Innovation, Learning, and Learning Spaces

Innovation, Learning, and Learning Spaces

ELI web seminarOctober 2008

Malcolm Brown, Dartmouth College

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“If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse.’ ”

“If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse.’ ”

attributed to Henry Fordattributed to Henry Ford

LearningLearning

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QuickReviewQuickReview

4http://www.nap.edu/books/0309070368/

html/

FindingsFindings

• Knowledge is constructed• Expertise / competency =

– factual matrix or manifold– conceptually organized– retrieval and application

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Expertise: range and limitsExpertise: range and limits

where are the knights? where are the rooks?

FindingsFindings

• Knowledge is constructed• Expertise / competency =

– factual matrix or manifold– conceptually organized– retrieval and application

• Student control of learning

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Learning SpacesLearning Spaces

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Educause Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2003

Change has happenedChange has happened

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Dramatic shiftsDramatic shifts

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What got us here?What got us here?

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How did we get here?How did we get here?

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We’ve innovatedWe’ve innovated

Innovation seems like a Big Deal

Innovation seems like a Big Deal

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It seems to be everywhereIt seems to be everywhere

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Innovation seems empoweringInnovation seems empowering

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Our LS works seems to be innovative

Our LS works seems to be innovative

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Apollo 13

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a square peg in a round hole… rapidly

It feels like innovationIt feels like innovation

• No formula• Adoption to rapidly changing

circumstances• Working with teams• Often handed odds & ends• Funding can be uncertain• New ideas not always received well

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But is it innovation?But is it innovation?

• What does it “look” like? Feel like?• How does it work?• How can we be better at it?• What are all the moving parts?

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10 we

1Innovation = Epiphany

1Innovation = Epiphany

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not!not!

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Version 2:Version 2:Innovation = IdeaInnovation = Idea

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“The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.”

Linus Pauling

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Berkun, p. 9

ImplementationImplementation

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“The elaboration of idea into function… [is]‘the one that takes up the most time and involves the hardest work.’ ”

Berkun, Myths of Innovation, p. 13

Also…Also…

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Innovation ≠ SerendipityInnovation ≠ Serendipity

Percy Spencer (1896–1970)Percy Spencer (1896–1970)

The microwaveThe microwave

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Innovation

Innovation

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EpiphanyEpiphany==≠≠ ++

lots of hard

lots of hard

work, trial and

work, trial and

error, research,

error, research,

etc. etc. etc. etc.

etc. etc. etc. etc.

ThoughtThought

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“Every innovation is difficult.”

Christensen, Innovator’s Dilemma, p. 154

2Understand the diffusion

process

2Understand the diffusion

process

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What influences diffusionWhat influences diffusion

• Relative advantage• Compatibility• Ease of use• Trialability• Observability

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following Rogers, Diffusion of Innovationsfollowing Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

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relativeadvantagerelativeadvantage

very highvery high

compatibilitycompatibilitysomewhat lowsomewhat low

Example 1Example 1

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

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relativeadvantage

relativeadvantage

modestmodest

ease of useease of use

very lowvery low

Example 2Example 2

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

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compatibilitycompatibility

very highvery highrelativeadvantagerelativeadvantage

very highvery high

ease of useease of use OKOK

Example 3Example 3

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

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relativeadvantagerelativeadvantage

moderate/highmoderate/high

compatibilitycompatibility somewhatlowsomewhatlow

trialabilitytrialability

lowlow

Example 4Example 4

3Understand the challenges of

disruptive innovation

3Understand the challenges of

disruptive innovation

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ThoughtThought

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“If, at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”

Albert Einstein

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““I can’t waste my time on this stuff.”I can’t waste my time on this stuff.”

Disney exec on Pixar, c. 1987 (NYT review)

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“…we just cannot divert ourselves from the business at hand.” — GM vice chair

www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-01/ff_100mpg

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““Search doesn’t matter. Portals do.”Search doesn’t matter. Portals do.”

