Christensen’s theory of Disruptive Innovation essentially
states that institutions (companies, organizations) will tend to innovate to serve
current customer perceived current or future needs. A disruptive innovation enters the picture by
serving a population that is not currently served. As that product continues to innovate it
increases its functionality while maintaining the advantage that allowed it to
serve the unserved eventually pulling in customers served by other
institutions.
Horn, Christensen’s coauthor in “Disrupting Class”, predicts
that online learning could be a disruptive innovation for education initially
serving students who are not currently served.
Among the students he lists as potential entry points are students who
are not served well currently. His list
includes drop outs, incarcerated students, students behind in credits (credit
recovery), and expelled students. These
are the students JCCS serves. If he is
right we should be getting out in front of this disruption.
Horn also mentions that when an existing institution wants
to embrace a disrupting technology it needs to create an autonomous organization
because the disruption, by definition, requires a different perspective often in
conflict with the current culture of the existing organization.
As JCCS struggles to bring online instruction on board there are countless examples of this. I feel that unless JCCS spins off a separate online "school" it will meet the fate of DEC. Someone else will enter into what JCCS has always assumed was a protected market and before JCCS can adapt it will become irrelavant.
I am with you….I will miss Steve Jobs and his creative genius. His ability to see something, make it much better and then market it to new uses and to new audiences is unsurpassed. He talked about the space for innovation and creativity that he was allowed by virtue of being “fired” from Apple at one point. It reminds me of the 24 hours of time for innovation that Pink talks about in the RSA animate on motivation.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how that “time for innovation” might benefit JCCS in its pursuit of more effective delivery systems. Online learning is surely a disruptive innovation. Much of what I have seen in credit recovery is text and mastery based. Mastery, I have no problem with. Single modality is the problem. Online delivery holds the promise of multiple senses, learner preference and differentiation made more accessible for teachers and learning mentors.
Wilson comes to mind….the avatar who was on Jeopardy. We need software platforms that allow us, as teachers, to direct our students to the most effective learning opportunities for their learning preferences. …at least that is one direction we need to pursue.
Pat, your comment on time for innovation made me think... Teacher always claims that time is scarce. This construct of time leads to resistance to innovation, and I found this interesting because not innovating is what leads to the demise of corporations according to Christensen. Perhaps the teachers who fail to embrace innovation will fade away as well.
ReplyDeleteTim: Tenure only encourages those teachers who won't embrace change to stay. As you well know it is next to impossible to replace ineffective teachers. I doubt that technology and innovation will scare them away. They are lifers - but in the bad sense.
ReplyDeleteSusan: Your passion for under served students always inspires me. I am intrigued about how technology can advance their academic success. Students at JCCS are fortunate to have you as their advocate.