Mastery: Why Deeper Learning Is Essential in an Age of Distraction

“If you’ve ever wondered why our education system feels stuck in the past, this book delivers both a powerful critique and a bold vision for the future.” —Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Drive

How much information is forgotten almost immediately after it is taught? How many students graduate from high school unprepared for careers where lifelong learning is essential to succeed? These problems stem from an educational system that uses time spent in a classroom and the results of standardized, multiple-choice tests as proxies for actual understanding. Educators Tony Wagner and Ulrik Juul Christensen call for a radical new system of learning, where students progress individually when they demonstrate that they can use what they have learned—no matter how long it takes to get there. This is called mastery learning, and it is the future of education.

This book shows how mastery learning is already being put to use in the United States and around the world, from kindergarten to college and in the workplace. Through conversations with teachers, students, parents, policymakers, and employers, Wagner and Christensen show how mastery improves motivation and prepares students for productive work, an engaged civic life, and personal growth and well-being. They also outline the challenges of adopting mastery learning and how to overcome them. Mastery is an urgent call to action to transform education for all.

Tony Wagner is senior research fellow at the Learning Policy Institute and former codirector of Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Change Leadership Group. Wagner is the bestselling author of Creating Innovators, The Global Achievement Gap, and more. He lives in New Hampshire.

Ulrik Juul Christensen, MD, is founder and CEO of Area9 Lyceum. Formerly a member of the McGraw Hill executive board, he is a frequent keynote speaker and regular contributor to Forbes, and he serves on several boards including the Technical University of Denmark. He lives outside Boston.