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Project SEIC (State Educational Information Center) was funded to increase the demand for and use of educational information, especially ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) information, and to make more cost effective delivery of information services. To accomplish these goals Project SEIC first assessed the state-of-the-art of computer technology, validating that software packages capable of meeting Project needs existed. The appropriate packages were installed at a computer facility, while governance, privacy, and confidentiality issues were being resolved. The Project also focused on defining the problems in information dissemination and utilization, and on the relationship between these functions and the diffusion of innovations. Systems and management insights were applied to supplement the understanding of the diffusion process originally observed by psychologists and sociologists. The Project itself was cast into a framework of planned change. A systematic program of dissemination/diffusion was developed known as RSVP (Responsive Services for a Variety of Practitioners). This first volume of the three volume report relates the story of the SEIC Project: its goals, how they were accomplished, and conclusions and recommendations. (JY)

This publication is part of a series of reports that describes the results of the first year of a study of federally funded programs designed to introduce and spread innovative practices in public schools. Over several years, the study will examine innovative educational projects funded under four federal programs, including Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title VII of the ESEA, the 1968 amendments to the Vocational Education Act, and the Right-to-Read Program. Purpose of the study is to examine the nature, permanence, and extent of dissemination of innovation associated with the various federal programs and with various federal, state, and local practices. A series of five reports presents the results of the study's first year; Volume 4 of the series summarizes the findings of the other volumes, synthesizes extensive data on the program strategy and management of each federal program, and discusses alternative federal strategies for promoting educational innovation. This report in turn summarizes Volume 4 and is designed to present in condensed form the study's approach and findings. (Author/JG)

This is a rationale and description for a dissemination program being developed by the School Practice and Service Division of the National Institute of Education. The document is being circulated to solicit comments on the soundness of the proposed work. The proposed program constitutes a coordinated attempt to make information, products, skills, and resources derived from research and development and exemplary practice available to educational practitioners to facilitate their problem-solving in targeted areas. The program is a venture into uncharted areas in an attempt to build additional linkages between research and development and the operating system. The apparent semiisolation and alienation of the one group from the other has come from a number of causes, including the linear-change model implicit in past federal leadership and policies in supporting educational research and development and dissemination. The proposed goal, objectives, strategies, and underlying assumptions of the program are described, as well as the proposed design, its consumer information component, its research and development utilization component, and its assessment. (Author/IPT)

The 1974 seminar for State directors of vocational education focused on improvement of vocational curricula at the local education agency level. One hundred fifteen persons, representing 43 State vocational units, one territory, and Washington, D.C., attended the seminar. Sepcial emphasis was given to processes and innovative concepts relating to professional development and self-improvement of State directors of vocational education and key members of their staffs. Guidelines and information papers were presented to explain and define methods that can be utilized by State vocational education personnel in discharging responsibilities in the field of curriculum development. The seminar covered the following areas: vocational education programs for persons with special needs (three papers); State level programs to facilitate the dissemination and implementation of new curriculum ideas (three papers); State level management information systems for curriculum improvement (three papers); curriculum changes and improvement in local education agencies (two papers); mechanisms and approaches to curriculum development (two papers); need for curriculum for State personnel development supervisors (one paper); and implementing career education programs (three papers). The full texts of all papers are included in the document. The seminar agenda and a program participant list are appended. (Author/EC)

To facilitate the dissemination of ideas and practices developed by the Improving Teaching Competencies Program (ITCP) of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, a working unit was assigned the task of developing a conceptual model and a set of strategies for the diffusion of ITCP products. This report describing the dissemination model consists of three main sections: (1) a history of ITCP and a rationale for dissemination activities; (2) a review of the current knowledge of the change process in schools; and (3) recommended strategies for future dissemination activities. (EMH)

Institution building is considered as a process amenable to both explanation and design if a generic "grammar of artifactual action" is used. The Configurational Theory of Innovation Diffusion model (CLER) is introduced and used to demonstrate how the world of the institution builder could be ordered as part of such grammar for designing and implementing systems of action. The four variables of the CLER model--configurational relationships, linkages, environment, and resources--are used to develop general strategies for institution building. (Author/MLF)

