Adopting New Technologies for Student Success: A Readiness Framework

This report presents a literature-based framework that identifies characteristics associated with colleges’ readiness for technology adoption (the RTA framework). The authors illustrate what an adoption-ready college looks like by drawing on fieldwork conducted at six colleges in five states implementing Integrated Planning and Advising Services (IPAS) technologies during the fall of 2013. The RTA framework is particularly focused on ensuring that technology-based reforms lead to end-user adoption and changed practice. For this to occur, colleges must not only have sufficient technological resources, they must also attend to the cultural components of readiness. Notably, the framework acknowledges the existence of various microcultures within an organization—groups of individuals, each with their own culture, norms, and attitudes toward technology. For colleges preparing to embark on technology-based reforms, the RTA framework can provide an important vehicle for self-assessment. Engaging in a self-assessment process will highlight areas for development or improvement and provide a roadmap for colleges to develop the conditions that will enable their success in technology-based reforms.