Innovations in the Formal Innovations in the Formal Education of Future STEM Education of Future STEM

InnovatorsInnovators

Bob Root-BernsteinDepartment of PhysiologyMichigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48824 USArootbern@msu.edu

517-336-8444

Questioning Assumptions• It is being assumed that main problem is to identify,

track, train, and retain STEM talent• It is being assumed that talent not going into STEM is

being “lost”• Ignores fact that STEM talents can be used in many ways:– We need excellent mathematical thinkers in social sciences,

humanities, law, politics, the arts….– Conversely, we need artistic, humanistic, legal, political, etc.

thinking in even the hardest sciences

• In short, concept of STEM talent is suspect

My Perspective• Ability to solve previously solved STEM problems does not

predict innovation ability. • Every outstanding scientific problem is different, requiring

different sets of talents, methods, knowledge– Otherwise the current scientists would solve these problems themselves!

• Therefore talents that currently exist not sufficient to solve future problems

• Each problem determines who will solve it and how• This is why Einstein wasn’t a great biologist…• This is why many innovators considered poor students• This is why China, Korea, etc. don’t produce innovators

Foster DiversityFoster Diversity• US scores very poorly in standardized math tests worldwide• But US generates majority of Fields Medal winners, Nobel

laureates• Reason is that we do NOT have test-based, standardized

curricula that stultify innovators• Reason is that we DO have diverse talent pool, idiosyncratic

training, no standardized curricula that permits idiosyncratic development

• TO DO BETTER, WE NEED TO FOSTER IDIOSYNCRATIC DEVELOPMENT!

4 Innovations Needed in STEM 4 Innovations Needed in STEM EducationEducation

• Attract diverse pool of potential innovators by: 1) Teaching ignorance (what we don’t know) Students

want to know they can make a difference!2) Replacing early STEM specialization with arts, crafts

and communications training – math is insufficient! There’s hand knowledge, etc….

3) Looking beyond STEM talent for innovators4) Rewriting textbooks to reflect human-oriented,

problem-centered, process-focused approach

1. Teach Ignorance!1. Teach Ignorance!• There are no experts in what we don’t know• If the experts had the answers, we wouldn’t have the

problems• Ask the wrong question, and you will never get a

useful answer (my critique of what’s going on here….)• Asking the right question gets you more than halfway

to the answer• Questioning is a skill that can be learned!• BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON’T TEACH IT!

Model: Curriculum on Model: Curriculum on Medical IgnoranceMedical Ignorance

• University of Arizona Medical School

• Marlys and Charles Witte, MDs

• Ann Kerwin, Ph. D.

Questioning StrategiesQuestioning Strategies• Teach questioning strategies (final Chapter of my book Discovering,

Harvard Univ. Press, 1989):– Challenge assumptions– Turn principles on their heads– Push concepts and techniques till they fail

• End every topic with a few minutes about what we DON’T know about subject

• Teach ANOMOLIES –T. S. Kuhn in Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1959): that which doesn’t fit is the stuff of scientific progress

• Publish the 100 most important unsolved problems in each field via very public outlets (“Great Challenges”)

• Excite young people to come to science by challenges

2) Replace Early STEM 2) Replace Early STEM Specialization with Arts, Specialization with Arts,

Crafts, Literary and Crafts, Literary and Communications TrainingCommunications Training

Arts Improve SAT Scores More Than Science or Arts Improve SAT Scores More Than Science or Computer Classes!Computer Classes!

READING MATH WRITING TOTALS TOT DIFFS

averages 503 519 497 1519ART 4 YEARS 540 543 533 1616 +97ART 3 YEARS 511 516 504 1531 +12ART 2 YEARS 506 517 499 1522 3ART 1 YEAR 498 515 491 1504 -15NO ART 474 496 466 1436 -93computer programming 509 534 500 1543 24no computer class 511 521 507 1539 20geology/earthsci 497 505 487 1489 -30biology 507 519 500 1526 5SCIENCE 4 YEARS 527 540 519 1586 +67

Arts, Crafts, and Literary Avocations Arts, Crafts, and Literary Avocations Correlate with Scientific SuccessCorrelate with Scientific Success

•

Compared with typical scientist, Nobel laureates are at least:

• 2X photographers• 4X musicians• 17X artists• 15X craftsmen• 25X writers• 22X performers

1942 Report on Physicists Authored by 1942 Report on Physicists Authored by Sir Lawrence BraggSir Lawrence Bragg

“The training of our physicists is literally too academic.” (Bragg WL. 1942. Physicists after the war. Nature 150, 75-79)

• Alexis Carrel, the 1912 Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology, "learned [as a child] the intricate stitching required for his [later surgical experiments] from the renowned lace makers of Lyon, one of whom was his mother."

Michael Bishop, How to Win a Nobel Prize, 2003, p.140).

