TED Talks Daily
How to make learning as addictive as social media | Luis von Ahn
Oct 26, 2023
Luis von Ahn, educational technologist and founder of Duolingo, tackles the challenge of making learning as addictive as social media. He shares insights on how Duolingo employs techniques from mobile games to hook learners, discussing the importance of accessibility in education. Listeners discover how gamification and visual storytelling can revolutionize learning, making it engaging and effective. Von Ahn's mission is clear: democratize education globally while ensuring that the thrill of learning rivals the captivating nature of platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
12:35
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Quick takeaways
- Duolingo aims to provide equal access to education by leveraging smartphones and targeting language learning, empowering individuals and increasing their income potential.
- Duolingo utilizes psychological techniques inspired by addictive apps to engage users with education, incorporating streaks and notifications to create an engaging experience and ensure consistent user engagement.
Deep dives
Improving Access to Education
The speaker, Luis Van Aan, discusses how his educational app, Duolingo, aims to provide equal access to education for everyone. Recognizing the inequality in education, Van Aan focuses on teaching foreign languages as a starting point. By targeting the huge audience interested in learning languages, especially English, Duolingo aims to empower individuals and increase their income potential. To make education accessible, the app is designed for smartphones, leveraging their widespread usage. Additionally, the speaker highlights the freemium model of Duolingo, where users can access the platform for free while having the option to pay to remove ads, resulting in a small form of wealth distribution.
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