This paper describes and evaluates the effectiveness of a program designed to improve technology transfer and utilization that was implemented in 1971 by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The authors first describe the organization of the technology transfer program and then attempt to evaluate its effectiveness over the three-year period 1972-74. In order to improve the accuracy of cost/benefit comparisons, a "benefit evaluation decision model" was developed. The authors discuss the design and use of this model and then apply it to the analysis of data for fiscal year 1974. This analysis of the technology transfer and utilization program shows that it produced $2.72 in benefits for each dollar spent. (Author/JG)

This study is based on a comparison of data from two independent studies of technology utilization and dissemination methodology that sought to identify the behavior characteristics of "linkers" and "stabilizers" and their relative existence within different groups of technical personnel. Hypothesis for this study is that the distribution of the linker-stabilizer behavior characteristic has a general base in terms of technically trained personnel and is not unique to a select population. Comparison of responses to a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 1,128 naval civil engineering officers and a similar questionnaire administered to a sample of 1,598 federal government civil engineers indicates that commonality of technical training is a more dominant factor than the decision to be a naval officer or a government employee. The appendix contains copies of both survey questionnaires, as well as a series of histograms and tables comparing questionnaire responses for each of the populations studied. (JG)

This paper discusses the conceptual framework and methodology of the technology transfer process and develops a model of the transfer mechanism. This model is then transformed into a predictive model of technology transfer incorporating nine factors that contribute to the movement of knowledge from source to user. Each of these factors is examined in turn. Based on the predictive model, the author constructs an equation for calculating the "linker index," which represents the effectiveness of an organization's ability to achieve technology transfer. The predictive model is then divided into two parts to reflect the relative importance of the formal and informal communications components of the transfer mechanism. (JG)

The English language portion of this text describes the creation of nine models for the use of educational television. Six of the models relate the use of educational television to communities ranging in size from small villages to large cities. The other three models deal with the use of educational television in neighborhood centers, centers for senior citizens, and community schools. For each of the models, it was hoped that the use of television would help the community meet its needs for: (1) occupational education; (2) trained labor; (3) coordination of secondary and post-secondary education; and (4) the reduction of sex stereotyping. The majority of the document is in French. (EMH)

This study examines a representative sample of innovative projects funded under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in an effort to identify some of the factors that contribute to constructive change in the schools. In particular, the study investigates local takeover of Title III programs and attempts to determine why some programs are absorbed by local school systems, while other Title III programs are not. By examining how adopted and nonadopted innovative programs differ in their development, organization, dissemination, local leadership, and state support, the study identifies particular strategies, roles, and procedures that aid or hinder the adoption of educational innovations. Data for the study were gathered from a stratified random sample of 12 of the 38 Title III programs funded in Massachusetts for the three-year period 1971-74. (Author/JG)

Using four IMPACT innovations as examples (EXPER SIM, Guided Design, TIPS, and Student-to-Student Counseling), this study attempts to define the nature of technological and social changes in university teaching. Data were gathered in three phases: (1) a questionnaire was mailed to individuals who requested information; (2) the adopters of innovations were interviewed; and (3) individuals who received second-hand information were interviewed. The results of the survey focused on the primary and secondary dispersion of information, the decision making mechanism used to determine when an innovation should be adopted, the extent of adoption, and the barriers to adoption. The text of the report describes in detail the research methodology and conclusions, and the appendixes provide definitions of concepts, informational brochures about the four innovations, sample questionnaires, and coding sheets for the interviews. (EMH)

This sourcebook provides brief descriptions of a number of innovative programs that have been approved for dissemination by the Joint Dissemination Review Panel within the Education Division of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The first section presents an array of programs that were being supported as Demonstration Projects during the 1975-76 school year by the U.S. Office of Education. The second section presents shorter descriptions of projects that are also approved for diffusion but, in view of scarce resources, could not be funded during the particular school year. The back of the book contains a list of state facilitators, with names, addresses, and phone numbers. Each facilitator serves as a matchmaker within that state to assure that local education agencies obtain information about and access to those validated innovations that fit identified needs of particular schools, regardless of where in the nation the original program happened to have been launched. The demonstration projects deal with a wide variety of areas: alternative/secondary education, early childhood and parent readiness, the environment, reading/language/mathematics, specialized curriculum/special interests, special education, and training/organizational arrangements. (Author/IRT)

