SI-04Octubre2011 · 2012. 7. 20. · Title: SI-04Octubre2011.ppt Author: ��andr�s Created Date: 7/18/2012 10:06:35 PM

DRAFT Curriculum Innovation

Tecnológico de Monterrey at Monterrey “Sphere of Innovation”

Abstract

New ways about Innovation •  Since 2008, the School of Engineering and Information

Technologies (EITI) of the Tecnológico de Monterrey at Monterrey, has explored new ways of teaching and learning about Innovation through the “Sphere of Innovation” (SI) program.

•  Innovation = Successful identification of new patterns or directions. –  Novel experiences, business models, and viable supply

approaches.

!e program

•  Seeks to foster the capability of participating students to:

A. Create their own knowledge, on their own – thus realizing they are not limited to learn form others, and thus can generate and adapt their contributions to rapidly changing environments;

B. Work in multi-disciplinary teams – where there is no hierarchy and each student is responsible for the team leadership, productivity, and environment.

C. Understand and respond to real Innovation challenges, provided by real companies, through real managers, in real time.

How it works? •  Multi-disciplinary teams with Engineering, Business, and Industrial Design students. •  Challenges provided by Sponsoring Companies (SC). •  Coached by a group of instructors from different disciplines that do their best to

nurture, refer, and celebrate; and restrain from leadership, or teaching what, or how. •  The student teams interact directly with the SC managers.

Team´s objective •  Sell their work and development

plans •  Secure budget approval for the

minor, or major expenses involved •  Share progress, learning, and

resulting program adjustments •  Prepare reviews for the SC upper

management, etc. •  Wrap-up the project so that its

development can be continued in-house by the SC.

Bene"ts •  For the SC - Possibility to explore at

relatively low cost ill-defined initiatives near and dear to the heart of the manager involved.

•  For the participating Instructors - learning on the views and approaches to Innovation of leading Companies.

•  For EITI - has led to research engagements with the same SC, building on the achievement of the SI student teams.

Results •  The program has attracted local, national, and

international sponsors. •  Arguably the most successful engagement has been

with a leading international beverage company, where the Innovations developed by: –  a) the 2009-2010 generation are being advanced to the market, have

led to two patents filed worldwide (one more about to be filed), and six job offers; and

–  b) the 2010-2011 generation are being advanced to market, providing the conceptual framework for commercialization within specific retail channels.

Results •  SC teams from Brasil (leading Global Chemical), US (leading Global Beverage), and central Mexico (Automotive supplier) have briefed their respective 2011-12 generation teams.

•  It is impossible to capture the faces, the smiles of students who, after just one month of work, are warmly complimented on their attitude, and self-directed experimentation.

Challenges •  The lack of a formal, specific syllabus. •  Approaching Innovation as an Art and not as a

specific Science. –  A craft to discover rather than a science to learn.

•  The lack of in-depth disciplinary rigor is also awkward relative to traditional curricular approaches. –  One Industrial Designer, and one Business Major students

whose names appear in a worldwide refrigeration patent application

–  Who have little, if any, idea of the science, technology, thermodynamics of refrigeration.

•  Different grading system used.

Proposal •  As times change and accelerate, competent

individuals have to – somehow – be both competent in their disciplines as they stand today, and yet be capable of detecting the patterns that signal their obsolescence; and thus the need to learn them anew, or generate new ones.

•  Where we stand today on this approach to “learning to learn”, to empower participants from “taught student” to ”learning creator”, as well as the interactions with traditional curricula, and “silo” disciplines is the subject of my presentation.

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