“The purpose of schools is to create curious,
engaged and motivated learners who have the skills to make the world a better
place.”
Bringing the Innovation Mindset to Learning
“Design is no longer just about form anymore but is a
method of thinking that can let you to see around corners. And the high tech
breakthroughs that do count today are not about speed and performance but about
collaboration, conversation and co-creation.”
Bruce Nussbaum
As I write this, I’m
lounging in a languid Singapore waiting with great anticipation for the start
of the A4LE eXperience
Asia. This year’s conference has been designed to bring
together architects and educators to explore the latest innovations in
education and learning spaces design.
Today I’m thinking about
the future of education, and about the future of the learner, as tomorrow I’ll
be participating as a panel member with Forum for the Future to
explore the future of learning and its environment.
Who is learning for?
As an architect who
believes that design is human-centred, I think deeply about the future of
schools and learning. For me, it is the future of the learner that is at the
heart of this debate. Rather than thinking about what will learning look like,
I think who will learning be for?
Historically, the
purpose of education (en masse) was to equip students with just enough
knowledge to support the Industrial Revolution.
Cynics among us might
say that the purpose of (Australian) education today is to furnish students
with just enough knowledge to pass the HSC (HELP!).
I believe the purpose of
schools is, has been, and always will be, to create curious, engaged and
motivated learners who have the skills to make the world a better place.
“The purpose of schools
is to create curious, engaged and motivated learners who have the skills
to make the world a better place”
Schools of tomorrow
So what will the schools
of tomorrow need to provide the learners graduating in 2025?
In a world where work
will be placeless, where shops will people-less and warfare is electronic, the
graduates of 2025 will need one fundamental skill, and that is the ability
to innovate.
Innovation under the
microscope
So what is innovation,
and how do we harness it to create better learners and better learning
environments?
The Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identified that innovation
is “a crucial determinant of competitiveness and national progress”.
Richard Branson,
recognised as one of the worlds’ greatest innovators, has one
mantra – “A-B-C-D” (Always Be Connecting the Dots)
Connecting the dots, or
making the brilliant connections that others don’t, is a skill that all great
innovators share.
Edison, Apple and Sharp
If you Google
innovation, the most common icon revealed is the lightbulb. In 1879, Edison
connected the vacuum to the lightbulb to give us electric light. Edison didn’t
just come up with a good idea, he questioned and actioned ideas – a true
innovator.
In 2000, Sharp connected
the camera to the phone. And while Sharp is recognised as inventing the camera
phone, it took Apple to understand that taking invention to innovation is an
iterative process.
You need to think and
rethink, question and re-question. Ask yourself,
“What is the real
problem that I’m trying to solve?”
Innovation is then
defined by your ability to constantly question, build upon and transform your
thinking.
Apple has taught us that
innovation is not just about having a good idea. It’s about constant curiosity,
building upon what you already know,
….thinking
differently, inside the box.
Innovation is thinking,
it is action, and most importantly it is MINDSET!
Innovation as mindset
WARNING! Innovation
Mindset it not for the faint hearted. It’s for the brave and the committed. It
is for those who understand that we cannot continue to deliver a 19th century
model of education in today’s 21st century world. The good news?
Innovation mindset can be learned!
All you need to do is:
· empathise
· ideate
· be
inspired
· prototype
· seek
feedback
· solve
wicked problems
This process is not
unique, it is known as Design Thinking.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is the
key to developing “….a composite of habits of mind which include
curiosity, skepticism, imagination, determination, craftsmanship,
collaboration, and self-evaluation."
Guy Claxton, Winchester
University
The
idea of a “blueprint for innovation” might sound paradoxical at first, but by making innovative thinking habitual, there’s
no limit to the creative problem solving that can take place in your school.
Innovation Mindset in your school will
- Break the status quo and overcome obstacles
- Build an entrepreneurial mindset and culture of
agency that’s responsive to learners, by design
- Generate new ideas and build capacity for
translating ideas into action
If you would like to
know more about how to create an Innovation Mindset in your school, watch
out my next posts where I reveal how to hacked learning space with Innovation
Mindset
Jayne Harrison is an
Entrepreneur, Architect, Design Thinker and Founder of JDH Architects.
Learn more about Jayne
at http://www.jdharchitects.com.au
Blog
created 10th July 2017
