A teacher's dual roles as a client and change agent: An examination of the adoption of and teaching with
hypermedia technology

                         Altamirano, Ma Leticia C.; PhD

                         MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY,1998

                         EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY (0710)
 

                         Researchers have focused little attention on college teachers' experiences in using new computer
                         technology. Instructional designers and educational technologists should know how college faculty
                         make use of computers to be able to approach the instructional problems which college teachers might
                         experience in adopting new technology. This qualitative research study focused on a teacher educator,
                         and the dynamics of her teaching when using a new hypermedia technology. In investigating the
                         dynamics of her teaching, the study viewed how the teacher undertook the role of a <italic>client</italic>
                         as she pursued her teaching tasks while incorporating the use of a technological innovation.
                         Simultaneously, the study also investigated how the teacher portrayed the <italic>change
                         agent's</italic> role, as she introduced the technological innovation to her students and helped them
                         use it as a means to learn about the course's subject matter. The findings of this study revealed that the
                         teacher experienced two simultaneous diffusion processes, which were influenced highly by what the
                         teacher brought with her to technology use. In addition, the teacher's role as a client in innovation use is
                         comprised of three subsequent phases, namely, the adoption of innovation use, the integration of
                         innovation use into the lessons, and the learning of tools and equipment in relation to innovation use.
                         Moreover, as a change agent, the teacher primarily focused her tasks on planning, implementing, and
                         assessing student technology use. Major conclusions include that, in teaching the course, the teacher
                         portrayed dual roles as she experienced two simultaneously occurring diffusion of innovation processes.
                         Throughout the two diffusion processes, the teacher received timely support to aid her with the software
                         and hardware aspects of technology use. The help which the teacher received while being a client also
                         supported her needs as she pursued her role as a change agent. Because of this, the teacher's
                         instructional role primarily focused on gaining a better perspective of innovation use through interactions
                         with colleagues and learning from their similar experiences. In addition, the teacher was able to direct her
                         attention to innovation use while teaching her course. Finally, the teacher's portrayal of her role as a client
                         in one diffusion process went well beyond the usual connotation of the term since she was an active,
                         autonomous, and assertive user of innovation and learner of technological tools.
 
 
 
 
 


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