This document outlines lessons from an online course on brainstorming and innovation. The course covers defining and understanding brainstorming and innovation, practicing online group work, learning brainstorming rules, participating in an online brainstorming session in groups, and reviewing session results. Students watch informative videos, discuss topics, and work to develop new uses for an existing product through brainstorming. The goal is to introduce brainstorming fundamentals and give students hands-on experience with the brainstorming process.

1. Brainstorming Essential Core for Innovation Online Course

2. Lesson 1: What is Brainstorming? What is Innovation? Lesson 1 Objectives Define Brainstorming and Innovation Introduction to TED videos

3. Lesson 1: What is Brainstorming? What is Innovation? Lesson 1 Assignments Read instructor’s brief description of Brainstorming and Innovation View the assigned TED video Participate in Lesson 1 discussion board Grade: 20 pointsLesson Length: 1 hour

4. Innovation Innovation for this course is not about invention Instead, we’ll discuss Innovation as taking an existing product and idea and Enhancing it Creating new purpose for it Transforming it

5. Innovation In the current economy, companies can’t survive without innovation Companies that encourage innovation all have these qualities: Being decision ready Actively expanding boundaries Knowing what is on the fringe Ability to think “out of the office” – not out of the box (culture and office politics)

6. Innovation Samples of innovation Swiffer products iPod Disposal diaper Kindle (e-book reader)

7. Innovation Remember, innovation is not inventing a new product…but improving or enhancing an existing one Swiffer products iPod Disposal diaper Kindle (e-book reader)

8. Innovation Remember, innovation is not inventing a new product…but improving or enhancing an existing one. Swiffer products – dusting has been done for centuries…it is now just conquered more conveniently

9. Innovation Remember, innovation is not inventing a new product…but improving or enhancing an existing one. iPod – there were mp3 players on the market way before Apple’s iPod. But they were hard to use and program. Apple made them easier and changed the music world.

10. Innovation Remember, innovation is not inventing a new product…but improving or enhancing an existing one. Disposal diaper – a diaper wasn’t invented…cloth diapers have been around for a long time. Making them disposal made changing babies easier.

11. Innovation Remember, innovation is not inventing a new product…but improving or enhancing an existing one. Kindle (e-book reader). Books were not invented. But reading them online, as if turning pages, was made easier

12. Innovation Disruptive Innovation – is a new term with regard to innovation. It is when an existing product is introduced that disrupts the entire market. Example – Netflix. They didn’t invent the movie rental business. But they made movie rentalmore convenient and cheaper, thereby putting many movie rental businesses “out of business”

13. Innovation Question: How do companies come up with these innovative new ways of using an existing product or idea? Answer: Brainstorming

14. What is Brainstorming? Brainstorming is an activity used to generate ideas in small groups. The purpose is to generate as many ideas as possible within a specified time period. These ideas are not evaluated until the end, and a wide range of ideas is often produced. Each idea produced does not need to be usable. Instead, initial ideas can be viewed as a starting point for more workable ideas.1

15. What is TED Throughout this course you will be asked to watch some TED Videos TED is a website that shows well-knownspeakers who discuss innovation. Time to watch our a TED Video Innovation at Play (actual link is: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play.html)

16. Lesson 1 Assignment Participate in Lesson 1 discussion board How play can motivate innovation? What is playing with your hands? Why are adults always sorry for their ideas? Is it the fear of being judged? Can innovation be done by role playing? What do you think about the play rules?

17. Lesson 2: The Start: Brainstorming as a group In Lesson 1, Brainstorming was defined as being done in small, diverse groups In Lesson 2, you’ll just be getting use to group work and the technology that will be used when doing a group online brainstorming project

18. Lesson 2: The Start: Brainstorming as a group Lesson 2 Objectives Determining how to find your assigned group Play with the technology that will be used in a future brainstorming session

19. Lesson 2: The Start: Brainstorming as a group Lesson 2 Assignment Participate in a practice online group session Grade: 20 pointsLesson Length: 1 hour

20. Lesson 2 Assignment Part 1: Login to the course on the learning management system Click on the folder entitled “Groups” Find your assigned group Note the time and date of your group’s first online meeting

21. Lesson 2 Assignment Part 2: On your group’s designated time and date, navigate to the same file folder Click on your group’s folder Click on “join first group meeting” link Live chat, whiteboard area and various tools will appear Instructor willbe online as well and will provide you with exercises designed to play with all the tools and introduce yourself

22. Lesson 2 Discussion After your first online group meeting, participate in Lesson 2 discussion board about your experiences What did you like? What did you not like? Can you see the advantages/disadvantages of group work in this fashion?

