Cycles to Mastery™During early 2012, it became clear that while the Innovation Engineering “content” was meaningful and unique we were seeing the same bell curve of results seen in a classic classroom, with some truly getting it, some not at all and most in the middle. We felt to expand the movement - to more universities, community colleges, companies and countries - and allow for everyone to really "get it," we embarked on an R&D project using the Innovation Engineering system to invent a new way of teaching.
The goal for the new method was to help all students achieve mastery. The foundation of the program was Benjamin Bloom’s publication, "The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search for Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring" (Educational Researcher, Vol. 13, No.6, pp.4-16.). The article summarizes that with specialized tutoring, 90%+ of students can achieve the same level as mastery as the top 20% of students in a classic classroom. Bloom then outlines a series of mastery learning strategies that can help achieve similar results but in a more cost effective means in a classroom. The patent-pending Cycles to Mastery approach blends the work of Bloom, Formative Assessment, Deming’s Quality System principles and an internet based digital hub. The result is both an increase in the number of students achieving mastery and a process for never ending increases in the mastery standard. In effect, Cycles to Mastery delivers “Learning Inflation” instead of “grade inflation.” Cycles to Mastery has been successfully demonstrated in four Innovation Engineering courses at the University of Maine and through a series of Innovation Engineering Workshops. |
Innovation CollegeTwo semesters' worth of classes in just 5 days - using Cycles to Mastery®, attendees have the opportunity to have 75% of their certification completed by the end of the week.
Innovation College is currently scheduled for:
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Cycles to Mastery is a “feed forward” instruction-by-practice system of learning cycles that include a combination of:
An important component of the Cycles to Mastery system is never ending increases in what we define as mastery. We use Deming Control Charts to quantify student learning in each course. When the “% correct” on first try in Digital, Lab or Application classes goes above the upper control limit - on a continuing basis - we increase the depth and difficulty of what we teach. The result is in effect “mastery inflation” as we continuously increase the standard of what we define as mastery.
What this means is that every year our Innovation Engineering graduates on campus and in industry Black Belt programs are always getting smarter. Recently, we delivered Cycles to Mastery versions of the Innovation Engineering Workshops with two multi-national corporations where the participants had relatively “hostile” attitudes toward innovation. Specifically, they were product supply, production and finance departments. In one case, the program was such a surprising success they have asked us to run the program again in two other countries. In the other case, the first program at their corporate headquarters went so well that word-of-mouth generated sell out demand for the next course.
On campus, when students in the Create, Communicate, and Commercialize classes - who have experienced Cycles to Mastery for four weeks - were asked for their recommendation, they were unanimous in their support. A small sampling of their comments are shown below.
Early indications from the first round of classes taught using the Cycles to Mastery technology, at the University of Maine, are finding a 4X increase in the number of students achieving mastery versus classes taught the classic way.
For those who are students of the quality movement, it’s interesting to remember that Phillip Crosby's success with teaching and implementing a quality mindset during the 80’s was driven in large part by his investment in a then new and more effective method of teaching, i.e. the use of video cassette case studies and scenarios to make the teaching “real.”
- Digital Class - web videos on the core curriculum of Innovation Engineering skills and sub-skills plus interactive quizzes that feed forward what students have learned and not learned to the instructor so that adaptations can be made in the next class.
- Lab Class - hands on group and individual assignments in class where students learn the skills and sub-skills taught in the Digital class through highly focused labs experiences. Fast "Plan, Do, Study, Act" feedback loops provide rapid grading of each sub-skill assignment. Each student is then given the opportunity to resubmit till they achieve success. The % correct on each sub-skill is fed forward to the instructor so that the next class can be modified appropriately.
- Application Class - hands on group and individual assignments in class where students apply the skill taught and combination of skills to realistic scenarios or challenges. Again, the % correct on each sub-skill is fed forward to the instructor so that the next class can be modified appropriately.
- Reflection Class - Students write a reflection on what they have learned. The academic literature is clear on the value of reflection.
- Experience Class - These are real world, real life challenges. They are used to bring the learning to life and are used in particular with Innovation Engineering Green and Black Belt certifications. They are also used as the final two classes of the Innovation Engineering Minor where students lead a project and coach a project.
An important component of the Cycles to Mastery system is never ending increases in what we define as mastery. We use Deming Control Charts to quantify student learning in each course. When the “% correct” on first try in Digital, Lab or Application classes goes above the upper control limit - on a continuing basis - we increase the depth and difficulty of what we teach. The result is in effect “mastery inflation” as we continuously increase the standard of what we define as mastery.
What this means is that every year our Innovation Engineering graduates on campus and in industry Black Belt programs are always getting smarter. Recently, we delivered Cycles to Mastery versions of the Innovation Engineering Workshops with two multi-national corporations where the participants had relatively “hostile” attitudes toward innovation. Specifically, they were product supply, production and finance departments. In one case, the program was such a surprising success they have asked us to run the program again in two other countries. In the other case, the first program at their corporate headquarters went so well that word-of-mouth generated sell out demand for the next course.
On campus, when students in the Create, Communicate, and Commercialize classes - who have experienced Cycles to Mastery for four weeks - were asked for their recommendation, they were unanimous in their support. A small sampling of their comments are shown below.
- How is this better? Less stress, don't really learn anything in other classrooms, whereas this allows the information to stick in your head so you don't forget it. The applying is the important part that makes it stick. No more information regurgitation.
- Failing isn't a bad thing here. You lose your fear of failing here, because it's okay. Because you are doing live grading, it's like you (the instructors) are working with us, not against us.
- I like that we can spend the entire class working instead of having to take notes on a lecture.
- Forget about the naysayers...Once they see that it is working they will change to the new method.
- We have to change how we teach eventually, so why wait? Just do it. The current system of teaching doesn’t work.
- Why is this less stressful? No tests, so you don't feel like you're learning to take a test - you're learning to learn. You're focusing more on the content. With less stress, you have more fun so you're learning more.
- No test, just lots of assignments means you can fail. With a test, if you fail, you fail the class.
- I’ve always struggled with regular lectures and I am always wondering if I'm really learning, but with this I feel like I am actually learning and actually building skills.
- Compared to old classes, here you are learning a new way to think, not just the content. Working on changing the mind instead of cramming it with information.
- You know what you have to do... The old system is broken and shitty. In this class, I feel like you are here to help me learn. When I go to other classes after this one, I feel like yelling, "You’re here to just show off how smart you are - you’re not here to help me learn!"
- This system isn't perfect yet, but the old one is broken, so why not take a risk and change it?
- This is the best thing that ever happened to any college.
- I don't like the fact that teachers just do the same things every year. I like that with this class you adapt as we go forward. It’s more fun and dynamic. It's not static.
- What I enjoy about this class... I often feel frustrated because I have a lot of goals in life but I don’t know how to get there because of fear of failure. By taking this class, I am beginning to see I can go forward with my ideas, I have the groundwork laid to make ideas happen.
Early indications from the first round of classes taught using the Cycles to Mastery technology, at the University of Maine, are finding a 4X increase in the number of students achieving mastery versus classes taught the classic way.
For those who are students of the quality movement, it’s interesting to remember that Phillip Crosby's success with teaching and implementing a quality mindset during the 80’s was driven in large part by his investment in a then new and more effective method of teaching, i.e. the use of video cassette case studies and scenarios to make the teaching “real.”
