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If it’s so great, why isn’t everyone doing it?
The diffusion of innovation in post-secondary environments
Anastasia KulpaGrant MacEwan University
The Project
Gamification in post-secondary classrooms› Relevant detail: different from what you’ve
seen› If you want to know about it, ask me later
› Experiences with talking about it Thinking about diffusing innovations in
systems How do we convince people it’s a good idea?
Diffusion of Innovation Evett Rogers, plotting and
understanding innovation, mostly in commercial or consumer contexts
What we Know about Innovators and Early Adopters
Compared to the rest of their peers, innovators and early adopters are likely to be:› Better educated› Wealthier› More socially connected› More cosmopolitan
Innovations in Education – Parts of that that Work
General pattern of diffusion› Carlson shows this in education in the
1960s, repeated since Patterns of communication
› “someone like you” talking about it› Culturally relevant reasons for adoption
Physics faculty and beliefs about pedagogy, difficulty of education innovators
What Maybe Makes Less Sense
Education predicting adoption› Little variation – mostly graduate
education (original doesn’t distinguish between Master’s and PhD)
Wealth predicting adoption› Individuals don’t pay for educational
innovations (most adopted in single classrooms)
› Most of them don’t have upfront costs in the way fertilizers do
What Does Rogers Measure Through Wealth?
Sociologically, wealth isn’t just a means to an end – marker of status – we actually use it AS a proxy of status
Wealth as “resources you can afford to lose”?› Questions of managing risk in innovations
(perception of risk changes adoption)› For agriculture, seems to be that people
who can’t feed their families if this fails, don’t innovate.
Resources You Can Afford to Lose in Post-Secondary
Time ?› Biggest faculty complaints about
innovation are: Lies about how much time it takes
(perceived) Time required to modify to make it relevant
to “this” class Lack of recognition of faculty’s tacit
knowledge/experience of pedagogy (culturally relevant reasons to adopt?)
So What?
Distribution patterns› Wealth accumulates at the top – to the
highest status members of a group› Time in post-secondary?
Looking at different understandings Don’t throw out diffusion of innovation
› Consider modifications and conceptualisations – what ARE we measuring
› A way of understanding, of framing research about new practices
If you want to know more about this work…
Email me: [email protected]
› The paper on gamification is almost through review if you want to see that
› Paper on this theoretical question is forthcoming – I’d appreciate your thoughts
› I can also pass along sources/readings if you’re interested