DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS
NMC 421
Spring, 2007
Instructor: Dr. William E. Loges
Oak Creek Bldg., Room 218
(541) 737-9855
Office
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:15-4 P.M., or by appointment
e-mail: bill.loges@oregonstate.edu
Course Syllabus
New ideas, new technologies, and new
approaches to problems do not always spread throughout a social system. There
are sometimes unexpected obstacles to the diffusion of innovations that
challenge marketing departments, farm bureaus, and other change agents to
develop strategies that will effectively overcome resistance to change. Other
times, it is important to stop the diffusion of innovations, such as outbreaks
of infectious diseases (such as the outbreaks of Avian Flu in Asia and
This course reviews the diffusion
process, introducing essential concepts and reviewing contemporary theoretical
developments, particularly concerning the role of network theory in diffusion.
The diffusion process is illustrated through specific social, business, and
public health problems to which diffusion theory has been applied.
Students are expected to (1) learn
diffusion concepts, such as the elements of diffusion, attributes of
innovations, biases of innovations, communication networks, and critical mass;
(2) become familiar with specific landmarks in diffusion research, such as the
study of hybrid seed corn’s diffusion in Iowa, tetracycline’s diffusion in
Illinois, and miracle rice in Bali, (3) apply diffusion concepts and lessons
learned from prior research to a review of the diffusion status and potential
of an existing innovation; and (4) recognize the applicability of diffusion
concepts to social changes as well as technology, including declining birth
rates, government social policy, and child-rearing practices.
There are two required textbooks:
Gladwell,
Malcolm (2002). The Tipping Point: How
Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.
Rogers,
There are additional readings on reserve
in the library. The reserve readings are required.
A selection
from The New Media Reader is also
required. All students majoring in New Media Communications should own this
book. It can be found in the bookstore as a required text for NMC 101.
What
is Expected of Students:
Grades are determined by performance on
several assignments and examinations.
1. Students
are required to write a paper of about 8 pages describing the current diffusion
status of an emerging technology, idea, or disease. Students are free to choose
the innovation about which they'll write, with the help of the instructor.
2. Students
are expected to take part in class discussions and to demonstrate knowledge of
the required reading in class.
3.
There
will be a written mid-term exam in the fifth week of the term, largely devoted
to testing students’ ability to define and apply core diffusion concepts.
4. There
will be a written final exam, focusing on students’ ability to apply diffusion
concepts to specific problems in the diffusion of social change and
communication technology.
Grades are calculated as follows:
Paper 30%
Mid-term
1 20%
Mid-term
2 20%
Final 30%
The only
assignments that will influence your grade are specified above. There is no
extra credit, no revision of your paper after it has been graded, or other
means of affecting your grade.
Regarding
Students with Disabilities
Accommodations
are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services for Students
with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through SSD are
responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to
or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who
believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained
approval through SSD should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.
What Could
Go Wrong?
You are expected to hold yourself to
the highes
If you fail to meet these standards,
your grade will suffer, especially if you are found to have plagiarized any
portion of your term paper.
More information is available at http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm
Students who successfully complete this
course should be able to do the following:
1. List and define the five attributes of
innovations that have been shown to influence their rate of diffusion.
2. Calculate the density of a social
network and explain density’s role in the rate of diffusion.
3. Define key concepts such as diffusion
curve, critical mass, and threshold.
4. Explain the role of key individuals in
the spread of “epidemics” such as new fashions and crime.
5. Apply diffusion theory to an existing
innovation and evaluate the innovation’s potential for diffusion through a
defined social system.
6. Critique attempts to diffuse innovations
by recognizing biases in favor of innovation, disruptions of existing culture
and social institutions, and inadequate attention to long-term versus
short-term effects.
The only
assignments that will influence your grade are specified above. There is no
extra credit, no revision of your paper after it has been graded, or other
means of affecting your grade.
CALENDAR
Week 1
April
3: Introduction and orientation
Review
Syllabus and assignments
Writing
the term paper
What
is diffusion?