During 1974, the role and effectiveness of the Mexican medicine huckster were examined within the context of a specified information diffusion process. Seventy-five hucksters were observed at work in three states of Mexico (Oaxaca, Michoacan, and Mexico) and in the Federal District (Mexico City area). Twenty-five sales pitches were recorded and 100 (31 males and 69 females) clients were interviewed. Clients were members of the lower stratum of the Mexican social structure, characterized by low income, poor housing, and little education. Of the 100 respondents, 54 were over 45 years of age, 51 lived in rural areas, 49 resided in small towns, and 87 had resided in the same location for 11 years or more. Names and addresses of clients were obtained by promising to deliver free samples of medicine to the homes of people who made a purchase. Some findings were: although all the medicines bought by clients interviewed were medicinally worthless (as verified by hucksters themselves), 78 of the respondents reported that the medicines had been effective (11 believed them to be ineffective and 11 were undecided); 87 expressed confidence in the hucksters--57 because they told the truth, 6 because hucksters explained well, and 7 because the medicines were not expensive; and all gave the medicine huckster the highest composite ranking of 10 potential sources of health information. (NQ)

This paper reviews a number of past studies in the field of diffusion research, describing the major features of each diffusion model and discussing its value for predicting the spread of educational innovations. Following this review, the author presents a new autocatalytic diffusion model based on the mathematical models of epidemiologists and chemists. This autocatalytic model is adapted to the study of educational innovations, and then the model is applied to historical data and used to predict the life cycle of six different educational innovations. The predicted life cycles matched the actual historical data very well in five of the six cases. The author also uses the model to project the future adoption life cycle of the semester system in Ontario secondary schools, an innovation that is still in the process of adoption. (JG)

This paper, written from an organizational perspective, begins with an examination of the deficiencies of knowledge utilization and educational change literature. It suggests the explication of descriptive and heuristic conceptual dimensions as one approach for facilitating a descriptive perspective of knowldge utilization. The efficacy of three descriptive and heuristic dimensions (systems, processes, and characteristics) are explored, along with a fourth dimension, utilization, which is the dependent variable in many studies of knowledge utilization. A framework for classifying knowledge utilization research, based on these four dimensions is constructed. The paper contains a bibliography of educational change literature. (DDO)

The major objective of the National Science Foundation's Administrators' Conference in Elementary Social Studies was to provide knowledge of new developments in social science curricula. Parallel objectives were to develop knowledge in curricula analysis, improve decision making, and plan and accelerate changes in local social science curricula. Thirty-nine superintendents, principals, supervisors, and university educators examined seven new elementary curricula including Taba Social Studies Curriculum Project; Our Working World; Family of Man; Man: A Course of Study; People and Technology, MATCH units; and Social Science Laboratory Units. A record of the daily activities and other aspects of the total programmatic efforts of the conference were recorded by a documentation committee. Pre-post inventories measuring program objectives found that familiarity with materials, information sources, curricula materials analysis, needs assessment, and implementation increased measurably by the end of the conference. Appendixes include a descriptive flier, letter to conference respondees, application forms, criteria for participation, schedule, daily feedback summaries, pre and post inventory results, and evaluative report. (Author/DE)

The document summarizes research on the process of diffusing innovations in vocational education. The purpose was to: (1) determine if empirical dimensions of three conceptual domains (innovation, client, and strategy) exist; (2) if they exist, to identify them; (3) to describe them with empirical information; and (4) to relate the dimensions to perceived effectiveness of diffusion tactics. An interim report described the innovation and client domains; the final report identifies types of diffusion tactics and relates selected variables (types of diffusion tactics, types of clients, stages of adoption, and types of innovations) to the perceived effectiveness of these tactics. Stages of adoption are identified as awareness, interest, evaluation, and adoption. The most important finding of the study was a significant difference in the perceived effectiveness of diffusion tactics across all stages of adoption. The ratings for stage of adoption was different across all tactics. The interaction of these two variables was also significant. Individuals in the client clusters perceived tactic effectiveness differently. Respondents in different roles tended to perceive tactic effectiveness differently. These findings empirically document the need for differential use in educational change tactics for persons in different roles and for projects in different stages of adoption. (Author/AJ)

