Using Disruptive Innovation To Enhance Student Motivation

Higher education is under public scrutiny now more than ever because of diminishing resources and inconsistent outcomes. Due to the current climate, we need to think differently about how to create effective learning environments. This session, part one of the two-part workshop, will introduce the theory of Disruptive Innovation and how to integrate it into the model of Theory, Research, Principles, Practice (TRPP).
Participants will discuss the basic principles underlying Disruptive Innovation and how they can cause us to think differently as we create a learning environment that will facilitate effective learning outcomes for today's students. In addition, the session will consider the basic behaviors of successful innovative disruptors. Participants will think together about how to put these behaviors into practice in their own institutional environments. The TRPP framework will provide the foundation for discussing how programs and approaches can best be developed to promote student success.

TRPP (Theory, Research, Practice, Principles) was developed by Casazza and Silverman (1996,2000) to help cross the divide between theory and practice. The underlying assumption is that no one theory adequately explains all behaviors in every situation. The TRPP framework is used to integrate different theoretical perspectives and research findings to better understand what educators do, whey they do it, and how it ultimately leads to learning outcomes.

Participants will review representative theories and supporting research to create principles for student success. They will apply principles to examples that can then be translated for specific issues at their institutions. The issues will include constructing environments to enhance student motivation to learn, promoting self-regulated learning behavior, and creating environments where students thrive and not just survive.

In Part II of the workshop participants will learn how to apply Disruptive Innovation strategies using the TRPP Framework. Applications will be made to case studies centering on enhancing student motivation to learn and specific situations in your own practice.