Identify a specific application of a technology in the workplace a) Is this use innovative? b) Is the technology leveraging change? c) If so, what kind of change: sustaining or disruptive?
It’s quite familiar to us when it comes to iPad, however, there is no doubt that iPad is still an innovative application in the workplace. The remarkable convenience and portability of iPad shows great innovative use in our daily life. The extensive use of iPad identifies how modern ICT is pushing the boundaries of desktops conceptually and methodologically. Tons of different applications resources released on iTunes are totally different from those on desktops. Specifically, we can just touch the screen and move our fingers to select what we want and handle with works in anytime and anywhere. The complexity of applications is closely associated with latest ICT to cater for diverse demands of peoples.
In my opinion, iPad caused an absolutely disruptive change in workplace. When iPad arose in the market, the function of it was less than those on ordinary computers. However, iPad enabled the user to deal with problems immediately and users could take iPad anywhere they want. To meet the new needs of users, the enhancement of portability, screen resolution and functional performance falls under the development of technology and techniques. What’s more, we cannot deny that iPad have transformed the working mode, for example, it’s not necessary for peoples to sit as a stone facing the computers. Meanwhile, it saves space. iPad are completely change the roles of learners and instructors, instant cooperation could come true too. These features have lead to essential changes in how we communicate and cooperate with others in workplace. The great change derived to some new occupations such as application development workers.
Molly
Reply
Claudia
9/10/2013 11:53:26 am
Hi Molly, I wonder if iPad could also be a sustaining innovation? Yes it is a revolutionary device that has created a new market and displaced earlier technology like the computer netbooks (which I used to own before the iPad), but at the same time, it does "strengthen traditional practices" For instance, more students are reading because of ebooks that could be downloaded on the ipad, so does this mean the iPad is replacing or enhancing the reading experience?
Reply
Molly
9/10/2013 02:56:28 pm
Hi Claudia,
I think you are misunderstand what iPad is. iPad is a tool or platform conveyed many applications on it. As you said, the ebooks do really strengthen the traditional ways of reading. However, what you talking about is ebook application on iPad, not iPad itself.
Molly
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 06:25:49 pm
Hi Molly,
It seems that you are quite optimistic about the use of ipad in the workplaces. I wonder if its advantages could really outweigh the disadvantages since ipad might distract people when they are working or studying.
Also, I have review the discussion between you and Claudia and that is really a good one. However, it makes more confused about the definition of "sustaining" and "disruptive". Can you help me explain it a little bit further? Thanks a lot:)
-Janet
Reply
Zhu Dan
9/10/2013 06:40:11 pm
Just now I noticed that you are confused about the definitions of "sustaining" and "disruptive." I hope following explainations can be helpful for you.
From Christensen's book, The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, he introduces the concepts of sustaining and disruptive technologies. Sustaining technologies are those that foster improved performance
of existing, established systems. ICT examples are digital desktop publishing and
computer graphics and animation. Disruptive technologies have features that enable
them to address new needs in new markets and to support the rise of totally new
systems. The invention of the digital camera is a disruptive innovation. When the
digital camera came onto the market, the quality of its photos was much lower than
the quality of photos taken on an ordinary film-based camera. However, the digital
camera enabled the user to view the photograph immediately, and then to manipu-late, copy, and transmit the image in a matter of seconds.
You can find the detailed information from the article Education Innovation beyond Technology. In case of any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know. We'd love to help.
Claudia
9/10/2013 10:59:43 pm
Hi Janet,
"Disruptive technology" is essentially a technology that creates new market and displaces earlier technology, like ebooks that could potentially replace books. Another example would be online shopping sites, I suppose?
Zhenzhen
9/11/2013 01:20:03 pm
Hi Claudia,
Thank you for clarifying the definition of Disruptive. It makes more sense to me. And now when I think about the definition of Sustaining, I think I can also get it now.
Thanks a lot:)
Molly
9/23/2013 09:22:58 pm
Hi Zhenzhen,
I think Zhu Dan and Claudia have given you the answers about the two different concepts. What you asked before, I would like to say something about iPad in workplace. As we can see in every workplace, people could use computers to handle with stuffs, could we say that the computers are also distract peoples? Because there are more distractions on computers rather than iPad. Just as I said before, actually, iPad is just like a mobile computer with less functions. I'm optimistic about the wide application of iPad and maybe the department of IT in company could figure out how to block some functions on iPad.