23. Lesson 3: Group Brainstorming, the Rules In Lesson 2, you found your group and played around with the technology we’ll be using in our brainstorming session. In Lesson 3, you’ll discover the rules of Brainstorming

24. Lesson 3: Group Brainstorming, the Rules Lesson 3 Objectives Learn the rules of a Brainstorming session

25. Lesson 3: Group Brainstorming, the Rules Lesson 3 Assignments: Review the rules of a Brainstorming session Watch two short video clip samples: Great brainstorming sample How "not” to brainstorm Discuss the rules in the Discussion Board Grade: 20 pointsLesson Length: 1 hour

26. Lesson 3: Group Brainstorming, the Rules Group members must be small with diverse backgrounds Clear challenge and goal defined at the beginning Allow playfulness Show up with 3 ideas before the brain session Postpone judgment – no criticism or negativity Wild and exaggerated ideas encouraged Quantity over quality Build on other’s ideas Record everything Conclude with action items

27. Lesson 3 Assignments Watch two videos clips: Good Brainstorming sample video Actual Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1h5L_0rFz8&feature=related “How NOT to Brainstorm” video Actual link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWhK-NO4g8

28. Lesson 3 Assignments After your reviewing the rules and watch the videos, participate in Lesson 3 discussion board Discuss times you kept quiet with a new idea due to fear? Has anyone ever killed an idea you had and why?

29. Lesson 4: Brainstorming Session. Let's do it already! In Lesson 2, you found your group and played around with the technology we’ll be using in our brainstorming session. In Lesson 3, you discovered the rules of Brainstorming Now it is time to put lessons 2 and 3 together and participate in an online brainstorming session

30. Lesson 4: Brainstorming Session. Let's do it already! Lesson 4 Objectives Participate in an online brainstorming session

32. Lesson 4 Assignment Part 2: Brainstorming topic: You work for a Frisbee company Your brainstorming topic is finding other ways to use a Frisbee Think of three ideas on the concepts “before” the live session

33. Lesson 4 Assignment Part 3: On your group’s designated time and date, navigate to the same file folder Click on your group’s folder Click on “join brainstorming session” link Live chat, whiteboard area and various tools will appear

34. Lesson 4 Assignment Part 3: Take attendance The session will be recorded to review at a later time Instructor will be the facilitator and timekeeper When time starts In the chat area, list your three ideas

35. Lesson 4 Assignment Part 4: In the chat area: Build off other’s ideas or add new ones Use the white board to draw, if needed Remember the rules Nothing is too crazy Quantity over quality Have fun

36. Lesson 4 Assignment Part 5: When time stops Review all the interesting ideas that came about Nothing is too silly, but the group should categorize Top 5 ideas that could be done today What ideas could be done in a year What is an idea that was good, but may have to be put on the back burner for a future concept

37. Lesson 4 Assignment Part 6: From the top 5 concepts that could work today, each group member selects a concept Working individually, each member should take their topic and determine How this concept could work today What resources would be needed Prepare a brief paragraph of who your concept “could” work

38. Lesson 5: Brainstorming Session. Top 5…now what! In Lesson 4, you participated in an online brainstorming session Each individual was assigned a concept Now let’s discuss!

39. Lesson 5: Brainstorming Session. Top 5…now what! In Lesson 5 Objectives Review brainstorming ideas of your group and other students

40. Lesson 5: Brainstorming Session. Top 5…now what! In Lesson 5 Assignments Prepare a paragraph of your assigned concept from the brainstorming session with your group Post that paragraph in the discussion board Respond to other student’s concepts Did you think of their concept in your group brainstorming session? Grade: 20 pointsLesson Length: 1 hour

41. What You Learned How brainstorming and innovation are connected Distance Learning technology and how an online brainstorming session works Brainstorming rules and what “not” to do

42. Conclusion This was just an introduction to brainstorming There are literally hundreds of brainstorming exercises, even though this course only sampled one brainstorming session Take this course and build on it to use in the future for your Brainstorming sessions!

43. Evaluation An online evaluation is posted in your online course Please feel free to login and complete it.

44. Additional Resources Brainstorming concept: http://www.texascollaborative.org/teaching_module.htm#brainstorming1 http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Cullen-Brainstorming/ American Express: http://www.openforum.com/articles/5-tips-for-productive-brainstorming-the-behance-team http://designshack.co.uk/articles/inspiration/10-tips-for-effective-creative-brainstorming TED video: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play.html http://eslbrainstorming.webs.com/ http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html http://www.jpb.com/creative/VanGundyFrameInnov.pdf http://www.lifehack.org/articles/management/six-great-ways-to-ruin-a-brainstorm.html http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/brainstorming.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWhK-NO4g8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1h5L_0rFz8&feature=related