Chapter 9: Diffusion Of Innovations Theory

Adoption of any new idea or technology happens over time. Everett Rogers’ oft-cited (2003) work in Diffusion of Innovations (DI) theory may be used to better understand the processes and persons involved in instructional technology and GIS diffusion in K-12 schools. Rogers (2003) theo-rizes, “the main elements in the diffusion of new ideas are: a) an innovation b) that is communicated through certain channels c) over time d) among the members of a social system” (p. 36). In this chapter, I outline specific elements of Rogers’ theory relevant to the issues of IT and GIS in K-12 settings. Rogers’ “categories of adopters” model, discussion of deci-sion-makers, and stages of the innovation process are each significant to the discussion of individual educators regarding critical decisions in the adoption of innovations. In the final section of the chapter, I present results from my research on students’ and educators’ conceptualizations of GIS in schools (White, 2005).