"Disrupting Class" argues that disruptive innovation, a theory developed by Clayton Christensen, can transform K-12 education by overcoming reform roadblocks and improving student success. The book proposes that customized learning and student-centric classrooms, facilitated by technology, will increase student achievement and demand for new educational tools. By deploying computers disruptively to every student, the authors suggest, schools can compete globally and get ahead in the global market, offering a blueprint for educational transformation.
The book's core message is that technology, when applied through disruptive innovation, can provide a high-quality education for all 50 million students in America. It calls for a rethinking of intelligence and the educational system, drawing on neuroscience findings to align learning methods with how students actually learn. Readers will gain insights into managing innovation and discover outside-the-box strategies for educational change.
Key concepts
- Disruptive innovation — A theory of change that can circumvent roadblocks preventing school reform.
- Customized learning — An approach that will help many more students succeed in school.
- Student-centric classrooms — Classrooms that will increase the demand for new technology.
- Jobs to Be Done theory — Christensen's seminal theory applied to education in the expanded edition.