Personal Reflection on Comm1000 Course

Planting the seeds of innovation

EXEC SUMMARY

PART 1

UNDERSTANDING INNOVATION        

INTRO

ECONOMIC INNOVATION TRENDS

In recent history the culture of Australia has been a major factor in influencing the innovation of STEM education. During the periods of mid 1990s to mid-2000s under the governance of Prime Minister John Howard Australia’s Innovation Policies were dominated by the concept of free trade (Martin and Johnston 1999). The focus on free trade has undermined the need for R&D in Australia as evident by the undervaluing of comparative indicators of innovation in the OECD (2005). National Innovation Systems (NISs) is the global language for systems thinking, and according to Lundvall (2007) non utilisation of the NIS culture is a theory behind static economic growth. Historically Australia possessed a culture where productivity and growth were valued as evident by the fact that from 1990-2004 Australia had higher real growth per capita compared to other developed nations including USA, Germany and Japan (Martin and Johnston 1999). However, this trend curtailed during the late 90s as Australia fell from seventh in Innovation measures to the average according to the OECD (2005).

APPROACH TO INNOVATION

Several policies were put in place in order to promote innovation within Australia for instance such as the Backing Australia’s Ability (BAA) was announced in 2001 (Martin and Johnston 1999). This policy created a general increase in funds for science and research however it didn’t value collaboration and commercialization of research. From past evidence Australia has consistently underperformed in measures of collaboration performing lowest amongst its members on capacities for collaboration between firms and in higher education (OECD, 2007: 77). Amongst Australian universities only 3.1% of small to medium sized firms collaborate ranking 13th in OECD meanwhile large firms are 5.8% ranking 22nd (Australian Innovation System Report, DISR, 2010). Following up on BAA new initiatives were made in order to improve upon its shortcomings, Powering ideas was created. Main improvements were made in the areas of market as well as system issues in order to shift existing design policy paths (Australia, 2009).

EDUCATION AS A DRIVER OF INNOVATION

STEM education is an approach to learning where focuses are directed towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The United States defines STEM education as "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education programs are defined as those primarily intended to provide support for, or to strengthen, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) education at the elementary and secondary through postgraduate levels, including adult education" (Brown, 2012). Currently there are two perspectives to STEM education. The first perspective is that teachers are to integrate correlated subjects without ignoring the unique characteristics, depth, and rigor of their main discipline, problems faced in this first perspective is that the method of STEM subjects being taught in school do not align with the knowledge skills and beliefs required for STEM education (Corlu and Capraro, 2014). The second perspective is that STEM education requires teachers to utilise natural and active exchanges of knowledge, skills, and beliefs among STEM disciplines rather than a structure strict on creating boundaries which has been proven to lower effectiveness (Corlu and Capraro, 2014).