Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: Professionals in the information technology field are bombarded with an incessant stream of innovations in hardware and software as well as practices, methods, and techniques.IT educators are among the first targets in the market and must decide if and when to adopt these innovations in their instruction of students and professional endeavors.The risks are not small: educators must weigh the impact on budgets, time management schedules, instructional strategies, and student recompense.Some educators lag behind in adopting IT innovations and find that they have become pawns in the change process, vainly resisting the inevitable, while those on the front end of the adoption curve have eagerly embraced their role as change agents.Various factors influence IT adoption among IT educators.Budget restraints, institutional resources, instructional support materials, timing, time, personal preferences, and personnel decisions (or lack thereof) are but a few of the many possible factors.It is not feasible, practical, nor prudent to adopt new technologies simply for the sake of adopting the "newest and latest".There are, however, numerous opportunities for the IT educator to choose whether to adopt an applicable IT innovation.It is that juncture (adopt or do not adopt) that is the topic of this article.When the various factors come together such that it is possible to adopt an applicable new IT product, some IT educators may elect to adopt while others may elect not to adopt.A number of theories have been proffered to explain the adoption decision, and models of adoption behavior have been created.We present ten reasons IT educators should adopt, as soon as feasible, applicable IT innovations introduced into the marketplace.Reason 10, the sun came up today, denotes the universal consistency that exists not only in the physical world but also in our professional realm.The sun rises each day, and for the IT educator, change is inevitable.Change is often difficult and time consuming.However, it would seem to the authors that for most, the rewards would be worth the investment.Reason 9, you read the obituaries and your name was not listed, indicates that resistance to change could lead to professional death.Reason 8, there they go, and I must go after them, for I am their leader, emphasizes the enthusiasm with which many of our students embrace new technologies.They eagerly try each new gadget or gizmo and somehow anticipate that we, too, are familiar (or an expert) with the product.Perhaps we should not lag
DOI: 10.28945/176
Authors: Sharlett Gillard, Denice Bailey, Ernest Nolan
Institution: University of Southern Indiana
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W1519339696