Improvement vs. Innovation appeared on Getting Smart
Read more at http://gettingsmart.com/2014/05/improvement-vs-innovation/

By: Tom Vander Ark is founder and CEO of Getting Smart. He is also a partner in Learn Capital and a director of iNACOL, Digital Learning Institute, Imagination Foundation, Charter Board Partners, Strive for College, and Bloomboard.

For 20 years standards-based reform has been the dominant frame for U.S. college ready standards, annual testing, and school accountability. As noted in April, the focus on test-driven accountability resulted in a much-needed focus on data but in a narrow way that was often disconnected from powerful learning experiences. Standards-based reforms attempted to optimize the current model and underscored the importance of consistently good instruction.

Simultaneously, and usually quite separately, anywhere-anytime learning sprouted and grew. Online learning became prevalent in military and corporate training, higher education and then in K-12. New learning tools have led to new learning formats in all sectors.

These two strands are finally coming together in interesting ways but they are quite different.  Standards-based reform is a series of improvement efforts with a focus on doing things better. Online learning and new learning models are examples of disruptive innovation–doing things differently to dramatically improve outcomes. Doug Lemov’s book,Teach Like a Champion, is about improvement. Clay Christensen’s book, Disrupting Class, is about innovation.

Improvement efforts usually leave the basic time-bound cohort-based structure in place and attempt to improve course offerings and course taking patterns: guidance services, academic supports and the quality of instruction.

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