Mechanical Coding:Mechanical Coding:Jacquard’s Loom & IBM ComputerJacquard’s Loom & IBM Computer

The First Digital The First Digital Image!Image!

(ca. 1810): Jacquard’s self-portrait in black

and white thread coded by 10,000

punch cards

Alexander Fleming’s Hobby Was Alexander Fleming’s Hobby Was Painting – with Bacteria! Painting – with Bacteria!

This experience prepared him for penicillin

Astrophysicist Gregory Benford Astrophysicist Gregory Benford

• Asserts there is a constant back-and-forth between his research and sci-fi novels as each suggests new possibilities for the other (NASA’s Robert Forward has said the same)

MIT Metallurgist CYRIL SMITHMIT Metallurgist CYRIL SMITH“ “ I have slowly come to realize that the I have slowly come to realize that the

analytic, quantitative approach I had analytic, quantitative approach I had been taught to regard as the only been taught to regard as the only respectable one for a scientist is respectable one for a scientist is insufficient… the richest aspects of any insufficient… the richest aspects of any large and complicated system arise from large and complicated system arise from factors that cannot be measured easily factors that cannot be measured easily if at all. For these, the artist’s approach, if at all. For these, the artist’s approach, uncertain thought it inevitably is, seems uncertain thought it inevitably is, seems to find and convey more meaning.” to find and convey more meaning.”

Smith,C. S. Smith,C. S. A Search for StructureA Search for Structure. . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1981, p. 9Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1981, p. 9

THE FACE OF THE FUTURE:THE FACE OF THE FUTURE:Mae JamisonMae Jamison, astronaut, , astronaut, physician, chemical physician, chemical

engineering major, dancer, engineering major, dancer, choreographer, and art choreographer, and art collector collector

She says in her recent TED She says in her recent TED Lecture: “Lecture: “Science and the Science and the artsarts… are [not] different … are [not] different sides of the same coin, or sides of the same coin, or even different parts of the even different parts of the same continuum, but rather same continuum, but rather they are different they are different manifestations of the same manifestations of the same thing.” thing.”

3. Look Beyond STEM Talent for 3. Look Beyond STEM Talent for InnovatorsInnovators

• Six Basic Patterns of Creative DevelopmentSix Basic Patterns of Creative Development1) early specialization, later specialization2) early breadth, later specialization3) early breadth, later breadth4) early specialization, later breadth5) early specialization, later serial foci6) early breadth, later serial foci

(Root-Bernstein and Root-Bernstein, Life Stages of Creativity, Encyclopedia of Creativity, forthcoming)

Composer George Antheil & Actress Hedy Composer George Antheil & Actress Hedy Lamarr Invented Frequency HoppingLamarr Invented Frequency Hopping

Some Nobel Laureates Got Degrees in Some Nobel Laureates Got Degrees in Arts First Arts First

• Nobel Laureate and Former NIH Chief Nobel Laureate and Former NIH Chief Harold Varmus was an English Lit majorHarold Varmus was an English Lit major • Nobel Laureate Hans Nobel Laureate Hans

von Euler-Chelpin was von Euler-Chelpin was a visual arts major a visual arts major

• Chemical physicist (Harvard Ph. D.) Catherine Asaro was first a professional ballerina

• Ashley Banjo (r), the lead dancer of “Diversity”, the 2009 winner of Britain’s Got Talent, plans to be a biophysicist.

Some Eminent Scientists Had NO Some Eminent Scientists Had NO Science DegreesScience Degrees

• Guglielmo Marconi

• Mary Leakey

• Jane Goodall

• Dian Fossey

• Jonathan Kingdon

What These Non-Scientifically What These Non-Scientifically Trained Scientific Innovators Tell UsTrained Scientific Innovators Tell Us• Mastery of some creative discipline• Courage to attack problems outside their field of mastery• Ability to transfer skills from one discipline to anotherSO: Mastery, courage, and skill transfer need to built into

the curriculumEvery outstanding problem will require new uses of old

skills and knowledge

4) What We Need Is Revolution That 4) What We Need Is Revolution That Humanizes Teaching of ScienceHumanizes Teaching of Science

• Students currently learn what insulin is but not who discovered it or how – CAN’T REPRODUCE DISCOVERY

• Every discovery is a lesson in scientific innovation• Make lessons about the processes of innovation focus of

textbooks, not facts:– You can learn facts without innovation process; you can’t learn

innovation process without facts!

• Focus on EXEMPLARS of WHO innovators are, HOW they think, DIVERSITY of training, range of SKILLS, etc.

• IF YOU WANT INNOVATORS, IF YOU WANT INNOVATORS, TEACH INNOVATIONTEACH INNOVATION

Need Textbook Revolution:Need Textbook Revolution:What Helps Talented Should

Appeal To and Help Everyone!