I've been researching the topic of innovation: what it is, how to do it, and its benefits. What I found:
Benefits of Innovation:
Generally innovation is good. Economists think it helps improve productivity -how much on average each person can produce, in dollars. Canada's productivity lags that of USA by 20%, so presumably we have some room to grow on the dimension of innovation.
What is Innovation?
I've seen a few definitions. Here's one: when you solve a problem -or identify a new opportunity- in some new way or a way that adapts it to your unique situation, that's innovation.
Is innovation being taught in schools?
When I searched online for K12 and Innovation I found an experimental project in Germany, and a proposal for a project in India (not implemented due to crowded curriculum). I suspect if it is being taught in Canada, then it's likely not under the title 'innovation.'
Can innovation be taught?
Over decades I've been a collector of books on innovation. I recently re-read my collection -a few dozen books- and found a few more titles at the library, and reports online. What I found was a somewhat incoherent mishmash of ideas, none of them nailing the topic concisely. Then when searching online this year I found a recent book "Creative Strategy, a Guide to Innovation", by William Duggan, 2012. He has a 3 step approach he distilled from his previous book "Strategic Intuition", and from a 1990s General Electric management technique. The 3 steps are easy enough to understand and apply.
3 Steps to Innovation
1. break the problem into bite-sized pieces called elements
2. look in/research various sources for proven solutions -called precedents- for each problem element
3. creatively recombine precedents into a whole solution
When I compared it to my own experiences -including my breakthroughs during 10 years of new product research and development- it matched. Or more precisely it seems to be a written version of what I do -what we all probably already do when we wrack our brains and get those 'Aha!' moments. The benefit of making it an explicit written process:
- groups can coordinate their efforts
- individuals can work systematically on a problem
Q1. Could innovation be taught in RVS K12 schools?
Q2. Shoud innovation be taught in RVS K12 schools?
