Why Innovations in Education Fail—and How They Can Succeed: From K to Gray

SUP 483 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The world is experiencing an unprecedented rate of change thanks to technology. Education—schools, companies, systems—must adapt rapidly, but our current tools and structures are failing students and society.

This course offers tested theories and frameworks grounded in real-world case studies to help you understand the current landscape and take an active role in reshaping education. Whether you are a (future) founder, a learning designer, a policymaker, an administrator, a teacher, an investor, or someone who simply wants to make a meaningful impact in education, this course will equip you to analyze different organizations/companies/systems and push for change at various levels of impact—from the system to the classroom. The theories we study will also explain why some innovations succeed while others fail.

Each class, we learn about a theory, such as disruptive innovation, and ground it in the work of real organizations and education companies from around the world. Students will use these frameworks to understand system dynamics, identify opportunities for change, and design solutions that are both effective and sustainable.

This course is essentially a flipped classroom model. Class sessions are fully interactive. Students will engage in case studies, group discussions, simulations, and active learning. They will teach core theories to one another and apply them collaboratively to real-world education problems.

Many class sessions include visits (either in-person or virtually) from the individuals featured in the case studies. These conversations create opportunities to engage directly

Course Notes

Also offered by the Graduate School of Education as A012. Please note, this is a jointly offered course hosted by another Harvard school and, accordingly, students must adhere to the academic and attendance policies of that school.