The Zaxxun Learning Institute is based on a radical system of post-secondary-level learning that diverges from the traditional class with a teacher spoon-feeding students with information and evaluating student comprehension using exams and grades.
Problems with conventional style college-level education:
- lecturer spoon-feeds students with information following a prescribed curriculum; students don’t learn to fish on their own
- students force themselves to study for fear of failing the subject or with the motivation to get high grades
- materials are provided for laboratory exercises
- exams need to be made, checked, recorded to get a numerical mark
- the material studied may likely be obsolete in a few years
- expensive tuition fees (for paying teachers, laboratory equipment)
The Zaxxun learning method
- No need for highly paid lecturers. The students are the lecturers. A book is selected and divided into sections – each student explains his/her assigned section of the book. In the absence of a book, a list of keywords can serve as a curriculum.
- Students are forced to study in preparation for their performance – their lecture, or project presentation
- Student-based lectures provide 50% of the class presentations; the remaining 50% can be taken from online videos – such as youtube, special-topic websitets.
- A unique student-conceptualized project, instead of grades, serve as the proof of comprehension/learning
- A project or lab exercise presentation in the form of a youtube video, power point, web page or journal/conference paper
- Students will need to source the materials they need for the project by ordering parts online, or buying from local stores.
- Instead of a transcript of records, the student must create a biodata profile in a website with links to the course syllabus (key words or book table of contents), and links to the projects done during the course. The biodata profile must include the skillset like programming languages, software tools, etc. that the person is proficient with.
- The student only needs to complete 5 to 8 courses to graduate, depending on the amount skills that the student wants to learn
- The graduate takes on a title that best describes his/her acquired skillset, such as web designer, animation artist, embedded-system designer, network specialist, …
The advantages of the Zaxxun-style learning
- The student learns to fish on his own by studying a topic solely by getting to know the keywords. This is the learning skill needed in the real world after a student exists school, esp. since the skills/tools learned in school will likely be obsolete in a few years.
- The student learns to source materials on his own by online ordering and finding them in stores, which more accurately reflects what is done in the real world
- The student gets trained to be a teacher in the process of preparing and presenting his lecture/presentation.
- Creativity is spurred in coming up with projects and exercises that he must do.
- The skillset summary of the student’s performance readily serves as a biodata for job applications.
Recommended Courses (subjects) offered in a Zaxxun Learning Institute:
Courses (total of 12 weeks x 3 hrs/week for each course). There are 2 general types of learning institutes: TDI – techno-design institute, and BBI – business and Bible institute.
- Web design (html, Python, PHP, Ruby, WordPress, MySQL)
- Embedded-system design (Arduino, Raspberry-Pi, C++)
- Java programming
- Smartphone applications programming
- Computer hardware
- Operating systems and networking
- Instrumentation and sensors
- Basic electronics
- Analog electronics
- CPLD/FPGA (Verilog, VHDL, synthesis tools, simulation)
- PCB design (submission to PCB vendor)
- Robotics and automation
- Motor design
- Engine design
- Security systems
- 3D graphics design
- 3D printing
- Animation design
- Business management
- Architectural design
- Foreign/local cuisine
- Clothing design and technology
- Restaurant management
- Automotive design
- Bible: old testament
- Bible: new testament
- Evangelism and Bible study leading
- Zaxxun values
Anyone can set up a Zaxxun Learning Institute or Center in their locality with just a few requirements:
- Classroom with projector; seating capacity of 20 – 30 students.
- Laboratory with work tables, internet access and AC outlets for 10 students per session; must have fire extinguishers and exit doors
- A consultant from a University or a professional in a company who can advise on the topic – provide the syllabus, book title or keywords for a course, screen possible project themes/topics
- Video equipment to record lectures/presentations
- Capacity for receiving online payments (via paypal, cedit cards). Handling of transactions in cash is discouraged.
- The learning institute must provide the high-cost capital portion of a course such as a 3D printer (for the 3D printing course) or an oven & gas range (for a cooking course)
- Students are required to have their own laptops, internet access at home, and capability to pay online (for online orders, fee payments).
- All software must be legal. If the school and students cannot afford licensed software, there is plenty of free software: Linux-based operating systems, free office suites (Libre office, Kingsoft WPS), free design tools (Arduino, Xilinx webpack, Sketchup, LT spice), etc. All one has to do is type free xxx or listen to tutorials in youtube for recommendations.
For any request to have their Zaxxun-based school linked to the official Zaxxun site, please send your establishment name, website link, and short description for us to enlist you as a Zaxxun entity/school. Our e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.org.
We encourage all to use the Zaxxun name and logo to create a unified marketing effort for Zaxxun-type learning establishments (e.g.: Zaxxun Technological Institute of Nagoya)
Unity is a fortress.