It’s Time to Disrupt Schools

I was sitting in an Uber, listening to music on my iPhone while booking accommodation on the Airbnb site. No big deal right? Right! It’s a very natural way of doing things. Yet on closer examination, the three applications I was using have all radically altered their industries. Apple linked the iPod with iTunes and the music business became virtual. Uber has partnered with a platform that allows agility and a high degree of personalization. Airbnb platform technology to create an entirely new business model that has radically altered the hotel industry globally

As the world undergoes radical changes on a daily basis, schools remain content to deliver a 20^th century style education. Could schools learn something from these business models and begin the now critical task of transforming the educational industry? Let’s look at just 3 keys to success in business and consider if they could hold true for education.

1.     A more personalized product or service. These are tailored toward the customers’ individual needs. They are hyper-individualized.

·       Schools could use technology to create a personalized online playlist of learning tasks or projects for students so that they can test out of core concepts and engross themselves in areas of interest. These would be long term hands-on projects and expeditions (not limited to the 4 walls of the classroom) that would be individualized to connect to a student’s passion. (AltSchools and Big Picture Learning follow this model to an extent). Engagement would spike and behavior issues would diminish.

2.     A closed-loop process that replaces a “linear consumption process” where “products are made, used and then disposed of”.

·       Take students off the bullet train of linear learning which is the antithesis of how learning actually occurs. Create opportunities for students to loop back into learning. Students set learning goals for the week, take assessments when they are ready to show evidence of mastery, and even get to jump ahead to take the test if they believe they already know the concepts. If they fail, they can loop back in to revise these before retaking the test. The shortened feedback loop means students can quickly measure progress, easily take ownership of and reflect on their learning. They can have access to review of key concepts and make adjustments accordingly with a mentor teacher. (The learning platform Activate supports this approach).

3.     Asset sharing allows innovations to succeed because the sharing of costly assets is enabled. (e.g. “Airbnb allows homeowners to share them with travelers, and Uber shares assets with car owners”).

·       Schools have huge assets that lie dormant for many hundreds of hours a week. Stronger community partnerships could mean schools remaining open in the evenings for adult learning to take place. This is an extra source of revenue and promotes learning in the wider community. Furthermore, schools typically have access to technology that local families may not have. Keeping schools open beyond the usual hours would give students and their families access to a library, the internet, and other technology (e.g. film studio).

·       Design experiences that cater to the needs of families. Schools should stay open in the evening for students to study. For some families, the children need to work during the day to support the family, or work late into the night. Having school stay open for longer hours would make school more accessible. Using online learning platforms (like Laurel Springs offers), students can move at their own pace without a subject matter expert in the room, needing a facilitator or teaching mentor only.

By adopting an innovative mindset and leveraging technology, we can re-imagine schooling and begin the important steps of transforming schools so that they better meet the needs of all students as they enter a world so different to the one the current system is preparing them for. New technologies can disrupt the educational status quo and create a more compelling and relevant proposition for the students.

By Peter Dry (October, 2016)

References:

Kavadias, S., Ladas, K. & Loch, C. (2016). The Transformative Business Model: How to tell if you have one. Harvard Business Review, October 2016, pp. 90-98.

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand.

Photo source:

http://www.cccis.com/era-disruption-whos-making-change-happen-organization/