Exploring innovative ideas!
Exploring the possibilities of what
can be is part of every child’s imagination. A child is not burdened with how
we are supposed to do something. Yet, the older many of us get, the more we tend
to be set in our ways. We can easily fall into the, ‘this is the way we always
do this thing!’ This could be called a ‘rut’, the ‘only’ way of doing something
that can limit our imagination, our creativity? Yet, the accumulation of our
ever growing experiences could, and should, open the mind to ‘what ifs?’ Sometimes,
technology makes happen what seemed impossible, possible!
Necessity is the mother of invention (The Phrase Finder, 2012B)
The English version comes from William
Horman in 1519 (The Phrase Finder, 2012B), who is credited with 'Mater artium
necessitas', roughly translated, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. Rather
than the word ‘necessity’, perhaps we might say, a better idea, or an
improvement, or a solution to a problem ‘at hand’. Examples of everyday
innovation can be found in experienced mechanics, field engineers, or a mother
building on past experiences. Their experience tells them that there are times
when a need can only be resolved through whatever means they have available to
improve the situation, to create, to innovate. So, how can we, together,
explore innovative ideas?
Two heads
are better than one (The Phrase Finder, 2012a)
Did you ever hear a parent telling
their children, ‘if we work together, we can get things done a lot faster?’
Turns out, fostering a collaborative effort goes back a few millenniums! One
resource, the Old Testament scripture, Ecclesiastes 4:9, essentially says, two or more people supply more brain
power to getting things done.
Innovation that changes the way we
live is about future possibilities. What can we do to develop the thought
process for innovation? Certainly, drawing from more than one individual;
bringing together different experiences and knowledge. Each draws upon the
others’ input. Education applies project based learning to encourage learning
through collaboration. The ‘hands-on’ approach, as well as, the exchange of
ideas provides a better solution, adds to individual experience and broader
knowledge, and can animate learning toward improved retention. The Buck Institute for
Education offers some videos and research
about project based learning. Below is one of their videos.
Project
Based Learning
Project based learning in the
classroom requires a collaborative effort that presents a glimpse into
real-world projects. The result of the questions and responses of the group
build on each other toward an accepted outcome. Project based learning is one
method encouraging the development of a capability to innovate.
For real world problems, a need to
build a better understanding, determining an optimum solution, or the
generation of ideas to forecasting future trends and new technologies the
Delphi method, or a modification of the classic Delphi method is a process
developed in the 1950’s. The characteristics comparing the original Delphi
Method with one modification is charted below.
Classical Delphi Method
|
Modified Nominal Group
Technique
|
|
Origins
|
||
1950’s
|
1971
|
|
Estimation of military future needs
|
Consensus planning to prioritize
|
|
Characteristics
|
||
Anonymity
|
Anonymity
|
|
Iteration
|
Iteration
|
|
Controlled
Feedback
|
Group
generates issues/ideas
|
|
Analysis of Group
|
Phases: Large to small groups
|
|
Qualitative &
Quantitative
|
Semi-Quantitative
|
|
Lit Review – Gap?
|
Review of subject area within boundary of that subject
area
|
|
Membership
|
Area
Expertise solicited
|
Participants
of subject area
|
Open collaboration
|
Closed collaboration
|
|
Size
|
Practicality
|
Population
of subject area
|
Works well Improving
OR
Developing
|
·
Understanding
of problems
·
Opportunities
·
Solutions
--------------------------------------------
·
Forecasts
|
·
Change
management
·
Evaluation
·
Brainstorming
·
Prioritizing
|
Comparison
of Characteristics/differences between Classical Delphi & Modified
Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
(Dobbie et al., 2004; Skulmoski et al., 2007)
While the anonymity and iterative
approach remain, membership can be subject matter inclusive, or subject area
matter inclusive. The classic Delphi covers a broader scope of subject. And,
the modified approach is more specific, i.e. evaluation and prioritization
versus seeking opportunities or forecasting.
Would
the Classic Delphi method be more applicable than the modifies method for
dissertation research?
Going back to the thought that ‘two
heads are better than one’, and realizing that everyone builds a unique experience and knowledge base, a method closer the classic Delphi
Method would be optimum for dissertation research. Drawing from the doctoral
faculty, the recognized expertise in the field of interest, collaboration with
other doctoral students offers a more complete picture of the specific area of
research. The collaborative inputs provide, seeing through ‘many eyes’ the
problem area.
The Delphi Method is just one way to Innovation
Innovation is seeing something in a different way; seeing a connection, a novel idea. Innovation comes from the ever growing accumulation of knowledge and experience. Something a day ago, or a year, or possibly ten years before may not trigger an innovative idea until one moment in time a new experience is added to the individual's base of knowledge. Yet, many individuals never seem to innovate and except what is in existence. Sir Kenneth Robinson makes his case for the current educational system based on assessing factual knowledge and measurement methodology that focuses on remembering those facts. Creativity tends to be squashed in the traditional melee of grades and student comparisons, as opposed to working toward each person's success based on that student.s abilities. Creativity is the ability to uncover the possibilities based on understanding, application of knowledge, evaluations and comparisons based on that knowledge, and then draw from these learning skills to draw out the what if's!
