproduce. Move on. For a long time, that’s what learning looked like. But that’s not what learners actually need. They don’t need to remember definitions.
They need to apply them in context.
Instead of explaining the concept,
I turned it into a navigation challenge. Learners are placed in a situation where they need to orient themselves —
and quickly realize that one coordinate is not enough.
This approach was inspired by learning environments like the Alemannenschule,
where the focus shifts from instruction to self-directed problem solving — not by removing guidance, but by designing it carefully.
The goal wasn’t to “teach latitude and longitude”
but to create a moment of realization: “I can’t locate myself with just one number.”
From a design perspective, this meant:
- moving from slides to a continuous interaction
- structuring the experience around subgoals instead of screens
- guiding attention through progressive reveal
- reducing UI and removing narration to keep the cognitive focus
And that changes everything.
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