Online learning 1 - Adoption & implementation of innovations

Three challenges:

• 1. Professionals from diverse academic backgrounds have little shared knowledge which causes major problems when planning & implementing online ed.
• 2. Online instructors lack pedagogical background (e.g., constructivist approach, peer learning...)
• 3. Voice of the clients (students) rarely heard

Diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995)

• Why understand the innovation implementation process - 1. help understand why online learning initiatives succeed or fail; 2. how universities decide on policies that directly affect how instructors are required to deliver their courses
• Diffusion: the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system (Rogers, 1995)
• Adopter (individual or organization) types: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards.
• Three types of innovation decisions: 1. Optional (problem: member vs. system); 2. Collective (problem: time-consuming, costly) ; 3. Authority (problem: online learning companies take advantage) - reflection: can web 2.0 change the landscape?
• Disruptive technology (Christensen, 1997) - organizations are reluctant to venture into more risky but highly promising technologies (problem for web 2.0?)
• Adoption stages: 1. knowledge; 2. persuasion; 3. decision; 4. implementation; 5. confirmation
• Alternative of the change process (Fullan, 1991, p. 48): 1. initiation; 2. implementation; 3. continuation; 4. outcome

1. The initiation stage (intent): (1) selective perception; (2) attitudes forming (Contemplators, Adopters, & Rejectors); (3) adopter's sense of control; (4) teaching, administrative, and research aspects; (5) companies effect; (6) peer opinion & professional community; (7) administrative support

2. The implementation stage (overt change of behavior): (1) online learning represents a major shift of power (from instructors to instructional designers and learners, universities to corporate learning environments, f2f content to online, and now web 2.0 vs. commercial approach?); (2) non-research universities implement online learning faster (e.g., U. of Phoenix); (3) peer support & strong professional community; (4) business schools are always early adopters (because they stay close with the business front?)

3. The continuation stage (sustainability): (1) administrative support; (2) professional development; (3) facilitative educational methods

4. The outcome stage (assessment): (1) increased ability to apply what has been learned; (2) higher degree of satisfaction among educators and learners; (3) lower employee turnover; (4) the opportunity to cascade certain theories or methods down through the organization via online learning; (5) increased administrative efficiency

Reference:

Engvig, M. (2006). Online learning: All you need to know to facilitate and administer online courses. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Christensen, C. M. (1997). The innovation dilemma. New York: Harper Business.

Fullan, M. G. (1991). The new meaning of educational change. New York: Teachers College Press.

Professional Development

Solution for how campus leadership should facilitate change that must occur to meet the needs of contemporary, diverse nature of college students

I. Change Theory (Michael Fullan)

II. Diffusion of Innovation (Everrett Rogers, 1995): Diffusion is "the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system...a kind of social change" (p. 5). People are inherently more or less predisposed to innovative behavior. Individual adoption rates of innovation are usually distributed along a bell shaped curve and can be grouped under five categories:

1. Innovators (2.5%): Venturesome
   
2. Early adopters (13.5%): Respect
   
3. Early majority (34%): Deliberate
   
4. Late majority (34%): Skeptical
   
5. Laggards (16%): Traditional
   

III. CBAM (Concern-Based Adoption Model): for effective educational change to occur in the adoption of an innovation, there must be a change-facilitator who probes potential users to find out what their needs (concerns) are and uses available resources to meet these needs (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall, 1987, p. 30). Seven stages:

1. Stage 0 (Awareness Stage in faculty): "I'm not concerned about technology-based distance education"
2. Stage I (Information Stage): "I'd like to know more about tech-based distance ed."
3. Stage II (Personal Stage): "How will using it affect me?"
4. Stage III (Management Stage): faculty express concern about spending a great proportion of their time getting material ready.
5. Stage IV (Consequences Stage): "How is my use affecting students?"
6. Stage V (Collaboration Stage): "I'm concerned about relating what I'm doing with what other instructors are doing."
7. Stage VI (Refocusing Stage): "I have some ideas about something that would work even better."

(Stage IV - VI faculty concerns are focused on the impact of tech)

IV. Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) studies

V. Reward Collaboration (Kezar)