Privileged Information: The Unseen Knowledge That Shapes Meaning, Learning and Work
The future of education as well as work is likely to lie in the tension between technological advancement and the irreplaceable power of human relationships. To find a balance, it will be important to recognize and value privileged information so we can create learning environments that honor both innovation and the wisdom of experience that give life meaning.
"Little Gestures, Big Impact"
When you enter the offices and workspaces of Barkley, a full-service advertising agency based in Kansas City, a variety of motivational sayings greet visitors, one of which is "Little gestures, Big impact." This phrase encapsulates the essence of privileged information (PI) – knowledge that is not necessarily conveyed by words but through gestures, nuance, and experience, which is key for advancement, becoming an ‘insider,’ and learning the tricks of the trade.
Privileged information is only shared within the context of a meaningful relationship, one where there is trust between someone who possesses specialized knowledge and another who seeks to learn and grow. This is tacit knowledge which is fundamental in becoming educated, advancing in the workplace, and navigating life. Understanding how PI is conveyed and integrating it into modern learning environments—both physical and digital—is an ongoing challenge, one that Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers and educators are trying to unravel—and in so many cases can’t.
Feeling with Your Mind, Thinking with Your Senses
As Ron McKernan of the Grateful Dead once sang: "Operator said that's privileged information, and it ain't no business of mine."
While the days of telephone operators are long gone, PI remains and has always played an integral part of human interaction. However, PI is not something easily accessible; hence, we call it privileged. PI is shared through trust and relationships—between teacher and student, parent and child, mentor and mentee, and among colleagues, people who recognize shared interests and abilities, like musicians, and amongst friends.
Unlike formal education, which relies on curricula, textbooks, and standardized tests, PI is experiential and not found in books. It is derived from practice, subtle cues, and personal connection. AI developers are studying how PI is transmitted to improve machine learning models, but replicating the depth of human mentorship remains a challenge and is unlikely to be fully realized.
The Role of AI in Understanding Privileged Information
John Laird, a computer scientist at the University of Michigan, notes: "The thing that AI brings to the table is that it forces us to get into the details of how everything works. If there was any doubt that good teachers are important, machine learning is helping put it to rest."
As AI increasingly permeates education and professional development, it forces us to analyze how learning truly happens. Many educators use AI as a tool for efficiency, yet it lacks the capacity for nuanced human interaction. Throughout my life, the most insightful learning I got came from experienced practitioners sharing stories, tips, and insights, showing how they do it, and talking about breakthroughs with students.
In real-world settings, young people acquire privileged information from mentors who guide them through the complexities of work and life. Unlike textbooks, mentors use storytelling, metaphors, body language, gestures, and personal experiences to impart lessons that go beyond theoretical knowledge, as when an experienced mechanic indicates that an engine doesn’t sound right, or a doctor mentions that a particular smell means something. Understanding this transmission of tacit knowledge can help educators improve their teaching methods, but it may confound AI developers as they refine their learning models.
Teaching Me Softly: The Art of Subtle Instruction
Big Picture Learning (BPL) is one of the many organizations contributing to a shift in education by emphasizing personal, experience-driven learning. Rather than focusing solely on conventional teaching and testing, BPL prioritizes student interest exploration, mentorship, real-world engagement, practical applications, picking up the tricks of the trade and getting access to PI transmission. This is why BPL students typically spend two days per week out of school on internships with mentors connected to their interests, pursuing passion projects, or learning from supportive adults in their community.
From Benjamin Bloom’s groundbreaking research on Developing Talent in Young People to Étienne Wenger’s studies of Situated Learning and Communities of Practice, there is a vast body of evidence that educators should be informed about and are still not using in schools where PI is given in places and through relationships. A follow-up study by Lauren Sosniak, Bloom’s researcher-colleague, sadly concluded, “Our current methods of instruction may be quite inappropriate for the long-term development of talent. We have a tendency, it seems, to emphasize momentary attentiveness, the acquisition of quickly acquired and simplistic skills, and immediate success.”
We at BPL agree and think it’s because our system is hyper-focused on the content and not the process, thinking anyone and everyone can learn if we have the right materials, and that this is the way to equity. Are we too focused on a score on a test and not the transmission of PI that comes only through relationships and practice?
The Value of Craft in Youth Development
Craft has long played a pivotal role in human development, and its significance for youth is immense. In an age dominated by technology and AI, skilled trades and hands-on experiences remain crucial for developing problem-solving skills, creativity, and a deep sense of accomplishment. Privileged information plays a key role in these learning environments, as apprentices learn through observation, repetition when doing something right, and mentorship.
For instance, woodworking, metalworking, and other skilled crafts and trades rely on knowledge passed down from experienced craftspeople. This knowledge is not easily codified—it is learned through doing, adjusting, and receiving subtle corrections from a mentor. Recognizing the importance of PI in these settings should help to shape education policies that prioritize hands-on learning because this is one area that AI can’t access.