The purpose of the original three-year project was to establish a comprehensive regional plan for professional staff development for teachers of disadvantaged adults in the Southeast, but the focus shifted during the following two year phase toward using these resources for disseminating the latest and best information and materials. A project dateline outlines the major activities and dates. The report outlines the roles of various State, Federal, and local institutions; the barriers the project faced; and the motivations of people and groups responsible for creating the first regional staff development project in adult basic education (ABE). The two phases of the project are discussed in terms of the six formulated objectives and outcomes. Phase 1 developed State and regionwide staff development systems and Phase 2 utilized these staff development systems as vehicles for disseminating innovative ideas and materials to ABE teachers at the local level. Major outcomes were: stronger leadership in State departments of education, university and college services for staff development in adult education, trainers for inservice personnel, planning committees, establishing written plans for each project, and obtaining technical expertise for the projects. Recommendations focus on the strengthening of services and programs. (JB)

A comparative analysis was made of two vastly different educational innovations: the children's television program "Sesame Street," and the computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programs of the Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences. The study was complicated by their distinct objectives and by their widely different means of delivery. The Children's Television Workshop, creators of "Sesame Street," concentrated on an inter-city target audience but achieved a much broader appeal. The numbers of viewers have increased and there have been measurable gains in the viewers cognitive development. Conclusive results about CAI are not yet available because of its limited deployment and the constantly changing state of the technology. With the recent introduction of more reliable terminal hardware and more sophisticated instructional programs, computers are expected to become more effective and less expensive. (EMH)

This report is one of three volumes that describe the second phase of a study that examined the implementation of four federal change agent programs related to education. Phase 2 of the study focused on what happens to local projects in the two largest change agent programs--ESEA Title III and ESEA Title VII--when federal funding stops. This particular volume presents an analysis of survey data collected in 100 Title III projects in 20 states, focusing specifically on the questions of implementing, sustaining, and spreading part or all of innovative project strategies after federal support ends. (JG)

The structure and effectiveness of the National Diffusion Network (NDN) as a national system, and the characteristics of the diffusion and adoption processes for the dissemination of exemplary educational practices were evaluated by the Stanford Research Institute. Evaluation methods included a review of pertinent documents, the administration of questionnaires to NDN participants, direct observation, interviews, and site visits. The results indicated that: (1) NDN activities resulted in 2,000 project adoptions over a two-year period; most retained the major features of the original projects. (2) The demand for NDN services from interested school districts was greater than could be supplied. (3) The adopted projects provided substantial improvement over previous practices, and more effective utilization of existing resources. (4) Resource materials played an important role in supplying operational and instructional detail to implementing districts. (5) Personal assistance prior to project adoption, was critical to the success of project implementation and subsequent project adoptions. (6) Little dissemination of an exemplary project occurred unless the project developer was funded for dissemination. (7) In states where no facilitator was funded, little or no dissemination of exemplary projects occurred. (Author/MV)

Findings of the one-year evaluation of Massachusetts Title III, Elementary and Secondary Education Act innovative projects covering the period from July, 1975 through June, 1976 are outlined in this summary. The formative stages of evaluation are viewed from two perspectives: project strategy designs and project directors' change processes. The Executive Summary presents findings, implications, and recommendations directly related to these perspectives; the report also includes information gathered through mailed questionnaires, on-site interviews, and feedback sessions. The survey and questionnaires are appended. (Author/MV)

