Michael Horn October 28, 2008 mhorn@innosightinstitute.org Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns Michael Horn October 28, 2008 mhorn@innosightinstitute.org 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Incumbents nearly always win Sustaining innovations Disruptive Technologies: A driver of leadership failure and the source of new growth opportunities Pace of Technological Progress Incumbents nearly always win Sustaining innovations Disruptive innovations Performance Performance that customers can utilize or absorb Entrants nearly always win Time 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Disruptive Innovations create asymmetric competition Pace of performance improvement Incumbents nearly always win 60% on $500,000 Sustaining innovations Performance 45% on $250,000 Non-consumers or Non-consuming occasions Different measure Of Performance Time Disruptive Innovations: Competing against non-consumption Performance that customers can utilize or absorb Time 40% on $2,000 20% Entrants nearly always win 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Copyright Clayton M. Christensen Disruption in business models has been the dominant historical mechanism for making things more affordable and accessible Yesterday Ford Dept. Stores Digital Eqpt. Delta JP Morgan Xerox IBM Cullinet AT&T Dillon, Read Sony DiskMan Today Toyota Wal-Mart Dell Southwest Airlines Fidelity Canon Microsoft Oracle Cingular Merrill Lynch Apple iPod Tomorrow: Chery Internet retail RIM Blackberry Air taxis ETFs Zink Linux Salesforce.com Skype E-Trade Cell Phones 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Tabletop Radios, Floor-standing TVs Technology can only be deployed in existing businesses in ways that sustain (and add cost to) the current model. Disruption best competes against non-consumption at the outset. Tabletop Radios, Floor-standing TVs Performance Time Path taken by vacuum tube manufacturers Non-consumers or Non-consuming occasions Different measure Of Performance Time Portable TVs Pocket radios Hearing aids 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

The right product architecture depends upon the basis of competition IBM Mainframes, Microsoft Windows Proprietary, interdependent architectures Compete by improving functionality & reliability Performance Compete by improving speed, responsiveness and customization Modular open architectures Dell PCs, Linux Time 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Insights from examining education through the lenses of this research Conflicting mandates in the way we teach vs. the way we learn Computers have failed to make a difference because we have crammed them into conventional classrooms They must initially be deployed against non-consumption Individualized, computer-based instruction requires a disruptive distribution model Separation is critical. Chartered schools should be seen as heavyweight teams, not disruptive competitors We have imposed disruption on our schools three times in recent history by moving the goalposts – the metrics of improvement. Education research has not shown the way forward 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

We all learn differently Learning Styles Linguistic Logical- mathematical Spatial Bodily- kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalist Paces of Learning Visual Written Aural Playful Deliberate Fast Multiple Intelligences Medium Slow 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Interdependencies in the teaching infrastructure Conflicting mandates in the way we must teach vs. The way students must learn Interdependencies in the teaching infrastructure Temporal Lateral Physical Hierarchical Need for customization for differences in how we learn Learning Styles Paces of Learning Multiple Intelligences Standardization !! Customization !! 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Copyright Clayton M. Christensen Historically, most schools have “crammed” computer-based learning into the blue space Core curriculum Performance Time Path taken by most schools, foundations and education software companies Non-consumers or Non-consuming occasions Different measure Of Performance Time 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Prime examples of non-consumption Credit recovery Drop-outs AP Courses Home-schooled and homebound students Small, rural, and urban schools Tutoring Pre-K 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

School boards have been moving “Up-Market” to focus limited resources in the “new” trajectory of improvement English language & literature Science Math Importance of program Economics Psychology Statistics German Time Time 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Perfect opportunity to implement computer-based learning disruptively Math Science English language & literature Political importance of program Economics Psychology Statistics German Non-consumers or Non-consuming occasions Time Computer-based learning: Compete against non-consumption Time 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Copyright Clayton M. Christensen The substitution of one thing for another always follows an S-curve pattern % new % old .001 .0001 .01 0.1 1.0 10.0 09 11 07 05 03 13 15 % new 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen

Online learning gaining adoption Enrollments up from 45,000 in 2000 to 1,000,000 in 2007 8/2/2018 Copyright Clayton M. Christensen