Perceived Attributes Predict Course Management System Adopter Status Gayla S. Keesee, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory provided the framework for this nonexperimental, quantitative study to determine instructors’ perceptions of the course management system and organizational support for adoption. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Findings showed that Rogers’ theory can be used to predict adopter status in order to develop targeted initiatives to facilitate CMS adoption. DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES Nonexperimental, quantitative study Web-based, self-developed survey CMS Diffusion of Innovations Survey Data Collected Demographic data Likert scale (perceptions) Open-ended questions Target Population Full-time faculty Five HBCUs, Two Southeastern states DATA ANALYSIS Logistic regression Predict group membership in adopter categories Identify relationships among the variables. Wald Test Predict adopter status Odds Ratios Determine strengths of associations RESEARCH QUESTIONS Determine connections between adopter status and Faculty rankings of the perceived attributes Relative advantage Compatibility Complexity Trialability observability Faculty perceptions of institutional characteristics that hinder or encourage adoption Policies Procedures Norms PURPOSE This study sought to identify a predictive relationship between adopter status and faculty perceptions of the perceived attributes of the CMS for the purpose of predicting membership in one of the five adopter categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, or laggards. PROBLEM Students enter college with expectations of using technology in their courses. Web-enhanced teaching enhances instruction and course management and provides many pedagogical benefits. Online learning is a key factor in building a technologically literate workforce Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are better at supporting African American students than their primarily white counterparts. However, HBCUs have been slow to adopt online teaching paradigm. Little research has analyzed how faculty at HBCUs use CMS in their teaching practices or why they have been slow to adopt. RELEVANT LITERATURE Buzzetto-More, N., & Sweat-Guy, R. (2006). Incorporating the hybrid learning model into minority education at a historically Black university. Journal of Information Technology Education, 5, Retrieved from documents/Vol5/v5p Buzzetto130.pdf Buzzetto-More, N., & Sweat-Guy, R. (2007). The technology ownership and information acquisition habits of HBCU freshmen. Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 2(1), Retrieved from Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13, doi: / McQuiggan, C. A. (2006). A survey of university faculty innovation concerns and perceptions that influence the adoption and diffusion of a course management system. Paper presented at the Academy of Human Resource Development International Conference (Columbus, OH, Feb 22-26, 2006), Retrieved from content_storage_01/ b/80/1b/e0/3d.pdf Moore, G. C., & Benbasat, I. (1991). Development of an instrument to measure the perceptions of adopting an information technology innovation. Information Systems Research, 2(3), doi: /isre Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: The Free Press. SOCIAL CHANGE IMPLICATIONS The findings provide a means of predicting adopter levels which allows for development of initiatives that address differences in adopter needs to facilitate adoption of the CMS and online learning and address the technology gap for minority students. FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS Instructors in different adopter categories have different characteristics and different needs related to adoption and use of the CMS. Instructor buy-in is necessary for successful implementation of any technology initiative. A one-size-fits-all approach to providing knowledge and resources is inadequate. Administrative commitment necessary by allocating resources and revising policies and procedures to reduce barriers to adoption. CMS use related to time of adoption