Free, Simple and Easy to Use: Disruptive Technologies, Disruptive Innovation and Technology Enhanced Learning

This chapter examines the core theoretical framework for the book, summarizing Clayton Christensen’s work on Disruptive Innovation. The chapter also summarizes and analyses critique of Disruptive Innovation. The chapter analyses the challenges posed to technology enhanced learning by Disruptive Innovation, arguing that technology enhanced learning in higher education has been misdirected to date because it has focused more on technologies than on practice. The chapter provides a grounding in Disruptive Innovation and identifies specific disruptive technologies in higher education.