Description of Sustained Cultures of Innovation

To examine examples of sustained cultures of innovation, one turns naturally to business and industry as the leaders in this endeavor, providing wisdom for the implementation of innovation in other contexts, such as in education. Innovation, in the world of business, is paramount among characteristics and qualities necessary for a thriving, successful organization, especially in the area of technology. Two companies stand out in their consistency in innovation as models of sustained cultures of innovation, applicable to the field of educational technology. Google and IBM have paved the way for innovative technologies that impact education on a level far above many other companies.

Google is well known as a company that not only embraces innovative culture when it comes to educational technology, but even more so as one of the parent companies pressing forward a new culture in education (Singer, 2017 ). From the introduction of the Chromebook, the device that ushered in the 1-to-1 boom, to GSuite, Google Classroom, and a myriad of cloud-based apps, extensions and add-ons, Google has single-handedly revolutionized education (Collins and Halvertson, 2018 ). Within its own walls, Google exemplifies the innovation it has pushed onto the education community. As a model, Google has employed 20% time and Google Labs combined with a mindset that not only supports innovative thinking, it demands it (Kurkoski, 2017 ). This craving and thrust for innovation has led Google to become the fastest-growing company in history, revolutionizing educational technology and pressing the educational community into the 21st century (Singer, 2017 ).

Like Google, IBM has been an innovative force in education. It has also provided a model of embracing a culture of innovation through which it too has moved education into the 21st century. Through education-centered innovation such as ICE (Innovation Center for Education), Technology for Education (Research Lab), and Education Industry Solutions (products and solutions for education), IBM has supported the shift toward technology-infused education (Technology for Education Innovations, IBM ICE, and Education Industry Solutions, 2019  ). Research performed by Vey, Fandel-Meyer, Zipp and Schneider in 2017 found several specific ways IBM-Zurich is embracing innovation applicable to education and educational technology. These actions include strategic hiring, crowdsourcing ideas, and work time specific to innovation (Vey, Fandel-Meyer, Zipp and Schneider, 2017 ).

Ultimately, Google and IBM serve as strong examples of cultures of innovation from the business world with application and investment in the world of education. There are also examples of sustained cultures of innovation in education as well. Models such as High Tech High in San Diego, California (Schwartz, 2018 ) and education theories such as Mass Customized Learning from Schwahn and McGarvey (2012 ) provide direct application for education and innovation.

High Tech High is a charter school founded on the principle of innovation and project based learning (Schwartz, 2018 ). There are no grades (age or assessment), no tests, and most of the classes are not limited to a single subject area (Wagner and Dintersmith, 2016 ). Students learn 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity through authentic project based learning opportunities. Students and teachers alike are looked upon as innovators and capable thinkers (Wagner and Dintersmith, 2016 ), thus producing a culture of innovation.

Similarly, Schwahn and McGarvey (2012 ) call for a complete overhaul of the established education system. In their 2012 book, the authors indicate a need to shift education from content memorization to an innovation and creative/critical thinking context. They build a model system that has been adopted and adapted by many schools and districts throughout the United States wherein technology is leveraged for more menial teaching tasks allowing teachers to be more innovative in instruction of smaller, more focused student groups (Schwahn and McGarvey 2012 ). This is yet another example of a sustained culture of innovation.