Synergy produced through group efforts can produce far greater results. Thus, the collaborative structure of the Delphi method draws from the 'expert' inputs to build better understand and better ideas. Modifications of the Delphi method work within a defined family of 'experts', who can be students, to produce synergistic effects concentrating on a specific subject. The concept of project based learning in education and organizational learning tries to develop the value of collaborative arrangement. In some societies the individual takes center stage, which can be a challenge to proving the value of collaboration that makes the Delphi and Delphi-like systems work.
The individual is a key to any collaboration, since each contribution provides a different insight into a problem or evaluation. Yet, look around! Is there anything that we use or have today that we accomplished by ourselves. Albert Einsteins spent years reading and correcting patents. Thomas Edison without Tesla may not have had the physical products to market, Steve Jobs certainly had a marketing genius, but not without the technical support of Apple. These men developed large experience bases, understood how to apply those experiences, and by evaluating possible needs they used their creativity to innovate!
In any method of collaboration there are forces that can dampen the outcomes. From an ethical perspective, the ideas and discussion must be original. Of course, there are ideas and concepts from the past that their time is now! Yet, these ideas must be integrated into today's environment. Also, are all the potential voices the can contribute available and brought into the circle of innovative discussions? The Internet provide an open format for many ideas and information. Without a form of peer review how valid is the data. Taking things out of contexts, possibly leaving a single piece of information can change the results. Just as in any qualitative and qualitative analyses, the boundaries, set by participants, or other limiting factors, the forecasts should be within the set of parameters that the analyses were focused on. This should not be a limitation in the forecast, since that forecast is based on knowledge and experience of today.
The strengths are social in nature. Collaborative discourse facilitated with a creation of an open format encourage maximum participation can bring about an optimal solution. The technological forces are strong in the emerging technologies that piggyback on one another and sprout new ideas, with innovations such as the multiple person touch surfaces and the :"Sixth Sense" innovation that brought the multiple touch surface to any surface.
Synergy produced through group efforts can produce far greater results. Thus, the collaborative structure of the Delphi method draws from the 'expert' inputs to build better understand and better ideas. Modifications of the Delphi method work within a defined family of 'experts', who can be students, to produce synergistic effects concentrating on a specific subject. The concept of project based learning in education and organizational learning tries to develop the value of collaborative arrangement. In some societies the individual takes center stage, which can be a challenge to proving the value of collaboration that makes the Delphi and Delphi-like systems work.
The individual is a key to any collaboration, since each contribution provides a different insight into a problem or evaluation. Yet, look around! Is there anything that we use or have today that we accomplished by ourselves. Albert Einsteins spent years reading and correcting patents. Thomas Edison without Tesla may not have had the physical products to market, Steve Jobs certainly had a marketing genius, but not without the technical support of Apple. These men developed large experience bases, understood how to apply those experiences, and by evaluating possible needs they used their creativity to innovate!
In any method of collaboration there are forces that can dampen the outcomes. From an ethical perspective, the ideas and discussion must be original. Of course, there are ideas and concepts from the past that their time is now! Yet, these ideas must be integrated into today's environment. Also, are all the potential voices the can contribute available and brought into the circle of innovative discussions? The Internet provide an open format for many ideas and information. Without a form of peer review how valid is the data. Taking things out of contexts, possibly leaving a single piece of information can change the results. Just as in any qualitative and qualitative analyses, the boundaries, set by participants, or other limiting factors, the forecasts should be within the set of parameters that the analyses were focused on. This should not be a limitation in the forecast, since that forecast is based on knowledge and experience of today.
The strengths are social in nature. Collaborative discourse facilitated with a creation of an open format encourage maximum participation can bring about an optimal solution. The technological forces are strong in the emerging technologies that piggyback on one another and sprout new ideas, with innovations such as the multiple person touch surfaces and the :"Sixth Sense" innovation that brought the multiple touch surface to any surface.
"What the mind of man can conceive and believe, It can achieve." Napolean Hill from Quote World.org
References:
Dobbie, A, Rhodes, M, Tysinger,
J.W., and Freeman, J. (2004). Using a Modified Nominal Group Technique as a Curriculum Evaluation Tool, Core Concepts in Family Medicine Education,
Vol. 36, No. 6
Skulmoski, G.
J., Hartman, F. T., and Jennifer Krahn, J. (2007). The Delphi Method for Graduate Research, Journal of Information Technology Education, Vol. 6
The Phrase Finder (2012a)
The Phrase Finder (2012b)
