Deborah BoisvertDirector, BATEC Center for IT

University of MA Boston

NSF ATE Proposal Criteria

Intellectual Merit

Broader Impacts

Dissemination

Sustained Impact/Change

• Innovation vs. Invention

• Creating an Innovative Culture

• Sustaining Innovation

Research ContributionsChris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in

Learning Technologies, Harvard Graduate School of Education; http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~dedech/

Jim Dearing, Senior Scientist, Kaiser Permanente, Institute for Health Research; http://kpco-ihr.org/jamesdearing/publications/2010dearing.htm

Synergy Collaboratory for Research, Practice and Transformation; http://sites.google.com/site/synergy2010group/

http://www.microsoft.com/education/demos/scale

effectiveness of innovation under ideal conditions

Questions

• From what sources of leverage does the innovation get its power?• What are its conditions for success?• How can the innovation be modified to enhance depth?

Check List

1. Conduct research and evaluation2. Work through a Logic Model3. Use iterative design

DEPTH

Trap: Perfection

SUSTAINABILITYchanges in practice maintained over substantial periods of time

• To survive in inhospitable conditions, how will I modify the innovation?• What are the minimum conditions of success for this innovation

to retain reasonable effectiveness?• What target settings / populations have at least these minimum conditions?

1. Develop ruggedized hybrids2. Use technology to automate ongoing processes (so that

continuity is easy)

Questions

Check List

Trap: Mutation

SPREADlarge numbers of users embrace the innovation

• How do I reduce costs while retaining power (light version)?• How do I simplify training?• With a light version – what are the trade-offs?• How do I ensure success early on so that users gain confidence?

1. Reduce costs2. Reduce barriers to initial usage3. Create new efficiencies

Questions

Check List

Trap: Optomality

SHIFTmany users deepen and sustain the innovationvia adaptation

• How can I move beyond “brand” to support users as co-evaluators, co-designers, and co-scalers?

• How can I help users to go beyond what I already developed?• How can I train users to be co-evaluators, co-designers, and co-scalers?

1. Train for co-design2. Empower others to think in terms of co-design3. Increase collaboration and communication

Questions

Check List

Trap: Origination

EVOLUTIONrevisions reshape the thinking of original designers

• How can I get motivated to start the innovation process again?• How can I re-conceptualize the innovation?• How can I facilitate a “community of reflective redesign” with

other innovators?

1. Determine how to re-motivate2. Determine how to innovate with new eyes3. Use technology to track changes

Questions

Check List

Trap: Unlearning

How do we select which new things to do in our organizations?

Traditional criteria1. Is it consistent with our mission (or the RFP)?

2. Do we have the team?

3. Do we have the know-how?

4. Can we afford it?

5. If we build it, will they come?

Evidence-Based Spread Selection CriteriaCompatibilityCostSimplicityAdaptabilityEffectivenessObservabilityTrialability

James W. Dearing, Kaiser Permanente

Compatibility… is the extent to which an innovation fits with

preexisting routines, beliefs, and norms

Cost… is the extent to which an innovation is less costly

relative to alternatives

Simplicity… the extent to which an innovation is easy to

understand

Adaptability…the extent to which an innovation can be

customized by an adopter without decreasing effectiveness

Effectiveness…the extent to which an innovation is better

than an alternative

Observability…the extent to which the results of using an

innovation are visible

Trialability…the extent to which an innovation can be tried with

low or no risk

Which Attributes are Especially Powerful?1. Compatibility

2. Cost

3. Simplicity

4. Adaptability

5. Effectiveness

6. Observability

7. Trialability

19

Attribute Rating ToolsThe innovation matrix

Attributes by team perception, team portrayal, potential adopter perception (7x3)

Diagnosing communication barriers via the matrix

The innovation profile

Composite of attributes (1x3)

The Potential for Adoption Rating score

20

You Can Use Attributes toAssess how team members perceive an innovation

Assess how team members talk about an innovation

Assess how potential adopters perceive an innovation

Rate websites and other information portrayals about an innovation

Compare innovations to decide the readiness of each for scale

Using Attributes Can Help Answer Questions Such As…Which faculty development strategy can most rapidly

spread to other institutions/cities/regions?

Have we described our new curricula in ways that will interest faculty at other institutions?

Which approach(es) will be best received?

How can we improve how we present our project?

22

Using Social Networks as Influence Networks

A social network is the patterned set of relationships among the members of a social system

Adopters, implementers, leaders, and champions are the “nodes”

Relations of different types comprise the “links” between nodes

23

In General, Intervention with Informal Opinion Leaders Speeds the Adoption of Worthy Practices, Processes, and PoliciesWhen…

They perceive the innovation positivelyThey are approached with a normative appealThey are not asked to do too much

Influencing through Opinion Leaders

1189

1175

1108

4

2782

2761

2528

2480

2373

2354

2336

2052

1937

1753

1656

1580

1576

1491

1016

861

845

844

680

310

223

211

3258

3220

3217

3203

3201

3197

3192

3169

3166

3118

3115

3110

3107

3106

2995

2977

2966

2964

2919

2918

2894

2841

2832

2805

2798

2797

2765

2761

2756

2742

2703

2702

2698

2678

2674

2671

2665

2622

2542

2541

2536

2445

2423

2406

2363

2360

2354

2341

2285

2252

2250

2233

2231

2229

2165

2151

2134

2104

2003

2001

19731959

1956

1937

1897

1872

1832

1796

1744

1737

1718

1712

1687

1678

1658

1656

1568

1558

1557

1539

1530

1515

1510

1502

1491

1473

1472

1460

1443

1438

1390

1386

1365

1296

1250

1215

12141158

1155

1138

1128

1120

1102

1091

1068

1061

1057

1056

1046

1013

994

959

943

935

919

914

913

875

873

804

784

769

752

744

730

716

715

708

700

680

648

640

591

571

558

521 498

492

483

475

474

462

260

220

211

209

205

157

119

116

93

92

31

23

In Summary:Scale has five dimensions that must be considered in

realizing success – depth, sustainability, spread, shift and evolution. Accentuate the power of the dimensionMinimize the traps of the dimension

There are seven attributes that must be considered when trying to identify adopters – compatibility, cost, simplicity, adaptability, effectiveness, observability and trialabilityThe more that can be associated with your project, the

more likely you are to have it adopted

26

In Summary:Influence networks (target populations) embed

different roles of opinion leaders, bridges, and innovators

Innovators function as information sources for opinion leaders

Opinion Leaders influence others within the group; bridges spread information about innovations across groups

Change Agents are successful to the extent that they correctly identify who leads the opinions of others (who provides advice), and spend their time with those persons

27