NewEngland

Factors Affecting Diffusion of Innovation

Diffusion of Innovation (Rogers, 2003)  is a well-known theory that predicts and explains who new ideas and practices spread through communities. The stages of adoption are perhaps the most widely used aspect of this theory, but other aspects are useful as well. Rogers identified several measurable factors that are associated with the diffusion of innovations Read More

NewEngland

Typology of Adult Learning

Much of the research on cognition and learning focuses attention on understanding k-12 populations (those who are aged approximately five years through 18 years). The authors of How People Learn 2 do recognize the increasing expectation that older individuals learn as part of their work. Further, they recognize the increasing interest among older populations in Read More

NewEngland

The Myth of Data in Schools

In 2018, one of my high school classmates wrote Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America’s Students (Baker, 2018) in which he takes a close look at the myth “we are spending more, but getting less” out of our school budgets in the United States. Looking back on more than 30 years Read More

NewEngland

WEIRD Perspectives

Much of the science surrounding teaching and learning has occured in cultures that are white, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD). While I am not criticizing that focus, especially by researchers and practitioners who work in those cultures, I do suggest we must use care in extending what we “know” about teaching and learning from Read More