Several years ago, I was asked to gather some “data” regarding “how our school technology is doing.” I was familiar with technology acceptance model, and intended to ground my answers to the inquiry in data collected with a valid and reliable instrument. Turing to the literature, I found there were instruments for measuring Unified Acceptance of Read More
Hegemony is an interesting word. It describes the dominance of one idea (or culture or social group) over another. Users typically adopt a critical tone when using the word; hegemony is established and maintained by imposition. Pedagogy is also an interesting word. It captures the actions taken by a teacher in a classroom, as well Read More
Diffusion of Innovation (Rogers, 2003) is a well-known theory that predicts and explains who new ideas and practices spread through communities. The stages of adoption are perhaps the most widely used aspect of this theory, but other aspects are useful as well. Rogers identified several measurable factors that are associated with the diffusion of innovations Read More
At its most basic level, the World Wide Web is a collection of servers; these computers are always powered on and connected to the network. Files on a web server are contained in a directory that is configured to allow outside users to read the contents, and the file is read when a visitor uses Read More
In reviewing some data I gathered and prepared for presentation in the last year, I found four factors that were positively associated with the decision to adopt and the decisions to continue to use educational technology once it had been adopted: Improvement: Which was summarized as “the degree to which the planning method solved the Read More
Many come to education because they have been successful trainers in their field of work. Individuals who assume this role in business and industry are often motivated to share their expertise and experience, and access to these leaders who are instructors is one advantage that community college students enjoy. It is important for instructors to Read More
Computers, networks, and mobile devices are deeply embedded in classrooms. Even if we avoid their use in formal lessons, students are going to arrive with the devices in their bags and pockets, and they will use them for research, calculation, writing, and other information tasks. It seems reasonable to expect all instructors to teach, model, Read More
Much of the research on cognition and learning focuses attention on understanding k-12 populations (those who are aged approximately five years through 18 years). The authors of How People Learn 2 do recognize the increasing expectation that older individuals learn as part of their work. Further, they recognize the increasing interest among older populations in Read More
In 2018, one of my high school classmates wrote Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America’s Students (Baker, 2018) in which he takes a close look at the myth “we are spending more, but getting less” out of our school budgets in the United States. Looking back on more than 30 years Read More
I’m rereading How People Learn II as I prepare to use it with some students (who are teachers). The authors have provided clear and concise reviews of some of the recent findings in the cognitive and learning sciences. Perhaps most useful is the section in which the authors summarize what we know about studying. (Wise Read More