Any college student knows that group projects are a given for any class, and as much as they are dreaded by students everywhere, professors continue to make them a large part of your grade. Despite the sometimes positive lessons that group projects and class discussions generate, these “collaborative learning” techniques often focus on fostering extroversion and ignore the needs of many introverted students.

Curriculum that overemphasizes group projects and interactive learning to break students out of their comfort zones often don’t take into account an introvert’s need for quiet, independent study. The distractions and social anxiety that can result from interactive learning can make it difficult for introverted or easily distracted students to concentrate on the lesson at hand, making learning a less enjoyable experience for at least one third of the population.

The ideal way to appeal to the needs of introverts would be to create a system that personalizes education so that all types of students could learn to the best of their ability, unhindered by distractions. However, with large populations of students compared to the small population of instructors, that ideal learning situation will likely take years to achieve.

To read the full article in The Atlantic, click here.