Is transferring an educational innovation actually a process of transformation?

Abstract

Recent debates question the extent to which adopting an educational innovation requires compromise between the innovation's original design and the adoption site's context. Through compromises, the innovation's fundamental principles may be transferred, transformed, or abandoned. This paper analyzes such compromises during the piloting of Team-Based Learning (TBL). We ask: When is the process of transferring an innovation actually a process of transformation? This study is an autoethnography of our research team's implementation process. Autoethnographies are personalized accounts where authors draw on their own experiences to extend understanding of a particular topic. To conduct this autoethnography, we used an in-depth, interactive interview with the piloting clinician educator. In the analysis of TBL's fundamental principles, some aspects of the principles transferred easily, while others were transformed. Analysis raised concerns that the transformations threatened the foundational principles of TBL. While an educational innovation's techniques may seem to be surface structures, they are realizations of deeper fundamental principles. The fundamental principles are themselves realizations of the innovation's foundational philosophy. When techniques and/or principles are modified to a context, it is important to analyze if the modifications continue to uphold the innovation's philosophy.

Embracing standardisation and contextualisation in medical education

“…For example, although accreditation processes set standards for educational programmes, how those programmes implement and operationalise those standards is enacted differently according to context. Pedagogical approaches such as team‐based learning ‘morph’ as they meet the local context of resources and policies and affordances during implementation . Even an online teaching module will be used very differently according to the social and cultural context in which it is implemented .…”

The educational theory basis of team-based learning

“…If adapting the method to the local context transforms the method especially in any of its important elements it will impact on the success of the technique (Varpio et al 2011;Parmelee & Michaelsen 2010).…”

Longitudinal integrated clinical placements: where are we going?

“…Through this compromise, some fundamental principles of that innovation will be preserved, others will be transformed, and others may be abandoned. Since the principles of the innovation reflect its underlying philosophy, the nature of the compromise determines the extent to which this philosophy has been transferred or transformed.’ 4 …”