Molly
Zhu Dan
9/10/2013 06:32:42 pm
I think iPad indeed is very innovative. The use of iPad makes acquiring knowledge cheaper and quicker. For example, ebooks can be read anytime and anywhere, lessons can be taught by videos or videoconferencing to students in remote places, English, drawing, music, and cooking, etc. can be taught by different apps, questions can be discussed and solved in a community or group by webchat, and so on. However, in my opinion, all these sustaining uses of iPad taking place paves the way for real “disruptive” innovations to become commonplace. Whether the technology of iPad is sustaining or disruptive is determined by the pedagogical design and context within which iPad is used. Currently, there are some primary schools in Shenzhen are experimenting using iPad in primary education. However, the use of it does not change the nature of the classroom, its working relationship, and the roles and expectations of teachers. Teacher is still the source of all knowledge. If the teachers can adopt basic functions of iPad and the apps downloaded from iTunes to teaching and learning activities so that students can become the center of teaching and learning, as long as these teaching and learning practices in these schools can be replicable in other educational systems, iPad can be considered a disruptive innovation in education.
Judy
Reply
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 09:35:51 pm
Hi Judy,
Thank you for your reply. I have also read the article. But the problem is by somehow I don't see the clear relation between the definition of those two words and their examples. How can digital camera drive new needs in new market in this example?
-Janet
Claudia
9/10/2013 11:46:19 am
At the 21st Century Learning Conference that I attended a few years ago, one speaker said something that seemed profound to me. He said, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” At the time when the school I was working at was trying to urge teachers to try out new technology in the classroom, I sometimes wonder whether we were just using it for the sake of using it, even when it has no significant impact on learning outcomes or on the process of learning. For instance, I remember one lesson in which I tried to display a website where students could test out whether the objects were magnetic by dragging them individually to a magnet bar. I chose that particular website because another teacher had borrowed all the “real” magnets for that period, and I wanted to see whether students would understand the concept this way. Did the students gain a better understanding of magnets? Yes, possibly. However, learning process isn’t just about knowledge. It is about acquiring skills that help them to solve problems. No one can doubt that technology has a lot to do with learning, but at the same time, it has a lot to do with NOT learning as well. Clearly, the example of me using the website to teach is NOT an innovative use of technology. I think instead of asking whether the technology itself is innovative, it should question whether the pedagogical practice of using that technology is innovative. I agree with Anderson that a desired outcome of innovative learning activities involving technology is empowerment. What does it mean to empower students? For me, I think technology should equip students with the skills to accomplish a task or a goal outside the cyber world. The poster in the link below that I found on Pinterest largely illustrates what I mean:
I cannot agree more about that learning activities are about motivating skills, not are just about knowledge. The traditional pedagogical methods, may you called "Behaviorism Theories", are changing now, as a result, instructors put more efforts on how to motivative learning skills of learners.
Molly
Reply
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 06:18:13 pm
Hi Claudia,
I really agree with what you said and also share the same concern that whether the adoption of ICT could bring some real significant outcomes for the students.
I think it's important for the educators to have a clear expectations for the adoption of ICT in the class before they use their budget to make any decisions. Now it's more like a competition among schools to see who has used more technology in the class, but we can hardly see the rewards afterwards.
-Janet
Reply
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 06:18:21 pm
Hi Claudia,
I really agree with what you said and also share the same concern that whether the adoption of ICT could bring some real significant outcomes for the students.
I think it's important for the educators to have a clear expectations for the adoption of ICT in the class before they use their budget to make any decisions. Now it's more like a competition among schools to see who has used more technology in the class, but we can hardly see the rewards afterwards.
-Janet
Reply
Judy
9/10/2013 06:25:26 pm
I think iPad indeed is very innovative. The use of iPad makes acquiring knowledge cheaper and quicker. For example, ebooks can be read anytime and anywhere, lessons can be taught by videos or videoconferencing to students in remote places, English, drawing, music, and cooking, etc. can be taught by different apps, questions can be discussed and solved in a community or group by webchat, and so on. However, in my opinion, all these sustaining uses of iPad taking place paves the way for real “disruptive” innovations to become commonplace. Whether the technology of iPad is sustaining or disruptive is determined by the pedagogical design and context within which iPad is used. Currently, there are some primary schools in Shenzhen are experimenting using iPad in primary education. However, the use of it does not change the nature of the classroom, its working relationship, and the roles and expectations of teachers. Teacher is still the source of all knowledge. If the teachers can adopt basic functions of iPad and the apps downloaded from iTunes to teaching and learning activities so that students can become the center of teaching and learning, as long as these teaching and learning practices in these schools can be replicable in other educational systems, iPad can be considered a disruptive innovation in education.
