Re: Learning vs. Innovation LO1474

Michael McMaster (Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk)
Wed, 31 May 1995 15:43:17 +0000

Replying to LO1417 --

OK. At the risk of making myself and or the Santa Fe Institute
unpopular, I'll present my interpretation of their research. (That
is to say, I alone am responsible for what I say - including what I
impute to SFI.)

What Ivan says about innovation being sandwiched by learning I think
is sensible and useful. I also see that I could make the bread of
the wsandwich be innovation. What use would the latter be? Well, it
might generate different approaches or actions and, at least in some
cases, that might be useful.

My understanding of genetic algogrithm work by John Holland and other
SFI researchers (because I don't know others, not because others
don't exist or even because Holland and company are best) is that
there is a type of innovation, consistent with evolution, which
merely swaps bits - or recombines parts of "successful" agents or
entities - to create innovations. This is the way the gene pool
works. The chromosomes of the male and the female split and swap
pairs and new human beings emerge that are each unique.

So, what I'm offering is the possibility of generating innovation -
designing for such innoavtion - without a particular need for
something that we call "learning". The capacities for learning, for
language, for intelligence provide enhancements of innovation.

However, it may also be the case that the idea of innovation without
preceding learning can be applied to language, learning and
intelligence to enhance them as well.

An example of this is to conduct thought experiments which combine
elements based on something other than linear rationality. Another
is to construct sample problems that can be tried many times via
computer approaches (such as genetic algorithms) and try far more
solutions than a mind would have time or ability to do.

I fear that because we are in an "organisational learning" conversation,
we are prone to see _everything_ as a learning problem. Worse, we often
see it as a _particular_ kind of learning which is far less than the full
possibility of learning.

> Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 10:30:04 -0400 (EDT)
> From: "Dr. Ivan Blanco" <BLANCO@bu4090.barry.edu>
>
> > From: Michael McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
> > Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 07:12:18 +0000
> >
> > Learning is a result of theory or concept and experience. The theory
> > or concept may be unaware or very "fuzzy" and the experience may be
> > merely mental. But they go together. That is, to make the point
> > starkly, we don't learn from experience. We first bring something to
> > our action (even if it's all mental) and learn from the resonance or
> > disonance of the two.
> >
> > Innovation is a result of recombination (occasionally mutation or
> > purely random events) of what is already integrated with other things
> > and contained in some (mental) identity. Seeking innovation requires
> > different processes than seeking learning.
> >
> > The connection between the two is that innovation will be followed by
> > learning if the innovation is to "stick" and become useful.
>
> Michael, the way I see it is that innovation and learning are intertwined
> in a way that, at times, it might be very hard to say which happens first.
> However, I think that in most cases we do a lot of learning first, then we
> come up with the innovations. I see that as we enhance our understanding
> of something and experience it, we then begin to see the recombinations
> you talked about. We understand new linkages and can challenge the
> theory(ies) or models in place, by modifying them, expanding them, or
> connecting them to other pre-existing concepts or models. This process
> generates additional learning... So that innovation is generally
> sandwiched by learning.
>
> Does it make sense?
>
> Ivan,
> --
> ***************************************************************
> R. IVAN BLANCO, Ph.D. Voice 305 899-3515
> Assoc. Prof. & Director Fax 305 892-6412
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> "Las naciones marchan hacia el termino de su grandeza, con
> el mismo paso que camina su educacion." "The nations march
> toward their greatness at the same pace as their educational
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> ===============================================================
>
>
>

--
Michael McMaster
Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk