Higher Education: Critical Factors for Success

One of the founding fathers of critical thinking is the philosopher, Plato. I would encourage anyone who is seeking higher education to read about the “Allegory of the Cave.”

 It relates the pursuit of knowledge through a story of a man who, with others, has known no other world but the extremely limited one that exists in the cave to which they’re confined. The man takes an opportunity to leave the cave, having been frustrated with the limited knowledge and the wanting of the truth that lies outside its confines.

If we had to consider the stages of thought that are going through the man’s mind, we might suspect boredom, wonder and excitement, prompting him to leave the cave. Once outside, we can venture to say that enlightenment, intrigue and curiosity makes the man determined to share the new-found knowledge with the others who remained in the cave. Two intellectual standards that are seen here can be identified as logic and breadth.

Logic would lead us to believe that the man had to figure that there was something to be seen outside, it was only logical that there was more than what was to be found in the cave. However, logic was lacking on the part of all of the other people who were in the cave, who dismissed the possibility of more to learn. They also lacked breadth in their view of life, content with what they knew and unwilling to consider the possibility of truths beyond those of the cave—ultimately, spurning the man’s attempt to enlighten them upon his return.

How can firefighters obtain different world views? What difficulties will firefighters encounter on their journey to education outside of their “cave”?

Freedom to learn

The four methods of learning—reading, writing, speaking and listening—are connected generically to the modalities of thinking. They are interrelated and govern how we learn.

In reading, we must strive to comprehend the ideas that are put forth. I often take short breaks from reading to see whether I can write down or communicate what I just read.

The saying, “If you can’t explain it to a 6-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself,” often is applied to speaking. However, I find this to be difficult at times when it comes to the fire service. There are many axioms that the uneducated mind will struggle to understand. No matter how some might try to simplify the information, their point of view might be hard to overcome.

The act of listening is in high demand, but many firefighters—and many in the population, in general—only hear what furthers their point of view and totally will discount anything else. Firefighters can have such staunchly held beliefs about the process of fire extinguishment that almost any new information is seen as rhetoric. A tremendous amount of critical thinking is required, which is obtained largely from a higher order of education. This critical thinking includes judging yourself and recognizing how you learn. For online learning to be an option, you need to be super disciplined, particularly as it applies to setting work and study schedules. That said, if your self-assessment brings you to a place where you recognize that instant feedback is important to you, then online learning can be quite challenging. (I like to learn from others in real time. The nod of the head during a conversation can go a long way when learning something new or when reinforcing already known strategies.)

Online vs. brick-and-mortar

Where can firefighters who are extremely busy find quality higher education? There has been a substantial increase in the number of college courses that are offered online, with varying levels of convenience for even the busiest firefighter, who very well might have numerous side jobs just to make ends meet. For the traditionalists, of course, there are brick-and-mortar institutions that also offer high-quality education but at a premium cost. Each modality has its pros and cons.

One advantage of attending a brick-and-mortar college or university in person is context. Interacting and verbalizing—the give and take between the student and professor—throughout critical-thinking exercises can be extremely important when learning. We know this to be true in our understanding of the communication loop.

It figures, then, that a disadvantage of attending an online program is a lack of context. This can be countered to some extent: On many occasions, I called or emailed my professors to further explain my thoughts in submitted papers or projects. Once I further explained my position on a particular matter, the professor understood my frame of reference, which helped to increase my grade. However, such course of action might not be for everyone.

The recent trend is a hybrid learning delivery model, in which you can take online courses and attend traditional classroom sessions. The National Fire Academy (NFA) adopted this style for the Executive Fire Officer Program. Of course, in the realm of adult learning, time is a precious commodity, hence NFA’s online component. But the opportunity also to interact with other students from different areas of the country delivers the perspective that only can be achieved through human interaction. No manner of online postings with menial responses will achieve that. The communication loop is realized in real time, which can lead to quicker learning.