April
5: Elements of Diffusion
Read: Rogers, Chapter 1
Week 2
April
10: Diffusion History and
Criticism
Read: Rogers, Chapter 2
April
12: Criticism of Diffusion Theory
Read:
Rogers, Chapter 3
Read:
Olsen, on reserve
Week 3
April
17: Origins of Innovation
Read:
Rogers, Chapter 4
Read:
Schrage, on reserve
Read:
April
19: The Adoption Process
Read: Rogers, Chapter 5
Week 4
April
24: Attributes of Innovations
Read: Rogers, Chapter 6
April
26: Midterm 1
Week 5
May
l: Types
of Adopters
Read:
Rogers, Chapter 7
Read:
Gladwell, Chapters 1 & 2
May
3: Networks
and Change Agents
Read: Rogers, Chapters 8 and 9
Week 6
May
8: Thresholds and the Critical
Mass
Read:
Markus, on reserve
May
10: Diffusing Communication
Technology
Read:
Read:
Gladwell, Chapter 3
Week 7
May
15: Context
Read:
Gladwell, Chapters 4 and 5
May
17: Midterm 2
Week 8
May
22: Sneakers and Cigarettes
Read:
Gladwell, Chapters 6 and 7
May 24: Consequences
of Innovation
Read: Rogers, Chapter 11
Week 9
May 29: Diffusion of Social Change
Read: Hobsbawm, on reserve
Read: Coontz, on reserve
Read: Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto,” in The New
Media Reader
May
31: Paper Due
Week 10
June
5: Family Life
Read:
Hulbert, on reserve
Read: Harris, on reserve
Read: Mann, on reserve
June
7: Preparing for the Final
Exam
Read:
Gladwell, Chapter 8
Final Exam: Monday, June 11, 9:30 AM
Reserve
Anderson, H. (2004, May). Why big companies can’t invent. Technology
Review, pp. 56-59.
Coontz, S. (1992). The Way We Never Were: American
Families and the Nostalgia Trap.
Harris, J.R. (1999, Winter). How to succeed in childhood. Wilson
Quarterly, pp. 30-37.
Hobsbawm, E. (1994). The Age of Extremes: A History of
the World, 1914-1991.
Hulbert, A. (1999, Winter). The century of the child. Wilson
Quarterly, pp. 13-29.
Mann,
C.C. (2005, May). The coming death shortage. The Atlantic Monthly, pp. 92-102.
Markus,
M.L. (1990). Toward a “critical mass” theory of interactive media, in J. Fulk
& C. Steinfield (eds.), Organizations
and Communication Technology, pp. 194-218.
Olsen,
F. (1999, October 15). Archivists struggle to preserve crucial records as paper
gives way to pixels. The Chronicle of Higher Education. [Online]. http://chronicle.com/cgi2-bin/printable.cgi.
Schrage,
M. (2004, May). Much ado about invention. Technology Review, p. 17.
Paper Assignment
Choose an innovation
that is presently available (i.e., something that actually exists in the world
and is available to people who want to adopt it). The innovation should not
have diffused beyond its critical mass point. The innovation can be a
technology, an idea, a behavior, or anything else that qualifies under the
terms we discuss in the class. Describe your innovation’s diffusion status and
its prospects for the future.
Begin your paper with a
description of the innovation, using the five attributes
Then, address the
following questions as best you can with available information. You can ignore
questions for which you can’t find any information or questions that aren’t
relevant, but the more of these issues that you can address the stronger your
paper will be:
(1)
In what social system(s) is the technology diffusing? Who has adopted that
technology, and for what purposes? Who makes adoption decisions?
(2)
What role has opinion leaders played (if any) in diffusion so far?
(3)
How do people become aware of this technology? Through what sort of networks
does information spread? Are there gatekeepers for this information, such as
doctors, parents, or lawyers? What level of adoption would likely constitute
the critical mass needed for this technology?
(4)
Has there been any reinvention of the technology?
(5)
Is diffusion stalled for any reason? (For example, are there government
regulations regarding use of this technology?)
(6)
Who is benefiting from diffusion? Is anyone harmed by diffusion? Who is
lagging? Why?
The paper should be
about eight pages long, not counting a cover page (which I don’t require)
bibliography (which I absolutely require) or pictures and other graphics. The
paper should be double-spaced, with type no larger than 12 points, and one inch
margins all around the page.
Information that you'll
need to answer the questions above can be found from manufacturers,
policy-making agencies (e.g., the FCC), trade publications, and consumer
magazines. Be careful to document the sources of information you find, and cite
them in your paper. You can use
Your paper is due May 31
at 5 PM. Any paper that is not delivered to me in person in a hard copy must be
sent as an e-mail attachment to bill.loges@oregonstate.edu
so that I receive it no later than its due date at 5 PM. There are no
exceptions to this, and no late papers accepted.