Project Intelligence Harvard: Boosting Cognitive Skills

Intelligence Project "HARVARD": Conceptual Definition

The Intelligence Project "HARVARD" (PIH) represents clear guidance heuristic models that put the emphasis on teaching methods, strategies, or specific techniques. The PIH has its starting point at the initiative of the Ministry for the Development of Human Intelligence of Venezuela and the collaboration of Harvard University (which claims to improve the Venezuelan education system). It coincides with other programs aimed at introducing cognitive enhancement and improving the efficiency of educational processes.

Primary Objective

The fundamental objective is to develop procedures to enhance thinking skills.

Four Factors in Intellectual Performance

The PIH distinguishes four factors in intellectual performance:

1. Skills: These are generic tasks that students need to develop by doing activities such as:
   • Comparing and contrasting patterns or objects according to their shared characteristics.
   • Classifying into two or more classes.
   • Breaking down complex patterns.
   • Generating criteria to evaluate a design in words.
   • Stating one's own idea of a text.
2. Methods: These are structured steps that students should learn, such as:
   • Reading and rereading a problem.
   • Thinking of a simple problem similar to the one given.
   • Writing information given in one's own words.
3. Knowledge: These are concepts and principles that students should understand. Seeking a balance between knowledge and skills, this must refuse to be rote and meaningless.
4. Attitudes: These are views and opinions to develop to improve intellectual performance, such as:
   • Awakening the sense of curiosity ("waking up interest in solving the why of things").
   • Waking respect for the opinions of others.
   • Waking the sense of achievement and personal competence.

Structure of Each Lesson

• Title: The theme of the lesson.
• Justification: Reasons for including the lesson.
• Objectives: Cognitive gains to be achieved; each lesson has one or more specific objectives.
• Skills: Observable behaviors to acquire (this is a behavioral specification of objectives).
• Activities: Tangible actions to perform (chips, solutions, etc.).
• Materials: Items needed for each lesson (paper, balloons, clips, etc.).
• Suggestions: Teacher observations regarding difficulties and improvements.

Series 1: Fundamentals of Reasoning

This series aims to develop the attitudes, concepts, and basic processes on which the course is structured. Thus, it should always be developed first and not ignored, though it does not further the project in its entirety or its specific order.

Unit 1: Observation and Classification

Teaching is designed to collect, organize, and interpret the information we receive in a systematic, critical, and productive manner.

• Sixth lesson 1: The observation
• Sixth lesson 2: The differences
• Sixth lesson 3: The similarities
• Sixth lesson 4: The groups and their essential characteristics
• Sixth lesson 5: Classes and ranking
• Sixth lesson 6: Hypothesis testing