Apple’s recent MacBook ad, “Lessons,” beyond promoting their laptops, also seems to be a critique of the education system. Here is the ad for your viewing and understanding.
The ad begins with students hustling in their environment of schools and colleges, engaging with fellow students and teachers. The core background theme of the commercial emphasizes “read, repeat, and memorize.” Just by heart. This is not the way. Almost scornfully at the idea of memorizing, the advertisement tries to suggest that rote learning and memorization are not the way. Then in the end, almost surreptitiously, it introduces the product, implying that the MacBook is the saviour, which, of course, is a “better way.”
Apple cleverly positions its device as the catalyst for a new, more meaningful approach to learning—one that values creativity and critical thinking over simple recall.
Is it wrong as advertising and brand communication?
Clearly not. As an advertisement, it follows a trope that is quite common and often used by consumer products. The typical advertising approach works on the idea of highlighting a problem and then suggesting a solution, which can be achieved through the use of the product that is being advertised.
In all good stories, there is a hero who is expected to overcome a villain (a challenge, a deep-rooted wrong belief) through a magic wand or an enabler. In this communication story by Apple, the student as the hero is supposed to fight the villain (the concept of mugging) using a magic wand of “new thinking” enabled by the product in discussion.
Has Apple got it wrong?
Does memorizing stifle learning? What are the origins of memory-based learning? In the real world, this can be debated. We will address these thoughts in some other article. However, educators appear to present a mixed reaction.
At the same time, it would be wrong to say that Apple has misunderstood the problem. Whether the problem exists in the real world, the perception surely exists. We humans act on what we feel more than what we think. And the general feeling, which clearly exists, is that of a lacuna subsuming the system. People do believe and feel that the system has been compromised in favor of a learning system that wrongly emphasizes memorization.
Is this a mere feeling, or does it exist in reality? From Apple’s communication point of- view, it doesn’t matter whether it exists in reality.
Is there any takeaway for the educational institution?
No matter what the objective reality (which, anyway, is not possible to establish), there is no denying that there is a perception that people and learners carry. The perception, sadly, does exist that our system has not been able to adopt the new teaching methodologies that emphasise more critical thinking and experiential learning.
It is seemingly too big a problem to solve, but there lies the opportunity for institutions and entities to work. The entities that address these issues in any big or small way will definitely gain positive trust and garner positive perception from the public.
