Projects Instead of Lectures, Nicknames Instead of Names... This School Teaches with MacBooks

A Visit to Geukkuro Campus, an Alternative Education Institution

Developing Problem-Solving Skills Through Student-Led Projects

MacBooks Used in Every Class... Fostering Creativity as a Core Learning Tool

On May 19, I visited Geukkuro Campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Upon entering the building, I saw several meeting spaces separated by transparent glass walls. The areas ranged from small rooms that could accommodate three or four people to larger spaces where dozens could gather at once. At first glance, the place resembled a startup office or a shared workspace, but it is, in fact, a 'school.' Geukkuro Campus is an alternative education institution (an unaccredited alternative school) registered with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, attended by students of high school age (16 to 19 years old).

The atmosphere was quite different from that of ordinary schools. Instead of uniforms, students wore their own clothes that reflected their personalities, and they gathered in groups at tables, engaged in heated discussions. The hallways were lined with murals that students had painted themselves. The academic system here also differs from traditional schools. There are no grade levels, exams, or grades, and instead of one-way lectures from teachers, students develop problem-solving skills through student-led team programs called 'projects.' To foster a horizontal culture, both students and teachers address each other by nicknames instead of names. Even the head coach, who serves as the principal, Lee Jeongbaek, is called by the nickname 'Jjeombaek' by the students.

Geugguro Campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Apple

It is also notable that students carry Apple MacBooks instead of textbooks or workbooks. The school participates in the Apple Distinguished School (ADS) program, which is an Apple support initiative for educational institutions. More than 95% of the students use MacBooks, and Apple provides training and other resources for teachers. Currently, there are 12 schools in Korea, including Geukkuro Campus, participating in the ADS program.

Classes are also conducted using 'Numbers' and 'Pages,' which are basic applications included with the Mac operating system (macOS). For example, teachers use the spreadsheet program Numbers to create mind maps for class topics, and students collaboratively fill in content using the document co-editing feature. With Pages, the document editing software, students organize their project content and even publish it as e-books.

Head Coach Lee explained, "We designed the learning process to be centered on digital tools, hoping that students would use devices more for creation than consumption. The free programs provided on MacBooks have become excellent tools for both classwork and creative activities."

In fact, the curriculum at this school is centered on hands-on learning and creative activities. The core of the six-semester curriculum is the project, through which students release apps or carry out social contribution campaigns. Some teams have developed and released apps for managing household medicine cabinets during their studies, while others are working on installing ramps on staircases to improve mobility for people with disabilities. There are also cases in which students were accepted into preliminary startup support packages and went on to start actual businesses while attending the school.

Meeting is being held for students' project progress at Geokkuro Campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Apple

Seongbaek Kim, head coach (principal), is giving a presentation at Geokkuro Campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Apple

Kim Yumin (nickname 'Hwanhee', age 19), a current student at Geukkuro Campus, has also been developing a platform since November last year to connect elderly patients in need of outpatient treatment with young volunteers. To develop the platform, she has participated in multiple volunteer activities assisting the elderly with hospital visits, and is now in the process of defining the platform's direction and moving on to actual development.

The MacBook also proves useful in projects. Students jointly manage project progress documents using the collaborative editing features of Pages and Keynote (a presentation program), and when they need to send large files during meetings, they use Apple's nearby file sharing system, AirDrop. By applying the AI-based coding they learned in class, students directly develop smartphone apps and management web pages for the platform using their MacBooks.

Kim hopes to continue solving social issues through entrepreneurship even after graduating from Geukkuro Campus. She said, "I enrolled at Geukkuro Campus because I wanted to find something I truly wanted to do, and through my experiences here, I've become interested in starting my own business. Even after graduation, I want to continue working on the projects I'm currently pursuing," she shared.

A current student at Geokuro Campus, Hwanhee (real name Kim Yumin, 19), is introducing the platform she developed herself. Photo by Myunghwan Lee

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.