Research Review: Understanding Technology Adoption in Education

An overview on theories of adoption and diffusion of technology in education by Evan T. Straub

There is quite a lot research targeting the question of how and why individuals and institutions adopt innovations. For the use of ICT in education, theories and models of technology adoption are connect to issues of teacher training, staff development and educational reform. In this paper, Evan T. Straub looks at the most prevalent models of technology adoption: Roger’s innovation diffusion theory, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (by Hall and colleagues), as well as the Technology Adoption Model and the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (by Venkatesh and colleagues).
Since ISTUS critically looks at the uptake of social media in education, and thus searches for institutional strategies and staff concerns, some knowledge and insights from these theories might be relevant. Straub gives an introduction to these models, and portrays assumptions, key concepts and implications. He also shows that technology adoption is best understood as a complex and social process. He also calls attention to the fact that individuals construct their own view of technology, and that affect might influence technology adoption significantly.

Interesting finding: “Preparing for a technology deployment means looking beyond the cognitive selling points of a technology” (p. 664).

Straub, Evan T. (2009): Understanding Technology Adoption: Theory and Future Directions for Informal Learning. In: Review of Educational Research June 2009 79: 625-649, doi:10.3102/0034654308325896
http://rer.sagepub.com/content/79/2/625.abstract