Oh beautiful, for spacious skies....

Spotlight!

White paper: Every Curriculum Tells a Story

Roger Schank
(1946-2023), "An outspoken theorist and researcher in artificial intelligence and cognitive science, founded the interdisciplinary Institute for the Learning Sciences (ILS) at Northwestern University in 1989. His vision gave birth to an entirely new interdisciplinary field of academic research: Learning Sciences" (Deardorff, 2023). At the time of his passing, Roger was Chairman and CEO of Socratic Arts, a company delivering Story-Centered Curricula (SCCs) to businesses and schools. As Chief Education Officer of Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley, he pioneered master's degrees using the SCC methodology that revolutionized distance learning. His programs broke new ground by seamlessly blending co-located and remote students in the same cohorts, with team members collaborating across states and countries. This innovative approach replaced traditional lectures with authentic, learn-by-doing online curricula delivered through realistic workplace simulations.

CMU's multiple master's programs included eBusiness Technology, Software Engineering, and Software Management, among others. Roger's team at Socratic Arts later developed remote SCC-based programs for LaSalle University and certificate programs for multiple institutions, including a Department of Defense-funded cybersecurity curriculum—all delivered entirely through distance learning platforms.

Dr. Schank, a fellow of the AAAI and founder of the Cognitive Science Society, held a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Texas. He authored over 25 books and 125+ publications, fundamentally transforming how online education could deliver authentic, experiential learning at scale.

For more information, please visit: www.socraticarts.com "We don't make people learn. We make them want to."

Reference: Deardorff, J. (2023, March 13). In memoriam: Roger Schank (March 12, 1946 – Jan. 29, 2023). Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. https://sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/sesp-news/2023/in-memoriam-roger-schank-march-12-1946-jan-29-2023.html