Disruptive innovation is when a new product competes against non-consumption then improves until it can take the place of the standard. This is what happened when the personal computer was created--there was no alternative for individuals who wanted computers in their homes. Then the technology improved to where businesses chose to use PC's as well.
Areas of non-consumption in schools include credit-recovery, tutoring, specialized courses, home schooling. This means there is a vacuum where student-centered technology can take the place of instruction by teachers. Companies who create applications to offer these courses will have little to no competition from schools.
In Migrant Education, we have offer the PASS program where students recover credits through independent study. http://www.capassprogram.org/ Many of the courses fulfill a-g requirements. Some are offered in Spanish as well as English and they are free to migrant students. The PASS program is popular in districts that don't have other options for kids like Plato. One of my districts will be offering online courses, but charging students to take them. In that district, I anticipate more students requesting PASS, as they won't be able to afford to pay for the district-run program.
Oh, and here are some notes Joel and I took from the book
Bev, I love your notes. Thanks for posting them. I think you are right in your description of online credit recovery being in the non-consumption phase. It is ripe for innovation. How does PASS stack up against Christensen’s descriptions of delivery models that offer differentiation and variety in presentation for different learning preferences. My limited experience with Plato, for example, is that it is pretty mundane, rote, mastery focused. That is not all bad; however, there doesn’t seem to be much “choice” as in youtube videos, visual application of mathematical concepts, etc. for help in understanding. Rather, Plato is pretty much text based. At least that is what I recall from a year ago when I looked at it.
ReplyDeleteAND…..does PASS have elements that support creative and divergent thinking? As you mention in your post on design, symphony, and innovation in general, most learning environments do not support any creativity. It seems to me that online teaching and learning systems have the potential to exemplify a creative learning environment through thoughtful design.
Pat,
ReplyDeletePlato is not monolithic. I use Plato a lot because it is what JCCS currently has invested in. Some modules are good to great in their presentation, others pretty boring, textual explanations. I have always thought that to fully utilize a commercial online curriculum product it needs to be encased in some kind of flexible learning management system where you can offer alternative resources for comprehension, practice and assessments. I also feel reflection, collaboration, and student explanation (written, spoken & graphic) are essential components to online classes and need to be incorporated somehow. As you mention design is the key. Discussions like this make me itch to design and deliver online instruction then I wake up and look at my to-do list.
You have no idea how glad to hear that Plato is not completely monolithic. As I said, my experience with it is limited. What I did see did not want to make me look further. I wonder why ALL of the modules are not well-presented? Further, accompanying even good online instruction with the elements you mention-reflection, collaboration, facilitated discussion-would definitely be a part of my "dream delivery platform."
ReplyDeleteBev, your comments made me think and were quite timely. My daughter (she is an 8th grader)brought home a letter from the superintendent of the Fallbrook High School District today. This letter describes how online courses will be made a part of the main curriculum next year. All of the students in the comprehensive high school in Fallbrook will have the opportunity to take two of their required classes online. In my mind this is definitely a disruptive innovation. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Bev,
ReplyDeletethanks for posting the info on PASS. we need to look at that more closely in JCCS. although i hear that PLATO was recently approved for A-G. definite disruption in education: adapt or suffer a terrible fate!