Fernandez, J. (2015, September 10). The Key to Innovation in Educational Technology. Retrieved
July 12, 2017, from https://elearningindustry.com/key-innovation-educational-technology
SUMMARY
The author prefaces the article by saying that a lot of ed-tech companies today are hailed as creating something amazing and "innovative", when in reality it is just something different than the traditional methods that people are used to, and we get sucked in by all of the glamour. Because people are so quick to get on board with something and willing to purchase it without knowing how it really works, these companies are focusing on what can truly be innovative in education. The author says that education has no obvious indicator of success or failure, which is why it is so difficult to innovate edtech. People learn in different ways, to different degrees, and for different purposes. He provides 5 key "steps" that companies should follow in order to make sure they are really innovating with a purpose.
1. Find out what you can do (what outcomes to do want)
2. Be open to a pivot (be flexible)
3. Pay attention to results
4. Ignore usage as a success metric (just because people are using it, doesn't mean it works)
5. Make sure your people are using it (practice what you preach!)
REACTION
I never really thought about the fact that some education companies are out there just to make money - even if it means selling a cruddy education tool to thousands of schools! The ed-tech field is growing so rapidly that I can see why companies want to rush and beat others at getting products out there - but I agree with this author that they really need to take their time and think about what purpose they serve and what results they are trying to achieve.
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