OM 865 - IdeaLab

1. App Development Course Using Tournament Style Approach OM 865 - IdeaLab Presented by: Jeanne Myers Curriculum and Technology Manager Course Taught by:Nitin Joglekar Associate Professor/Dean's Research Fellow Operations and Technology Management 1

2. Description of the Course OM865 – 5-Day MBA Course taught at SMG Professor Nitin Joglekar August 2011 Supported by SMG IT Team Members: Jeanne Myers Bill Dupee Sean Flattery (student) 2

3. Description of the Course Based on Innovation Tournaments Fried and Hansson (2010) Terwiesch and Ulrich (2009) 3

4. Course Objectives • Idea generation and problem solving: Deployment of internal and external inputs, and recombination of observed ideas • Idea visualization and representation • Idea processing/Analytics: Management of variation; perceptual maps and screens; tagging; idea interdependence, information architecture, task sequencing for enhancing usability 4

5. Course Objectives • Idea testing / Behavioral Response through rapid consumer feedback • Idea sharing and collaboration in a tournament setting (using digital tools) • Technology integration exhibited by student created web-sites, presentations and self-reflection

6. What do we know about learning? • "Students have to be active in developing their knowledge," says Hestenes. "They can't passively assimilate it.“ (Hanford, 2012) • The idea that people learn better when they're actively engaged is one of the central findings from an explosion of cognitive research conducted over the last several decades. • Ability to monitor and check your own thinking (an expert characteristic, not a novice characteristic) (Weiman, MIT) 6

7. This was not a lecture course.. • "Science Education in the 21st Century: Using the Tools of Science to Teach Science." • Rethinking the Way College Students are Taught • The Problem with Lecturing Are you using the last 40-50 years of cognitive research about how people learn or to inform the way you teach? 7

8. How can we do things different? Peer Instruction & Peer Competition Making Connections Guides thinking, affects what we notice, helps interpret and organize Experts or Novices? Help learners become experts rather than novices. Lecturing is generally passive, reinforces novice-like behavior. Doesn’t exercise the brain. 8

9. Making Connections Connections to big ideas are important. It’s the difference between novices and experts. • What psychologists have learned is that people who are learning a subject tend to see the content of that subject as isolated pieces of information. • We learn by remembering small chunks of information at a time. • Making connections exercises our brains. • We used EverNote as the first phase of developing connections between the many ideas initially generating (image here) 9

10. How did we use the technology? • Innovative group, peer and collaborative learning techniques using the technology as the 'glue' to bring us all back together. • Took the many ideas (over 200) and allowed students to sort, categorize, prioritize, compete, refine and present • Each group a chance to be the experts by pushing ideas up front and center (see recordings) 10

11. Using the Technology • Team competitive approach • Uses Project-Based Learning approaches and real-life issues (Example from PBL Clearinghouse; also see Getting Started) • Used the technology to connect out to the world and local community (videoconferencing with experts, agencies, businesses, government, other schools)

12. What technology did we use? Penultimate Excel EverNote 12

13. EverNote – Idea Generation, and Gathering, Tagging, Analysis

14. Darwinator What is the Darwinator? A web-based tool that let’s you create and select exceptional opportunities. Great for idea management, recruitment and many other challenges.

15. - App Idea Sharing • Used for teams to present their ideas • Links were sent to various experts and others outside the class for voting (via Facebook, Twitter)

16. Some of the benefits of integrating technology • Motivation – students learn by doing, they apply skills and gain confidence. • Student Choice – they become designers of their own learning, picking technology tools they are comfortable with is empowering • Critical and higher order thinking skills – explore concepts in depth, technology frees and speeds up the processes • Develop individual leadership and team collaboration behaviors • Use of technology similar to use in future careers, business environments • Take advantage of global base of knowledge, experts, alumni • Multiple learning styles and differentiating instruction comes more naturally with audio and visual media 16

17. Students used their technology of choice, it wasn't forced on them. • Clear expectations were scripted for each of the 5 days. They new what was expected, how to get there and what to use was left to them (link to Design Assignment pdf) • Integrated key innovation tournament concepts into the actual activities of the class. • Technology used not just to use it, it had a purpose in each activity. • Students found their own apps and sites we had never heard of such as a PowerPoint mock app interface. That would not have happened had we not allowed for freedom of choice. 17

18. Student Apps, WordPress Sites & Video Projects WordPress Sites Group 1: http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab1/ Group 2: http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab2/ Group 3: http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab3/ Group 4: http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab4/ Student Reflections Videos Jason Dijakhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfpU66OZHeY Joseph DeLisehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDKVg0Ri0M Course Video Montage and Final App Presentations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8IaBo7Z2Xk App Videos and Websites Toasted Zombies App http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn3Npe22l_I http://toastedzombies.com/ Cloud Circular App http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qGhrLqwAlA http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab3 Take This Spot App http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lr6LL6IXac http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab4 Bean Smart Commute App http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr7VgYkItp8http://blogs.bu.edu/idealab2

19. Results Formal Informal Growth from new approach Relationships and cooperation between tech dept. and faculty Student appreciation, interest, and enthusiasm Networking between students and guest speakers • WordPress sites with student apps • EverNote notebooks with tags • Final student projects • Instructional Video project • QualtricsSurvey results But, there were a lot of added bonuses we didn’t predict!

20. Survey Results • 10 out of 14 said the iPad was directly beneficial for learning the material I believe that using the iPad in class encourages me to interact more than I normally would with my classmates.

21. Survey How well did you learn to use each of these applications or tools and their features?

22. You can do this! • The tools we used are mostly free: WordPress, EverNote, Penultimate, Excel, Darwinator • Planning is important but informal collaborative learning also has its advantages. • Plan for the spontaneous! Set up for free-flowing movement and student choice of tools. Structure the requirements and assessments instead. • Observe where students gravitate to and why for your next class. • Students love to design their own spaces and ways to work, allow opportunities for this in your planning. 22

23. Plans for the Future • Approval tocontinue offering OM865 at SMG • Summer 2012 course will be in newly designed “Innovation Lab” - SMG 326 • Projects to focus on the other sectors in SMG’s Strategic Plan: Medicine and Digital Technology

24. Sources • http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/560/ • Terwiesch and Ulrich (2009). Innovation Tournaments- Creating and Selecting Exceptional Opportunities. HBS Press. • Fried, J. & Heinemeir Hansson, D. (2010). Rework. New York: CrownBusiness.

25. Thank you for coming! Jeanne M. Myers Boston University Manager of Curriculum & Technology Jmyers22@bu.edu (617) 353-9412