1. Get Faculty Aboard the
Instructional Technology
Adoption Train
Dr. Dionne N. Curbeam
Director, Instructional Technology
Coppin State University (Baltimore, MD)

2. Session Goals
1. Explore an innovation decision-making process.
2. Identify techniques to facilitate faculty's decision-
making process.
3. Uncover strategies to encourage faculty to adopt.

3. Today’s Presenter
Dr. Dionne N. Curbeam
• Coppin State University
– Instructional Technologist (2007
to 2010)
– Director, Instructional
Technology (2010 to Present)
– Adjunct Instructor

4. Coppin State University
Baltimore, Maryland
• Student Body
– Undergraduate: 3,298
– Graduate: 523
• Faculty: 325
• Top Undergraduate Majors
– Nursing
– Criminal Justice
– Interdisciplinary Studies
– Applied Psychology
– Management Science

5. Coppin State University
Information Technology Division
Several national awards State-of-the-Art Digital
Classrooms
Featured in several case studies and white papers, most recently:
From Homegrown to the Cloud: Identity Management Evolution at Coppin
State University (ECAR Case Study, June 2011)

6. Instructional Technologies at Coppin

7. Blackboard Faculty Usage Data
Instructors using Blackboard
300
250
244
226
200
177
150
127
100
50
0
Fall 07 Fall08 Fall09 Fall10

8. CSU’s Instructional Technology
Program Model
Extrinsic Motivation
Rewards and Incentives; Technology
Mini-Grants; Faculty Technology
Conference; Giveaways and Prizes;
Certificates ; Faculty Spotlight; etc.
Relevant, Diverse
Building Relationships
Learning
Vendor networks; faculty;
departments; students; shared
Opportunities
governance structure. Face-to-Face; Online; Just In Time;
Small-Group; Customized;
Department; Newsletters ; etc.
Data-Driven Decision Strategic
Making Communication
Surveys; Focus Groups; Tracking Awareness events; promotional
faculty participation in training; materials; fliers; robo-calls; etc.
Data repository; Usage data

9. Did you know…
You are a change
agent!!

10. Change Agents Know…
• Adoption is a type of change.
• Change is a highly personal process for people.
• Change occurs over a period of time.
• The approach change is managed greatly
impacts the speed of change and perception of
change.
• Education institutions are one of the slowest
groups to change.

11. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

12. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation
decision process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

13. Rogers’ Innovation-Decision Process
Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations. (4th ed.). New York, NY: The Free Press.

14. Innovation Decision Process
The more change agents grasp the
decision-making process, the more
equip they are to move faculty into
adoption.

15. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater
strategies to each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

16. Knowing Your Faculty
• Interests
• Past Experiences
• Strengths
• Time Constraints
• Skills
• Demographics
• Psychographics

17. Know Your Faculty
Blanket strategies seldom work.

18. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

19. Stages of Concern About an Innovation
Hord, S. M., Rutherford, W., Huling, L., & Hall, G. E. (2004). Taking Charge of Change. Austin, TX: SEDL.

20. Identifying & Addressing Concerns
Adopters move to different
dimensions of adoption as their
concerns are addressed.

21. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

22. Building Relationships
Students Faculty Deans
Administrative
Chairpersons Etc.
Assistants

23. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

24. Let Data Be Your Best Friend
• Analyze trends
• Share with key groups
• Make decisions rooted
in data

25. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

26. Learning and Outreach Opportunities
• Major shift to informal
learning
• Don’t skip on low-tech
opportunities
– Calling people on the phone
– Walking the building
– Distributing fliers
• Don’t be too formal….Have
fun!

27. Learning and Outreach Opportunities
Don’t become so engaged in
training that you forget outreach.

28. Tenants for Encouraging Faculty
Adoption
1. Have a global understanding the innovation adoption
process.
2. Know and understand your faculty. Cater strategies to
each group.
3. Identify and address faculty concerns.
4. Build healthy relationships with core groups.
5. Let data be your best friend.
6. Diversify learning and outreach opportunities.
7. Promote and publicize good work.

29. Share Good Work!
• Builds Confidence
• Source of Encouragement

30. Questions??

31. Thank you for attending!!
Dionne N. Curbeam
Coppin State University
dcurbeam@coppin.edu