BECTa Innovative approaches content quality principle
| When | Mar 19, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Where | London |
BECTa ‘Innovative approaches’ content quality principle – work to review the principle and produce advice for practitioners and developers
Richard Millwood and John Davitt
March 2007
Response to Quality Principles surrounding the Innovative Approaches principle
In considering this principle, we read around the other principles and have these five observations to make:
1 It is not clear how the practitioner audience can directly relate to the principles, in one sense there is an ambivalence of audience.
2 The principles are often couched in an 'admonishing' style - what not to do, rather than more inspirational and positive statements of what is hoped for or might be achieved. There is an underlying sense of fear that technology will be abused rather than exploited successfully as if the principles were gate-keeping rather than signposting in nature and intent.
3 The principles suffer from an embedded and unspoken belief that the technology is in control, or that the learner 'experiences' learning rather than actively participates in it. This is at its worst in the principle on 'Assessment to support learning', which seems to imply that the technology should be the judge of human performance, but in fact capitulates in the bullet points to describe the learners', peers' and teachers' rôles in this regard. We would contend that the learners cannot be guided and measured by designed systems, although feedback on the accuracy of factual answers is useful evidence for learners and teachers to make proper judgements.
4 Only one principle starts with an adjective - 'Robust summative assessment' which helps to summarise the principle, rather than see it as a place name - should not others do the same? If all the titles where more informative in this way, it might make them more memorable and useful. In general, language used was passive and uninspiring.
5 The core design principles make specific reference to 'digital learning resources' and how they should be. In the core pedagogic principles, the subject of each principle varies between 'digital learning resources', 'teaching and learning' and 'technology-enhanced learning'. This needs a bit of tidying up so that the practitioner or developer can make sense of what exactly is being referred to here - practice or artefact?
Response to the Innovative Approaches principle
"Digital learning resources may be innovative in their design and use of technology and/or innovative in the approach to teaching and learning that they offer."
We feel this is an observation rather than a principle and it does not explain the characteristics of innovative approaches. The "and/or" leaves so much open and uncertain without providing any clarification of the nature and range of innovative approaches.
A replacement principle could be:
"Innovative approaches are rooted in imagination and creativity but are nurtured by a supportive environment, provide surprise and may involve risk. Digital learning resources benefit from innovative approaches which occur both in their design and deployment. It is important to recognise the role of ownership and progression in innovative approaches. Teaching and learning is refreshed and energised by innovative approaches, especially where there is evidence, reflection and communication to others."
This principle could then be expanded both for practitioner and developers be as shown below:
|
Concept |
Explanation |
Practitioner and Manager |
Designer and Developer Support |
Indicative Reference |
|
Imagination and Creativity |
These central concepts lie at the heart of innovation. When imagination and creativity coalesce, innovative approaches are a common by-product. Key developments depend on this source, and care must be taken not to damage it with over-management and regulation. |
‘Creativity: find it, promote it', QCA, http://www.ncaction.org.uk/creativity/index.htm |
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|
Environment |
Certain environments assist the development of innovative approaches by both support and removal of barriers. Is there space and safety for the seeds of innovative approaches to take root and grow? Is there a shared understanding of the collaborative endeavour needed to innovate, where different individuals contribute to collective innovation, supporting each other intellectually, practically and strategically. |
Key requirements of the physical and digital environments that can assist the development of innovative approaches include making time and space for them to grow – short periods and confined spaces are not always helpful. It is often helpful to create a special context, a different arrangement of space, a suspension of the normal timetable or a change of role for participants. The permission granted to be something else needs eventually to become a responsibility for the individual – to ‘turn it on’ when needed, not only when allowed or timetabled “Oh no, not innovation again – makes my head hurt every Friday afternoon!” |
Use contextual tools and practices to assist developers in thinking outside the box without feeling professionally at risk, especially in early project development. Digital resources should acknowledge collaborative as well as individual activity and be open to alternative uses as well as those imagined by the designer. |
‘Modelling Learning and R&D in Innovative Environments: a Cognitive Multi-Agent Approach‘, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/7/2/7.html |
|
Surprise |
Innovative approaches surprise you at times. They are unexpected and subject to steeper learning curves and shorter timeframes than normal systemic or systematic developments. An innovative approach means welcoming such surprises. This needs individuals with open-mindedness, willingness to explore change and support for colleagues, in order to realise the more strategic fertile environment issues discussed in the environment section. It’s what happens at times when somebody says “Why didn't we think of this before?” The implication of this may be that In the planning and in the execution of development projects we need to leave some surprise space. |
Prepare staff and learners for the unexpected opportunity of new opportunities and practices by developing an atmosphere of exploration and welcome for surprises. Beware of dismissing the unusual or unconventional out of hand. |
Consider how established systems can be tweaked and developed to allow a fresh perspective to emerge. Don’t be afraid to explore technology innovation and be ready for unexpected pedagogic approaches to arise.