The Intersection of AI and Human Judgment
Baseball, one of the most human-centered sports, is now testing automated decision-making. These computerized systems call balls and strikes after being tested in the minor leagues for the past four years. The Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), could be used to aid MLB home plate umpires—but not replace them—by 2026.
This underscores the growing conversation about the role of human skill and judgment in a world increasingly influenced by AI. This shift raises questions about the loss of human "timing and touch" in decision-making. But does efficiency outweigh the value of human judgment?
Doug Stowe, an advocate for craft education, articulates this dilemma well: "What you’re measuring matters. Accuracy is not the same thing as enjoyment. We watch baseball to kill time, not to maximize it."
The broader implications extend beyond sports to medicine, law, education, and other fields. The reliance on bots and algorithms for critical decisions reflects a societal trend toward automation, but at what cost? When does AI complement human judgment, and when does it diminish essential skills? These are questions that both educators and AI developers must grapple with. If we focus solely on efficiency, we risk losing the essence of learning, craftsmanship, and human connection. The balance between AI and privileged information is delicate, and our approach must be intentional and relational.
Young People Don’t Care What You Know Until They Know That You Care
In BPL, we have always relied on teacher judgement to assess our students’ learning because our educators know the learners best and are well positioned to evaluate and measure important, real-world competencies. Through caring relationships sustained over time, teachers have access to PI about their students that includes students’ own personal self-assessments and the judgements of their mentors, so who better to provide a realistic appraisal?
When BPL started 30 years ago, we relied on student portfolios, teacher narratives and regular student exhibitions of learning through presentations. Learning was assessed against our Learning Goals (Empirical Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Social Reasoning, Communication, and Personal Qualities). Today, we have the International Big Picture Learning Credential (IBPLC) that shows how a student is smart, not how smart they are on a test. It is supported by university psychometricians who use algorithms to affirm teacher judgements, but it is reliant on human connection—someone who knows you know what you know.
An example of a relationship where someone knows you know what you know comes from Harbor Freight Fellow Rakau “Rocky” Boikanyo. When visiting The Crucible for a student exhibition, Rocky talked about and demonstrated cold forging with his mentor, welding sculpturer Brian Enright. It was evident that everyone knew he knew what he was talking about. There is a nuance and feel you get from someone who really knows.
Later, Brian, spoke eloquently about being a mentor: “To be a mentor you want those you are teaching to become better than yourself.” This is the difference between working for someone and working with someone, between teaching content and teaching a person. Here we are talking about becomes instead of outcomes. How you are smart becomes embodied cognition, part of who you are. A multiple-choice exam or other forms of standardized testing miss this by a mile. This is what counts.
The IBPLC was developed in Australia for all students whether they are going into the workforce, a technical program or college. At present, nearly half of the country’s universities recognize it as a stand-alone credential for admissions. It has been piloted in seven states across the USA for the past four years and is also used in Barbados and Kenya, with recognition by colleges in the US, Canada, UK, the Netherlands, and Italy. It equally serves learners entering the workforce directly as well as those pursuing other postsecondary options. Unlike standardized testing, the IBPLC both relies on PI and is able to capture PI in assessing student learning—something beyond the realm of AI.
Preserving the Power of Privileged Information
Privileged information remains one of the most valuable yet intangible aspects of learning and professional growth. It is not merely about conveying facts; it is about the subtleties of mentorship, the unspoken lessons, and the human connections that shape understanding.
As AI continues to evolve, we must ask ourselves: How do we preserve the transmission of PI in education and work? How do we ensure that efficiency does not replace human nuance and judgement around uncertain outcomes? And most importantly, how do we measure the impact of "little gestures" that carry profound significance?
As AI becomes more integrated into education, it may enhance our understanding of PI, enabling both youth and adults to grasp learning processes in more profound ways. However, it is crucial to recognize the irreplaceable role of human interaction in education.
Elliot has always held that the key to education—and really to humanity—is to have students and staff—and people in general—mingle with and muddle through problems that matter to them and their communities. If this seems simple, it’s intended to. As co-founder of Big Picture Learning and The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, Elliot’s educational philosophy—one which is embedded at the core of Big Picture’s successful school design—is that practice should inform theory and that theory should inform practice, a cycle that can lead to profound change, and one that has earned Elliot wide acclaim and recognition.
Elliot was selected as one of the Twelve Most Daring Educators in the World by the George Lucas Educational Foundation. His dissertation on Innovative Pedagogy and New Facilities won the merit award from DesignShare. Elliot has won a regional Emmy for his work as an Executive Producer on Big Picture Learning’s early Public Service Announcements and recently his short film, Navigating Our Way was awarded best animation in the Boston International Film Festival. His latest book is Learning to Leave – How Real-World Learning Transforms Education.
Elliot lives in sunny San Diego with his wife and dogs.