Reply
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 06:29:36 pm
Hi Judy,
It is nice that you have some real life experience in using ICT in education. I was wondering if the outcomes of ICT is really that significant and obvious in education. Could you please share some experience with us?
-Janet
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 06:09:56 pm
I think ipad used both in workplace is very innovative. For instance I once tried a restaurant that uses ipad to take the order. They have some kind of app that can show the customers the menu and today's special on the ipad, so the waiters do not necessarily have to come to take the order and the restaurant in this case can save a lot of expense on the employment and the customer as well can save their time waiting for waiters to come and take orders.
But in another case at school, I do hear about some private kindergartens in mainland China have adopted using ipads in the class. I think this pedagogy is quite controversial and I am not sure if this is innovative for the preschoolers. As far as I am concerned, I do not think the technology such as ipad used in the preschool is leveraging any changes currently. And I agree with my team member Claudia that some schools are just using technology for the sake of using it. Also, the preschooler are too young to get access to this kind of technology and this might impede their development of the social skills as well as reduce their chances to get close to the outside real world.
So I think it is still to soon to say the ipad used in the work place or schools is innovative or not. It really depends on the outcome it could bring. If it can change the way people used to work or learn and make it more effective and efficient, we can definitely say it is innovative. If it is not, then we should really think carefully about the technology before we apply any of it to the education or working system.
In all, I think the change ipad has brought is quite disruptive. By using it correctly, it can address new needs in the market such as different apps in the App store so we can have access to different realms of life more easily and pleasantly.
-Janet
Reply
Judy
9/10/2013 08:38:56 pm
Hi Janet,
Frankly speaking, in my past six years, I experienced many projects in ICT in education. Most of them did not achieve the outcomes we expected. However, after failing for so many times, we do succeed in some projects and are continuously pushing these successful projects forward. I’d love to share some of my failures and successful experience.
One of my most memorable failed projects is that: We plan to let more students take online classes by iPad so that they can keep regular learning progress even though the weather is not good, they changed their jobs to another city, they are travelling around, etc. Even though the use of iPad makes time and space not a problem for English study, this experiment still failed. Following are the reasons:
1. Wifi is not stable for videoconferencing.
2. The associated pedagogies are still the same as traditional ones.
3. Few learning activities are designed to empower and involve students.
4. There is no learning community for students to collaborate.
5. We, as teaching management staff, are severely challenged to provide adequate support and on-going teacher education in terms of instructional ICT requirements and issues.
6. Individual teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and instructional practices are very difficult to change even though ICT is adopted in classes.
Based on the failures of many projects, there are some successful ones. One of the good examples is that we successfully let more than 100,000 students try online classes from ZERO students and make some of them love this kind of new way of English learning. The impacts and outcomes of this project are outstanding. The cost of online English learning is only 30% of the traditional face-to-face way. The students have another option to choose when they cannot go to traditional English school branches. Following are the reasons:
1. Latest or leading edge technology is not required. We require students and teachers to use cable network to ensure stability of videoconferencing and choose PC rather than iPad as a tool to teach and learn.
2. We provide adequate IT support and on-going teacher education in terms of online teaching skills.
3. We created learning clubs for students with the similar interests with different activities.
4. We look for those students who really needs this new way of learning and serve them well.
5. Online teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and instructional practices are strictly observed. We choose technologies and pedagogies that can become more common place in all schools rather than the leading-edge ones.
Hopefully my story can be helpful for you.
Judy
Reply
Zhenzhen
9/10/2013 09:46:42 pm
Hi Judy,
Actually, I'm very impressed by your stories and it makes me more interested in studying ICT in education. Thank you for sharing those experience with us. I really appreciate it! And good luck to you!
-Janet
Reply
Claudia
10/5/2013 05:05:39 pm
Here is something I read about in the Futurelab handbook regarding "disruptive innovation". It mentions that it is something that happens in the educational setting all the time. Therefore, to meet the challenges of this constant "disruption", teachers need to be open-minded about this innovation, and think of innovative ways that will challenge existing practice & lead to more transformational change. Absolutely agree!