Spaces to LearnSpaces to Innovate

Spaces to LearnSpaces to Innovate

ELI Fall Focus Session 2008

Malcolm BrownEducause Learning Initiative

mbrown@educause.edu1

2

“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

3

“Well… how did I get here?”“Well… how did I get here?”

4

“Well… how did I get here?”“Well… how did I get here?”

5North Carolina State http://www.ncsu.edu/PER/scaleup.html

“Well… how did I get here?”“Well… how did I get here?”

6

“Well… how did I get here?”“Well… how did I get here?”

7Columbia University Teachers College, Gottesman Libraries

“Well… how did I get here?”“Well… how did I get here?”

8

“Well… how did I get here?”“Well… how did I get here?”

9Georgetown University Law Center Eric E. Hotung International Law Building

StepsSteps

10

Educause Quarterly, No. 1, 2003, pp. 14–15

StepsSteps

• Educause Quarterly op-ed piece: 2003• ELI LS focus sessions

– Classrooms Fall 2004– Informal Spaces Fall 2005– Mobile Learning Spring 2006

• LS eBook: 2006• Educause LS constituent group: late

2006

11

12

Technology

Learning theory (how

people learn)

we are here

social web

NetGens: students and young faculty

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

13

We’ve innovatedWe’ve innovated

But what is innovation?But what is 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?

14

It seems to be everywhereIt seems to be everywhere

15

Innovation seems coolInnovation seems cool

16

it seems to be about ideasit seems to be about ideas

BMW ad here about BMW being all about ideas

Innovation seems empoweringInnovation seems empowering

17

Our LS works seems to be innovative

Our LS works seems to be innovative

18

19

Apollo 13

Excerpt from the movie Apollo 13 here

20

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

21

but is innovation?but is innovation?

22

23

10

1Innovation = Epiphany

1Innovation = Epiphany

24

or does it???

25

Version 2:Version 2:Innovation = IdeaInnovation = Idea

26

Berkun, p. 9

27

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

Linus Pauling

ImplementationImplementation

28

“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

29

1research thinking workmore work

2“missing link” idea

3implementationthinking worktrial & error

Also…Also…

30

Innovation ≠ SerenpidityInnovation ≠ Serenpidity

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

The microwaveThe microwave

31

Innovation

Innovation

32

EpiphanyEpiphany==≠≠

++

lots of hard

lots of hard

work, trial and

work, trial and

error, research,

error, research,

etc.etc.

ThoughtThought

33

“Every innovation is difficult.”

Christensen, Innovator’s Dilemma, p. 154

2Understand the diffusion

process

2Understand the diffusion

process

34

What influences diffusionWhat influences diffusion

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

35

following Rogers, Diffusion of Innovationsfollowing Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

36

relativeadvantagerelativeadvantage

very highvery high

compatibilitycompatibilitysomewhat lowsomewhat low

Example 1Example 1

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

37

relativeadvantage

relativeadvantage

modestmodest

ease of useease of use

very lowvery low

Example 2Example 2

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

38

compatibilitycompatibility

very highvery highrelativeadvantagerelativeadvantage

very highvery high

ease of useease of use OKOK

Example 3Example 3

Analyzing diffusion’s prospectsAnalyzing diffusion’s prospects

39

relativeadvantagerelativeadvantage

moderate/highmoderate/high

compatibilitycompatibility somewhatlowsomewhatlow

trialabilitytrialability

lowlow

Example 4Example 4

40

TED talk: Technology’s Long Tail

3Do better brainstorming

3Do better brainstorming

41

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

42

following Kelly, The Art of Innovationfollowing Kelly, 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”

43

following Kelly, The Art of Innovationfollowing Kelly, The Art of Innovation

4Understand the challenges of

disruption

4Understand the challenges of

disruption

44

ThoughtThought

45

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

Albert Einstein

46

““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)

47

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

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

48

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

Yahoo execs, 1998

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: not

something you “can bank on”

49

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 breakthroughs50

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

5Learn to see and observe

5Learn to see and observe

51

52

“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

53

6Be left-handed

6Be left-handed

54

55

“It’s not that we build such bad cars; it’s that they are such lousy customers.”

Auto executive, 1930’s

Being left handedBeing left handed

• Customers have “jobs”• They “hire” products and services to

do them• Target circumstances, not customers• Carefully observe what people are

trying to achieve• Danger in asking people to “change

jobs”

56following Christensen, Innovator’s Solution

7Fear not failure

7Fear not failure

57

ThoughtThought

58

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

Alfred Bernhard Nobel

59

60http://www.wd40.com/about-us/history/

8Look for blisters and rule-

breakers

8Look for blisters and rule-

breakers

61

62

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

Kelly, Art of Innovation, p. 27

63

“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

9Who’s on your LS team?

9Who’s on your LS team?

64

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

65

Team motivationTeam motivation

66

“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

10Aim for the wet napkin interface

10Aim for the wet napkin interface

67

What is it?What is it?

68

“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

69

70

“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!

71

ResourcesResources

72

ResourcesResources

73

ResourcesResources

74

ResourcesResources

75

ResourcesResources

76

ResourcesResources

77

ResourcesResources

78

ResourcesResources

79

ResourcesResources

80

ResourcesResources

81