The word “disruptive” is usually associated with something
negative. Think of all the
disruptions you encounter in your day: disruptive students, being disrupted by
colleagues when you are trying to work, being disrupted by your phone, being
disruptive when you are trying to watch TV, flight disruptions…
I came across a paper that described how online learning
appears to be a “classic disruptive innovation”. I have never heard these words put together in such a clever
way before. Clayton M.
Christensen, a professor at Harvard University, was the man who first used the
term.
According to Heather Staker, Christensen’s “disruptive
innovation” is basically an innovation that improve products, services, and in
our case, education delivery in a way that is unexpected and industry changing
by replacing something complicated and expensive with less expensive and more
convenient alternatives. Examples are everywhere: mp3s, email, streaming video, mobile phones…. Think of the examples in my previous
post regarding communication…
Now, think of the progression of instructional media and
distance education: instructional films on reels, television, radio, videos
(VHS/Beta), audio (vinyl, reels, cassettes, cds, dvds), computers, and now the
internet. Learners can now learn using their telephones as instructional tools
without being near a classroom.
Blended learning is now picking up pace in educational institutions and
in the corporate world in education and training programs.
In her article, Staker gives some examples of materials that
enhance the learning experience as “add-ons” sustaining the “conventional
structure” rather than transforming it.
She lists such things as calculators, whiteboards, and overhead
projectors. Are there others that
should be added to this list?
In her paper, she profiles a list of 40 organizations that
are using online learning in “brick and mortar” schools, which is essentially
blended learning. It is a very detailed and comprehensive look at how institutions are using blended learning in the USA.
I challenge you to think of anything that is new in the
field of educational technology that you feel could be a “disruptive innovation”.
For more information please see “The Rise Of K-12 Blended
Learning Profiles Of Emerging Models” by Heather Staker
Darn... I think I accidentally experience premature comment publishing! If you have an earlier versionof this, please feel free to purge it, or ignore it.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for adding the links to these useful resources. Very helpful.
Now, I'm a big fan of disruptive technologies, and I think disruption is necessary in order to accomplish meaningful change. But I also wonder how much of the disruption is actually embedded in the technology vs. embedded in the way we use a technology. In other words, we can use a technology in conventional or disruptive ways. Take SmartBoards for example. We can use them to control the pace of a lesson and transmit content (pretty conventional). But we can also turn students loose on them to explore and invent new ways of looking at their emerging understanding of something, and connect with a host of others to help them along their way without the intervention of a teacher at all (pretty disruptive). But are there technologies that invite conventional approaches? Is there somehing about an overhead projector that compels us to lecture? Hmmmm.... I'm still chewing on this one. Thanks for making me think.
I was just talking yesterday with my students about using technology in the classroom and they said that as much as they love it, sometimes they want something tangible to play with (and yes - smartboards were the first thing that came up). I mentioned on the message boards about my old Texas Instruments graphing calculators from 1995. You are absolutely right when you mention turning the students loose and seeing what they come up with. Kids are naturally curious, and even though they are playing around, they don't realize that they are learning. For what is needed in my courses to graph, I need nothing more, yet, there are always newer and newer models being introduced. My retro models serve the purpose just fine.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I would like to throw into this are adult learners or those in "training" in the corporate world, using technology or not. As much as I love teaching high school kids, education in the corporate field is something I would love to jump into. If given the chance to play around, will adults, even if they are being paid? Adults are the hardest audience to keep on task/entertained. I'm curious to see if there is any research on this. The euphemisms for learning are, to me, funny. Kids learn, in the corporate world adults go to "training sessions", and teachers go to "professional development". I wonder why this is.
The term disruptive innovation is new for me too so I thank you very much for bringing it to my attention. I'm wondering if the impact of the disruption and innovation is in the eyes of the beholder. For some people the introduction of a new idea or technology creates a positive disruption, they embrace it and it truely does transform how they do things. For these people the innovation does make life easier.
ReplyDeleteFor others the disruption is a negative experience. They do not see the purpose of it and instead of making life easier it actually makes things more complicated.
In saying all that the idea of mindset comes to mind. Wondering if the lens in which we view the disruptive innovation is influenced by your growth or fixed mindset. Hmmm....you really are making me think. Thanks for that.
I wasn't sure what to make of the term 'Disruptive Innovation' only because at first glance I immediately paired it with seeing things from a negative perspective. I can completely relate to an understanding of that feeling of being 'disrupted'. Whether it is a lack of time, too many commitments, pressures from work, lack of play... we live in a day and age where it would be difficult to see the benefits of being disrupted.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we can include BYOD as an example of disruptive innovation? Has the option of students bringing their own devices changed how we can authentically include technology in our classrooms? I also wonder if it has created a negative push back... being open to students accessing and connecting with technology requires a shift in the traditional model of teaching in general. Does BYOD create a divide from an educator stand point?
Great food for thought...
I wanted to share an amazing example of how I see Disruptive Innovation can change learning in ways we never thought possible:
http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.html
I think I just might be a better person for being disrupted in the way I have always seen the world.