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Comparing Conflicting Perspectives on a Diffused Technology

In this poster we explore the question of why, over time, a "learning technology" diffused and acquired new users in a university community (Rogers, 1995). Our approach contrasts two types of explanations for diffusion. The first one---largely implicit in much learning sciences research---is the view that diffusion happens because new users recognize the demonstrable ability of a technology to support new and valued learning. The alternative view we present sees diffusion as a more multi-dimensional process, one that in the case study we present is largely independent of demonstrable evidence for a tool's educational value. Based on this case study, we propose an alternative approach to understanding the diffusion of educational technologies.