A Lecture Session for the Innovators’ Program "I-Club" by Osaka University

“Positive Deviance approach as the strategy for diffusion of innovation”

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Tamotsu Ito, a PD facilitator and a business consultant in Japan, conducted an online lecture session for the Innovators’ Program “I-Club” at Osaka University. It focused on the Positive Deviance approach as the strategy for diffusion of innovation. About 40 students, soon-to-be innovators in the future, attended this lecture session. The following is a report from Tamotsu Ito written on March 4, 2021 in Japan.

It was not a traditional lecture session. When I designed this lecture session, I noticed that I was not to conduct a classroom session for teaching and memorizing about PD approach. Therefore, I developed this lecture session by storytelling and including everyone.

We shared many stories as “string” to understand principles and disciplines about PD approach.

  • Knuckle lady for infection prevention in the hospital

  • Children's serious malnutrition problem in Vietnam

  • Mother Terresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Nasreddin, of course!

  • Breast cancer screening in El Paso, Texas

  • Application to the business in Japan

As a result, I got many comments and questions from students about flipping, person-centric, technical problem versus adaptive challenge, data science, and so on.

We also had two "1-4-All" sessions that is one of the Liberating Structures. The first session discussed how to improve children's serious malnutrition problem in six months with a small budget. The second one was for reflection of the session and generating questions among the students about the Positive Deviance approach.

I always use "1-2-4-All" or “1-4-All” in my consulting business for clients. However, this was first time I used it with students. Of course, I made a good lecture session with "1-4-All," and the students were inspired by Positive Deviance approach. Surprisingly, some of students were interested in "1-4-All" and "Liberating Structures," and they asked me some questions for it.

I confirm that "Liberating Structures" is one of the best ways to make an effective classroom session in education! I believe in the diffusion of PD approach into students.

Thanks to my mentors! Monique Sternin-san, Arvind Singhal-san, Henri Lipmanowicz-san and Keith McCandless-san

At the end, I greatly appreciate Osaka University.

For more information, please visit the Innovators’ Academy Club Official Website