What a year-long school project on Japan taught me about ‘learning in depth’
The author reflects on a long-term school project about Japan, arguing that deep, prolonged immersion in a single topic fosters better retention than a fragmented curriculum. The piece suggests that schools should reconsider the educational value of extended study periods.
Why it matters
It challenges conventional pedagogical structures and advocates for a shift toward depth-based learning in modern education systems.
Some years ago, I was talking to a friend who had just returned from Japan. He spoke about the islands he had visited and different aspects of Japanese culture. A few minutes into the conversation, he stopped and asked me, “Have you also been to Japan?” I had not.
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It surprised me that I knew so much about the country. I knew the names of Japan’s main islands. I could picture their shapes. I remembered facts about its geography and culture that I had no recollection of learning recently.
It took me some time to trace the source. 23 years earlier, when I was in Grade 8, our Geography teacher had assigned us what I considered one of the most boring school projects on Japan.
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