|
‘The Surprise Factor - The unexpected "driver" in technology innovation’, Jeffrey L. Funk, http://gurusonline.tv/uk/conteudos/funk.asp |
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Risk "Many people dream of success. To me, success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection." Soichiro Honda |
Risk is implicit in innovative approaches, and, by definition, there no such thing as entirely safe, secure and risk-free innovation, but considered and ethical research methodologies should underpin such risk taking.
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Create support mechanisms for risk to be taken wisely. Develop a climate of acceptance of failure rather than fear, as a major part of the learning feedback loop. Develop the capability to recognise ‘useful’ failure and reflect on this as a springboard for the next ‘risk’. |
Develop a culture balancing the ethical considerations and legal requirements for safety with the need to take risks and learn from them. Create digital resources that build on failure, offering possible explanations for common errors rather than dismissing them. |
‘Cotton Wool Kids’, Head Teachers into Industry, http://www.hti.org.uk/HTISite/index?page=stdcnt&id=3018109191275b011073a638de007949&retpage=index?pa ‘Supporting innovation - Managing risk in government departments’, National Audit Office, http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/chronindex.asp?type=vfm |
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Ownership " Free and open source software projects are a relatively well-developed and a very successful form of Internet-based innovation community." Eric von Hippell |
The ownership of innovative approaches can be multi-layered. The origins of ownership can be be traced within the creation of innovative approaches especially as development occurs and ideas are taken further than their initiatiors had intended or envisaged. “Whose innovative approach is it?” is a key question to recognize. Is it the designer, maker or the user who innovates and uses the method, process or artefact in new and unexpected ways? e.g. teachers making more of PowerPoint than Microsoft intended. There is a need for designers to articulate the original thinking embedded in their digital learning resources. |
Design professional development activities for staff to claim their ownership and critical view of digital learning resources. |
In developing digital learning resources, consider opening the development process using open source techniques so that the community of eventual users can be seen to be partners. Include tools to ‘annotate’ - make tags and prompts - in digital learning resources to provide pointers and permissions for users in how they can extend the use of the resource and make it more their own.
|
‘Democratising innovation’, Eric von Hippel http://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/democ1.htm |
|
Progression |
There is an increasing scale of innovative approaches from tentative awareness through variations in practice, new juxtaposition of tools & methods ultimately to zeitgeist defining moments. This in turn could inform a self-review framework in which we ask where we are with regard to innovative approaches. Have we considered the opportunities of of each of these concepts of innovative approaches to make progress? |
Model the range of possible innovative approaches and make these accessible to staff and students in their use of digital learning resources: 1 Be aware and ready to adopt innovative approaches and understand their challenges 2 Fulfil current learning & teaching needs using existing resources & capabilities through variations in practice 3 Extend learning & teaching by combining existing resources & capabilities with new practice 4 Invent new learning & teaching by developing new resources & capabilities inspired by innovations in practice |
Consider what milestones or way marking tools are included in initial designs and continued in subsequent releases. Make clear what alternative levels of use can be made in using a digital learning resource in support of practitioner progression in taking innovative approaches. |
‘Six Sigma and Business Innovation: Process or Passion?’, Edoardo Monopoli, http://europe.isixsigma.com/library/content/c050601b.asp |
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Communication |
How are the tools, activities and experiences of using innovative approaches conveyed beyond the timeline of individual projects and used to inform future developments and other practitioners’ practice?
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Develop processes of evaluation to allow formative reflection and summative judgement on the experience of using digital learning resource. Consider the role of CPD to drive innovation and to disseminate results.
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Establish feedback loops in development and distribution so that the experiences of those involved in ongoing use of digital learning resources can be gathered sorted and used to inform future design.
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http://www.becta.org.uk/partners/research |
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