Climb high, sleep low – Elevating Education

Assessment is both a compass guiding the educational journey and a barometer measuring progress. Much like how mountaineers meticulously plan their ascents and descents to conquer towering peaks, educators navigate the dynamic landscape of learning through well-structured assessments, enabling learners to reach new summits of knowledge and understanding. Assessments transcend the grading or evaluation tool role – acting as a bridge connecting teaching and learning, a mechanism for diagnosing strengths and weaknesses, and a catalyst for continuous improvement.

My fascination with the "JOURNEY - Everest Base Camp" podcast recently drew my attention to a captivating concept. In this excellent podcast series, Ryan Wolf embarks on one of the world's most challenging treks: the two-week journey to Mt. Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas of Nepal.

During episode three, a particular concept shared by Ryan resonated with me. He described an acclimatisation strategy mountaineers employ when scaling exceptionally high peaks, which I later discovered is encapsulated in the simple maxim "climb high, sleep low."

The essence of this strategy lies in gradually exposing the body to higher altitudes, compelling it to adapt, and then retreating to lower altitudes, to which the body is already accustomed, for rest and recovery. This concept sparked connections to my ideas regarding learning design, education, and assessment. It offers a metaphor for enhancing the educational journey and achieving remarkable outcomes.

Learning as an Ascent

The concept of viewing learning as a journey or ascending steps towards a goal is not a novel one. We often envision this journey as having a discernible beginning and an ultimate destination, with learners progressing through content and formative assessment toward a summative assessment and, ultimately, completion. This framework presents many theories, tools, and strategies employed in teaching and learning as discrete steps or stages leading to an apex. For instance, Gilly Salmon's renowned 5-stage model is often portrayed as a sequence of steps leading upwards, while Bloom's revised taxonomy is commonly depicted as a pyramid.

To apply the "climb high, sleep low" metaphor within the context of education, consider the learning journey as an ascent towards a summit. In this analogy, each learning outcome serves as a base camp. Careful consideration should be given to the verbs employed in the learning outcomes and their alignment with Bloom's pyramid. With this understanding, a deliberate plan can be crafted comprising a series of learning objectives, complemented by formative engagements that guide learners towards these base camps and encourage them to explore further (climb high).

By guiding learners to surpass the minimum requirements of the learning outcomes, the aim is to ensure that when they encounter the summative assessment, they have effectively acclimated to the assessment environment (sleep low). This process facilitates comfort and confidence, enabling learners to approach the learning outcomes with readiness and the capability to succeed.

Principles of Climb High, Sleep Low

Educators must adopt a thoughtful and deliberate approach to curriculum design and instructional delivery to apply this strategy effectively. Here are some key steps for integrating the climb high, sleep low methodology into educational practices:

Curriculum Mapping: Begin by mapping the curriculum or course content into distinct learning outcomes. In some environments, learning outcomes may already exist. Each learning outcome represents a base camp along the educational ascent.

Verbs and Bloom's Taxonomy: Analyse the verbs used in each learning outcome and their alignment with Bloom's Taxonomy. This analysis helps determine the cognitive complexity of each outcome and informs the sequencing of learning objectives. Here's a great resource for identifying and selecting verbs.

Learning Objectives: Develop a series of learning objectives that build on each other to align with each learning outcome. These objectives should guide learners beyond the requirements of the base camp, introducing them to concepts and challenges that extend their current knowledge. For example, if the learning outcome uses "examine", consider stepping through, "define", "identify" and "apply" first.

Formative Engagements: Design formative engagements that accompany each learning objective. Formative engagements can take various forms, including interactive activities, discussions, problem-solving exercises, or hands-on projects. These engagements encourage learners to apply and deepen their understanding of the subject matter.

Assessment Alignment: Ensure alignment between formative engagements, learning objectives, and summative assessments. Formative engagements prepare learners for the challenges presented in the summative assessments, fostering a seamless transition between the two.

Incremental Progression: Sequence the learning objectives to reflect incremental progression. Start with objectives at the current level of learners and gradually increase the complexity as they progress.

Reflective Practice: Integrate opportunities for reflection and consolidation throughout the learning journey. Learners are encouraged to contemplate their progress and solidify their knowledge using formative assessments, peer reviews, and self-assessment activities. In the context of our metaphor, these moments can be likened to base camps, strategically positioned to offer learners a panoramic view of the path they've travelled.

Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback loop that provides learners constructive feedback on their performance in formative engagements. This feedback should guide them in addressing weaknesses and building on strengths.

Adaptation: Flexibility in instructional delivery allows for personalised learning experiences.

Summative Assessment: When learners reach the summative assessment, they should have acclimatised to the assessment environment and feel well-prepared to excel. The assessment should align with the learning outcomes and challenge learners at an appropriate level.

Continuous Improvement: Evaluate the effectiveness of the climb high, sleep low approach. Gather feedback from learners and educators to refine the curriculum and instructional methods.

Support and Resources: Provide learners with the necessary support and resources to navigate the educational ascent successfully. This may include access to additional learning materials, tutoring, or peer collaboration opportunities.

Resilient Learners for Future Challenges

The climb high, sleep low strategy offers a transformative approach to education. It's a journey of deliberate planning, incremental progress, and adaptability. Just as mountaineers conquer towering peaks through gradual adaptation, learners acclimate to challenging assessments through a thoughtful, step-by-step journey. This strategy empowers learners, fosters a growth mindset, and aligns with contemporary learning theories. It's an invitation to embark on an educational expedition, guiding learners toward their summits with confidence and determination. In doing so, we contribute to the ongoing quest for educational excellence and the development of resilient, adaptable, and empowered learners ready to conquer future challenges.