Yahoo execs, 1998

Sustaining vs. disruptiveSustaining vs. disruptive

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Sustaining innovation

Incremental improvement

Established paradigm

Valued by current customers

Predictable

Underperform

New paradigm

“I didn’t ask for this”

Unpredictable

Disruption is hardDisruption is hard

• Limited market capacity for disruption

• Disruptive tech won’t fit• Our orgs our less flexible than we

want to believe• Failure and iterative learning are

keys• Reluctance to invest in disruption

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following Christensen, Innovator’s Dilemmafollowing Christensen, Innovator’s Dilemma

Managing for disruptionManaging for disruption

• Align disruptive tech with the right customers so there’s tangible demand

• Align to small, independent units for small growth

• Fail early and inexpensively• Search for markets not

technological breakthroughs45

following Christensen, Innovator’s Dilemma, p. 113–114following Christensen, Innovator’s Dilemma, p. 113–114

4Fear not failure

4Fear not failure

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ThoughtThought

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“If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.”

Alfred Bernhard Nobel

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49http://www.wd40.com/about-us/history/

5Learn to see and observe

5Learn to see and observe

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“You can observe a lot by just watching.”

Yogi Berra

Learning to seeLearning to see

• Don’t rely on surveys and focus groups

• Focus on what they do not on what they say

• Experts may know too much• Customers may lack the vocabulary

to say what is wrong or missing

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6Innovation has consequences

6Innovation has consequences

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ConsequencesConsequences

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many can’t be foreseenmany can’t be foreseen

not all are goodnot all are good

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The desirable and undesirable consequences of an innovation cannot usually be separated.

The desirable and undesirable consequences of an innovation cannot usually be separated.

Roger’s generalization 11-1, p. 445Roger’s generalization 11-1, p. 445

ExamplesExamples

• Clipper ships• Malaria • The machine-harvested tomato• Laggard’s revenge: 2,4-D weed

spray

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7Look for blisters and rule-

breakers

7Look for blisters and rule-

breakers

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“…your customers may lack the vocabulary or the palate to explain what’s wrong and especially what’s missing.”

Kelley, Art of Innovation, p. 27

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“We all had cell phones. We just hated them, they were so awful to use. Everybody seemed to hate their phones.”

Steve Jobs on the idea of the iPhone

8Who’s on your LS team?

8Who’s on your LS team?

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Team buildingTeam building

• Lone genius most often a myth• Team’s charge and frame• Not about defending status quo• Sense of something is at stake• Flatter the better• Select for ability not seniority• Create energy: fun

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Team motivationTeam motivation

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“A specific performance challenge that is clear and compelling to all team members is the greatest motivator.”

“A specific performance challenge that is clear and compelling to all team members is the greatest motivator.”

Wisdom of Teams, p. 269Wisdom of Teams, p. 269

9Do better brainstorming

9Do better brainstorming

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Towards better brainstormingTowards better brainstorming

• Sharpen the focus• Number your ideas• Build and jump• Write it out: “space remembers”• Get physical: draw a diagram,

make a model• Mental yoga & warm-up exercises

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following Kelley, The Art of Innovationfollowing Kelley, The Art of Innovation

Towards “badder” brainstorming

Towards “badder” brainstorming

• The boss speaks first• Everybody gets a turn• Experts only• Gotta do it off-site• Write everything down• No silly stuff; “we’re

professionals”

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following Kelley, The Art of Innovationfollowing Kelley, The Art of Innovation

10Aim for the wet napkin interface

10Aim for the wet napkin interface

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What is it?What is it?

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“Open and use.”

Getting thereGetting there

• More is less• Rigorous limits on user options• One click is better than two• Give users feedback• Don’t trust your interface entirely• Emphasize essentials

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“If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse.’ ”

“If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse.’ ”

attributed to Henry Fordattributed to Henry Ford

Thank you!Thank you!

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