September 1997 — Features
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
The Boulder Valley Internet Project: Lessons Learned
Toward an Integrated Adoption & Diffusion Model
Our study of the adoption and diffusion of Internet- and Web-based telecommunications throughout the Boulder Valley School District, over the past five years, took the form of a full-blown qualitative research study. It included surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, a work group, examination of system logs and artifacts, and an embedded case study of a cutting-edge elementary school. Based on Rogersí concepts, we developed a four-module Integrated Technology Adoption and Diffusion Model comprising technological, individual, organizational, and instructional factors. (See Table 1.)
Throughout the entire duration of our study, we found ourselves addressing many of Rogersí concerns and reflecting on many of his findings. This article is a short summary of our results. A full-scale research paper, The Boulder Valley Internet Project: A Case Study, is available online at www.cudenver.edu/~lsherry/aera97.html.
We were also able to investigate some new aspects of the adoption and diffusion process, such as its spread within a decentralized system and the re-invention process as the innovation itself evolved.
Critical Elements of the Diffusion Process
The "trainer of trainers" model met with excellent success, primarily because it incorporated two of Rogersí fundamental concepts: homophily and observability. It also capitalized on the relative advantage of telecommunications, especially in isolated, mountain schools.
Homophily is "the degree to which two or more individuals who interact are similar in certain attributes."[1] Rather than perceiving the Internet as an innovation introduced from outside, teacher-trainees learned their necessary telecommunications skills in the classroom from fellow teachers or the in-building technical resource person.
Observability is "the degree to which the results of an innovation are observable to others"[1] -- especially near-peers and colleagues within the same school. Open labs and demonstrations enabled new users to explore the system on their own, observe its effects directly, and evaluate its effectiveness within their own, non-threatening environment. New users often ask questions like "what are the innovationís consequences?" and "what will its advantages and disadvantages be in my particular situation?" In the focus group, one participating teacher reflected:
