Utilizing nine schools located in the San Francisco Bay area, a study was conducted to examine the patterns by which microcomputers are accepted and implemented in high schools. Rather than the educational or social effects of this new academic resource, the study focused on: (1) the process of the behaviors and decisions leading to the…

Describes some of the history of rural sociological research on the diffusion of agricultural innovations, and shows how research followed (and deviated from) the Kuhnian concept of paradigm development. Examines the Iowa Hybrid Seed Corn Study which contributed to the rise of sociological diffusion research. (103 references) (AEF)

Since 1970, 90 adopters in 67 universities have used EXPER SIM for teaching research design and strategy to college students through computer simulation. An analysis of EXPER SIM as an innovation revealed that implementation of the program was not necessarily retarded by its computer dependence. Administrative support seemed to be important in the…

Drawing on examples and evidence from social science research on the diffusion of ideas, social movements, and several other related fields, nine propositions dealing with the interrelationships between social structure and social change are explored. (Author/MB)

The nature and timing of decisions regarding the diffusion of new instructional materials and practices are critical to the ultimate utility achieved by a curriculum project. This publication is a collection of five conference papers which deal with various aspects of diffusion of innovative materials and ideas. Everett M. Rogers discusses two…

This document reports results from an exploratory investigation into the adoption and use of microcomputers in the home, which involved interviews with 77 home computer owners, 19 individuals who were in the process of computer adoption, and a small sample of home computer manufacturers and retailers. The first two chapters provide information on…

This article reviews lessons learned from the agricultural extension model that may apply to the proposed cooperative extension service in education. The agricultural extension model is a user-oriented system linking knowledge producers with other knowledge users. In education, the adopters of innovations may be organizations as well as…

Taboo communication is examined in relation to its distinctive characteristics and its significance in inhibiting social change involving birth control in Asian and other countries. Taboo communication tends to occur between very high homophilous individuals, which poses problems for communications research. Research is inhibited when researchers…

Using four IMPACT innovations as examples (EXPER SIM, Guided Design, TIPS, and Student-to-Student Counseling), this study attempts to define the nature of technological and social changes in university teaching. Data were gathered in three phases: (1) a questionnaire was mailed to individuals who requested information; (2) the adopters of…

How do innovations (defined as idea, products, and practices perceived as new by an individual) diffuse to members of a social system? The authors answer this and other questions about the character of innovators, the rate of adoption of ideas, and the decision-making process in 103 generalizations about diffusion of innovation. These propositions…