&gt; With no structure, most people flounder.<p>I find the opposite -- it is impossible for me to get any kind of complex learning done while I am on a structured course. It&#x27;s telling that I learned more in three weeks of being ill and choosing to passively read books on mathematics (While coughing my guts up, of course), than I did actively participating in a course. (The only reason I am participating in the course is because I need a bit of paper that says I can do foo. A few people working in foo field have said I am at their level, it&#x27;s just mindless inane hoop-jumping.)<p>&gt; Most people are passive. They want a teacher to lead them and guide them through the learning process.<p>Exactly, but IMO that is the fault of the schooling system itself. They&#x27;ve never had to <i>learn</i> anything themselves, because everything they know has been spoon-fed to them by their teachers. If we had a better (Differently structured) education system, then this would not be necessary.<p>Although I do not see much hope for this happening, both Russell <i>and</i> Whitehead made attempts to improve the learning systems in the UK, neither prevailed.<p>Apologies if this came across as a rant.