DERR, DOUGLAS DALEN; EDD
 
                         UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, 1991

                         EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL (0747); EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL (0521); EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY (0710)
 

                         The study sought to identify barriers to the use of distance learning and individual learner technologies in
                         the Minnesota Technical College System. The staff of the 13 campuses of the Minnesota Technical
                         College System with fiber optic distance learning technologies were surveyed as part of the study.
                         Strategies were developed to overcome the barriers based on the findings of the study. The study used
                         Everett Rogers' diffusion of innovation process to determine which stage faculty were at in the adoption
                         of the contemporary instructional technologies. Rogers' model identifies five stages in the adoption
                         process and five characteristics of the innovation that affect the rate of adoption. He has developed
                         generalizations with regard to early and late adopters. A survey was developed around Rogers' model
                         and distributed to 746 full time instructional staff from the 13 colleges with fiber optic distance learning
                         technology. A total of 419 surveys were returned for a 56% return rate. It was found that 75% of the
                         respondents were not familiar or only somewhat familiar with the distance learning technologies. It was
                         also found that 81% of the respondents were not familiar or only somewhat familiar with the individual
                         learner technologies. Thus, the majority of the respondents are at the first stage in the diffusion of
                         innovation process. Rogers identifies this stage as the knowledge stage. This lack of knowledge is a
                         significant barrier to the adoption of the technologies. One strategy to overcome this barrier would be
                         training of the staff. All stages of the diffusion process and the five characteristics of the innovation were
                         studied and are reported for both distance learning and individual learner technologies. In addition to the
                         structured survey questions, 530 comments were offered regarding distance learning, individual learner
                         technologies and the survey in general. These comments reinforced the quantitative survey data and
                         offered strategies for overcoming barriers to using contemporary instructional technologies. The study
                         reports in detail the various barriers to the use of contemporary instructional technologies and offers
                         strategies for overcoming them.

Social Systems Simulation Group P.O. Box 6904 San Diego, CA  92166-0904 Roland Werner, Principal Phone/FAX  (619) 660-1603