United States Distance Learning Association

tional delivery. The knowledge that other
institutions are taking similar steps reduces
anxiety for administrators who make the
decisions to adopt the technology. In addition,
faculty who are the early adopters
can look to their colleagues at other institutions
for guidance.
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
The selection of educational technology for
a campus is not always systematic and may
be tied to the particular idiosyncratic likes
and dislikes of the technology manager. A
systematic approach based on the principles
of diffusion would mitigate this problem.
In this case, the implementation of
Live Classroom may have been more effective
with the use of Rogers’ (1995) diffusion
theory as a framework.
Innovators who bring in new technologies
may gravitate to those they know will
participate willingly in the initiative. However,
these early adopters may not have
the interpersonal networks or the
acknowledged position of expertise in the
social system to support effective communication
for the diffusion process. It is
important to distinguish early adopters
who can facilitate the diffusion process
from those who would not be as effective.
In addition to their perceived leadership
role, those targeted to pilot the technology
should be selected based on their compatibility
with how the technology will be
used. Too often, faculty are selected based
on their technological ability. A faculty
member could be very technologically
savvy but favor face-to-face interaction
with students over online environments.
In this case, it would be wise to give a considerable
weight in the selection decision
to those faculty who have favorable attitudes
to enabling virtual environments.
Emphasis should be placed on the support
and training that will be provided for
both faculty and students who will be
using this platform. The complexity of the
technology needs to be minimized in relation
to its relative advantage.
It is important to allow faculty time to
experiment with the technology and evaluate
its use in their teaching practice. They
need the flexibility to opt out at any point
in the semester.
Communication channels should be
used strategically with a combination of
interpersonal networks and mass media
channels. Although diffusion is initially
driven by opinion leaders and early adopters,
it can be further facilitated by promotion
through internal mass media channels
(i.e., campus faculty e-mail). In addition, a
good marketing strategy would capitalize
on the leadership of other institutions in
regard to this particular technology. Many
faculty may have colleagues at other institutions
that are using this technology and
could provide them with advice on their
experiences.
Diffusion theory offers a broad framework
that can be applied in the field of
education. It is wise for decision makers to
look to the theory for guidance when considering
the adoption of an emerging technology.
APPENDIX A: TECHNICAL FEATURES
AND REQUIREMENTS OF WIMBA LIVE
CLASSROOM
For Wimba to work efficiently follow the
instructions below.
1. Test Your System
It is recommended to perform a diagnostic
check on your computer prior to
using Wimba for the first time. This
diagnostic check will verify that your
computer has the correct version of
Java, and that the Wimba tools work.
Ensure that your pop-up blockers are
disabled. Most popular browsers like
Firefox and Internet Explorer have
built in pop-up blockers. For more
information on pop-up blockers please
go to the following link: http://
Volume 4, Issue 4 Distance Learning 53