Information Technology Diffusion/Integration

The Information Technology Diffusion/Integration SIG, chaired by Joan Hughes, Christine Greenhow and Catherine Schifter, aims to bring together researchers, teacher educators, teachers, educational leaders, media specialists, designers and policy-makers interested in exploring all issues surrounding the integration, diffusion, and use of technologies for learning within formal classroom settings and in non-school informal learning settings such as hybrid and online communities. Moreover, our SIG focuses on existing and emerging Web-based social digital technologies and participatory media which are increasingly part of the everyday technology-using practices of young people and are changing what, how, and with whom we learn.

One of the largest of the SITE SIGs, the Information Technology Diffusion/Integration SIG is intended to be an interdisciplinary and international forum for collaborative knowledge exchange about research, teaching, professional development and policy practices.

Proposed SIG activities include:

  • Research Examples: Sharing in-progress and completed research related to the issues above and creating a central Web-based, interactive research repository
  • Research Designs: Planning and doing collaborative research on the issues described above. Discussing what research is needed. Soliciting advice on research designs.
  • Practice models: Gathering illustrative examples of best practices where these technologies/participatory media have been integrated into classroom practice (K12, college/university, & teacher education) and making these available in a wiki or other online collaborative space.
  • Member profiles: Soliciting profiles of SIG members (educational background, work setting, research/teaching interests, grants) and making these available in an online space such as an online social network site.
  • Related issues: Discussing issues related to the integration of participatory media – as we define it - in formal and informal learning settings and/or issues related to research design and implementation and/or policy issues that must be addressed.
  • Funding: Writing proposals for funding for SIG-related projects.

The SIG’s activities will be determined by the interests and wishes of its members. Please join us for the Information Technology Diffusion/Integration SIG meeting at the upcoming SITE conference.

Joan Hughes, University of Texas at Austin
Christine Greenhow, University of Minnesota
Catherine Schifter, Temple University