As part of a symposium evaluating the prospects for eliminating sex discrimination in schools through institutional advocacy, network building, and planned interventions, this paper summarizes the successes and setbacks of sex equity advocacy in California. It reviews theories of innovation diffusion in organizations, documents their application in the advocacy of the California Coalition for Sex Equity in Education (CCSEE), and presents a series of vignettes from case studies to illustrate problems encountered, the change strategies employed, and projected outcomes. Based on the stages of the adoption and diffusion of a new idea, CCSEE has designed and presents a change model that includes a systematic process for problem-solving, identification, and resolution of barriers to the achievement of sex equity. (Author/MLF)

A well-developed approach to dissemination and utilization (D&U) at the four levels of spread, exchange, choice, and implementation is essential if vocational education research and development (R&D) is to achieve the measurable impact found lacking in a Committee on Vocational Education Research and Development (COVERD) assessment (1956). Federal legislation provided no specific provisions or funding for R&D or D&U prior to the Vocational Education Act of 1963, which was followed by the increasingly more supportive Vocational Education Amendments of 1968 and the Educational Amendments of 1976. In particular, the "impct statement" of the 1976 Amendments emphasizes D&U by pressuring R&D personnel to show that their work is useful. Assessments of current D&U show that dissemination networks inadequately disseminate reporting which is often poorly done, that the target audiences need help at all levels of D&U, and that practitioners are often unaware of innovations. Improvements in D&U will require coordinated efforts by vocational educators at the national and regional levels to continue development of the nationwide network with trained personnel and adequate R&D funding and at the state and local levels to establish D&U, which is largely a state responsibility, as a high priority. At this level adequate financial support should be provided, responsibility for coordinating the vocational education activities assigned, D&U activities emphasized in the program improvement section of the state plan, and statewide networks for D&U activities established. (YLB)

The primary purposes of this project were to develop catalogs of performance objectives and performance guides based upon validated tasks performed by incumbent workers and to disseminate and diffuse catalogs through inservice activities. The five catalogs developed were based upon tasks performed in the occupations of banking clerk, diesel mechanic, general house worker, meat cutter, and retail credit manager. All catalogs were developed utilizing the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS) uniform model. (The model is included in the appendices.) Another purpose of the project was to provide for the dissemination and diffusion of V-TECS Catalogs. Dissemination and diffusion activities were carried out utilizing the V-TECS Coordinator, a full time V-TECS inservice coordinator, and a slide/tape presentation designed for this purpose. (The narrator's script for the presentation is included in the appendices.) (Author/JH)

This document is the second in a series of evaluation reports by the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education at the University of Texas at Austin, assessing the state of teacher centering in Texas and the effects of the University of Houston's Project on School-Based Teacher Educators (SBTE), initiated to create a network of teacher centers in Texas to develop competency-based training materials and a credentialing system for school-based educators. In the present evaluation, questionnaires (mailed to the same individuals queried in the previous survey) solicited information on (1) on-going activities of Texas teacher centers affecting the SBTE project's goals; (2) extent of dissemination and diffusion of SBTE concepts and products; (3) their rate of dissemination and diffusion; and (4) the state of networking among Texas teacher centers, especially with respect to the SBTE innovations. The data obtained serves to inform future decision-making by SBTE project staff and indicates to what extent the objective of involving teacher centers in an SBTE network are being met. The general conclusion is that the SBTE project has been so far successful in the development and use of diffusion strategies. (Authors/MJB)

Project Information Packages (PIPs), kits containing directions for the replication of exemplary remedial programs, were field tested in a number of school districts. Based on curriculum analysis and site visits PIPs were found to induce projects which were adequate copies of what was packaged; however, what was packaged was not sufficient to implement the same curriculum across sites. Particular emphasis was given to the statistical procedures used in comparing the extent to which the PIPs were implemented in the test sites and in determining gains on the Metropolitan Achievement Tests (MAT). The MAT and the associated norm-referenced analysis were closely examined. The assumption that PIPs, if fully implemented in appropriate school settings, would cause an increase in MAT scores was found to be false. This relationship was also not detectable at all grade levels. Analysis revealed that teacher responsiveness, rather than PIP implementation, was more often associated with gains in test scores. Suggestions for future evaluation methods and the manual of procedures for PIP testing are included. (GDC)