Economics & Business · Year 9

Active learning ideas

Innovation and Disruption

Active learning is essential for understanding innovation and disruption because these concepts are dynamic and best grasped through experience. Engaging students in simulations and case studies allows them to directly observe how market forces shift and how new ideas challenge established norms, moving beyond passive reception of information.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HE9K03

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 60 min · Small Groups

Disruption Simulation: The Streaming Wars

Divide students into groups representing traditional media companies (e.g., Blockbuster, cable TV providers) and new streaming entrants. Have them present strategies for survival or market dominance, debating the impact of new technologies.

Explain how disruptive innovation reshapes market structures.

Facilitation Tip

During the Disruption Simulation, ensure groups representing incumbents are actively debating the threat posed by new entrants and strategizing responses, rather than simply accepting their fate.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Small Groups

Innovation Case Study Analysis

Assign small groups different industries (e.g., photography, music, retail) and a specific disruptive technology (e.g., digital cameras, MP3s, e-commerce). Students research the impact and present findings on challenges and adaptations.

Analyze the challenges established businesses face when confronted with disruptive technologies.

Facilitation Tip

For the Innovation Case Study Analysis, circulate among the small groups to prompt deeper questioning about the specific features of the disruptive innovation and the incumbent's strategic failures.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Whole Class

Future Industry Prediction

As a whole class, brainstorm emerging technologies (e.g., AI, VR, advanced robotics) and discuss potential industries they could disrupt or create. Students can vote on the most likely scenario.

Predict the long-term impact of a specific technological innovation on an industry.

Facilitation Tip

In the Future Industry Prediction activity, guide the whole class brainstorm by asking probing questions that encourage students to connect emerging technologies to specific market needs or existing industry weaknesses.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

The pedagogical approach here centers on experiential learning, moving from concrete examples to abstract principles. By first immersing students in simulations and case studies, we provide a tangible basis for discussing theories of disruptive innovation. It’s vital to avoid presenting disruption as solely a technological phenomenon; instead, emphasize the business model and market access aspects.

Successful learning means students can articulate the core principles of disruptive innovation and identify its key characteristics in real-world or simulated scenarios. They should be able to explain why certain innovations succeed and others fail, and predict potential future disruptions based on current trends.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Innovation Case Study Analysis, watch for students assuming that disruption only impacts large, established companies.

  Redirect students by asking them to examine the size and age of the incumbent in their assigned case study and consider how even smaller or seemingly agile businesses could be vulnerable to new entrants with different strategies.

• During the Disruption Simulation, watch for students believing that the 'new' technology or business model is inherently superior from the outset.

  Prompt students to compare the initial offerings of the disruptor (e.g., streaming service features vs. Blockbuster's DVD rental) and discuss which aspects made it more appealing or accessible to a specific customer segment, even if less feature-rich initially.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis