Chapter 13: “Cultivating Innovation through Invention: How Rube Goldberg Inventions Can Ignite Creativity” by Leigh Zeitz, Ph.D and Sharon “Sam” Sakai-Miller, Ed.D to be published in a research anthology titled “Creative Intelligence in the 21st Century: Grappling with enormous problems and huge opportunities” – Published March 2016
Abstract: The invention process can be a powerful tool for cultivating an innovation mindset in our students. This chapter explores the importance of cultivating innovation skills in our students and how the invention process can kindle the creativity needed to develop new ideas and implement them. An Innovation Growth model is proposed as a guide to developing innovation skills. The Rube Goldberg invention process is introduced along with a full case study in how it was used with 6th grade students. These activities were aligned with core curriculum standards. Recommendations were made for how this could be further researched in the future. Download PDF
Dissertation: “Learning through student authored interactive media: A mixed methods exploration”, 2009
Abstract: Three issues in education that were addressed by the study were lack of student engagement, need to improve learning in science, and need to enhance students’ technology skills. The literature suggested that creating eModules would improve learning of biology while enhancing technology skills. For the purposes of this study, the term eModules will be used to shorten the phrase “eModules” and to avoid confusion with eLearning, which is commonly used synonymously with distance learning. The instructional strategy was constructivist in nature and used a combination of three software applications as mediating tools. What makes constructing these eModules, or interactive media projects, different from other constructivist multimedia projects is that students created questions for their audience to answer with a built-in feedback or self-scoring component. All 51 students improved their knowledge of mitosis and cancer and successfully created eModules in their groups of two or three. Twenty percent of the students were “big gainers” who scored 20% or less on the pre-test and 80% or greater on the post-test all turned in learning journals. The “big gainers” turned in student journals at a rate of 90% and mentioned learning to relate, categorize, or otherwise organize the science concepts as having an impact on their learning of biology. Results were reported and analyzed as the data related to the four research questions regarding extent of learning, exploring the student experience, perceived obstacles, and role of the teacher. The data analysis suggests that the instructional strategy of having students author eModules had a positive impact on learning and engagement. The process and obstacles students experienced is summarized as well as described on a day to day basis to explore the viability of the instructional strategy. The support provided by the constructivist teacher using technology as a mediating tool to address content and technology learning goals is also explored. Historically students have been consumers of interactive media such as eModules or producers of presentational media. This study suggests that they will be more engaged and learn more when they are the authors of interactive media. In other words, if they build it, they will learn.