Learn balance

Firefighters have crazy work schedules. Although obtaining a degree is the objective, our goal must be to find balance. Of course, there is a multitude of commitments that we all juggle: our spouses or significant others, children, jobs, and our physical and mental well-being, just to name a few. Discipline is key, and as Jocko (author, podcaster and retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander John Willink) would say, “Discipline equals freedom.” Here are a few tricks that I use to stay disciplined in my studies:

• schedule study time;
• set a timer;
• use yellow and blue highlighters;
• use noise-canceling headphones;
• keep a small notepad handy; and
• shut off the cellphone.

My wife always says to me, “If it’s not on the calendar, it’s not going to happen!” We utilize the Goggle Calendar app, and it works great for us, particularly for scheduling my study and work time. (I even scheduled myself time to write this article, and it’s listed as “Do not disturb” on the calendar.)

Of course, schedules are subject to change because life happens, but if you discipline yourself to forecasting time, it will lead to actually holding yourself accountable to the timeline.

I also have a small timer on my desk. I only can study for about an hour before I start to daydream or think of all of the other things that I need to do. I find that having a small digital timer on my desk set to one hour has positively affected the quality of my work.

In the same vein, we all have sat through long lectures or presentations. It has been said that our brains can only take in as much information as our behinds will allow us. Sitting at a computer and staring at the screen or reading a college textbook is tiring. Taking breaks and setting an acceptable amount of time to digest information is key toward comprehension. For me, 60 minutes or so is the limit.

Having two colors of highlighters might sound weird but hear me out. (A good friend and mentor of mine gave me this tip.) When at home reading textbooks, I use the yellow highlighter to emphasize information that I feel is important to know and remember. Later, when I’m sitting in a classroom listening to the professor or as I’m reading further, if the information that I previously highlighted in yellow is repeated, I use the blue highlighter to reemphasize the information, thus turning the highlight to green. Chances are, I might see this information on a test or use it for a term paper later in the course.

Noise-canceling headphones have been a godsend for me. My home office is located in my basement—or my dungeon, as I like to call it. I sit right next to my furnace and washing machine. This can be rather noisy, so I put on my headphones and find that the silence is extremely helpful in keeping my train of thought on track. (It also keeps the incessant barking of my two dogs out of earshot for a while.)

The best feature of my cellphone during my study time is the power button. I believe that the all-time record for the number of calls/texts on my phone during one of my early study sessions was around 10. It was a major distraction for me and turned my hour of study time into two hours. It also derailed my train of thought from time to time. The “do not disturb” function works well, too, if you are expecting an important call. Again, life happens, and our schedules are subject to change.

I find that carrying a small notepad all of the time is important, because the best ideas don’t always come when we’re sitting at our desk reading and writing. Inspiration comes at crazy times, and the need to capture those thoughts is vital. Chief Alan Brunacini was a master at this. (There was a particular interaction that I had with Chief Brunacini in which I was blessed to sit down with him individually at a training event between sessions. We discussed a few things, and, to my surprise, he stopped me in midsentence, took out a small notepad and pen and proceeded to jot down something that popped into his head. To this day, I still have no idea what he wrote, but this stuck with me. So, now, every time that I attend a training event or a gathering of the minds, I keep a small notepad handy to emulate the critical thinking of one of the masters of the fire service.)

I suppose that I could use my cellphone to take notes, but I find that by actually jotting down my thoughts, they have more clarity for when I revisit them at a later time.

To thine own self be true

Education is theory; training is placing that theory into practice. Both are necessary to ensure successful outcomes. Discounting one over the other is ill-advised; however, we can see this argument played out daily across firehouse kitchen tables and, particularly, throughout social media. That said, the value that’s placed on education is increasing, particularly because the fire service has morphed into an all-hazards, emergency-response organization, to which there is no other comparison. Paying attention to your learning process goes a long way toward achieving the continuous improvement that will positively affect your firefighting, your career and your life.