B.+Analysis

//This is a graduate school project, which will be graded. Please refrain from editing our content. However, please fell free to comment. Thanks!//
 * //Project Coordinators: Amy, Lisa & Maria //**



=Podcasting for Education =

__Environmental Context__

 * //Geographical setting//: Large town, with surrounding rural areas
 * //Societal culture//: 20% wealthy, 60% middle class, 20% poverty
 * //Political conditions//: 70% conservative 30% progressive
 * //Global uniformity//: Slow in adopting innovation

Note: Environmental context is provided as a reference point for the values people have and the conditions they live under. An environment that is slow in accepting innovation and that is mostly conservative could be a potential challenge to this project.

__Staff Analysis: Time/Adopter Categories__
In a diffusion of innovation project such as this, it is important to gauge individuals' innovation levels in order to predict their role in the diffusion process. This prediction allows for easier progression through the project. An innovator or early adopter will generally participate in the early stages of an innovative project, whereas the late majority and laggards might accept an idea after it is no longer novel.

According to [|Everett Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory], an **Innovator** adopts ideas faster than others and is characterized as venturesome, highly intelligent, and able to cope with uncertainty and financial loss. An **Early Adopter** is a respected, integrated, vocal member of his or her social environment characterized by peers as a successful role model. Individuals in the **Early Majority** may not be leaders, but they often interact with peers and take their time before adopting new ideas. Individuals in the **Late Majority** are characterized as skeptical and cautious; as such, they typically adopt innovation out of economic necessity or by being peer-pressured. **Laggards** are characterized as suspicious isolates that are held back by outdated points of view: they typically have limited resources, deliberate lengthily before adopting a new idea, and do not hold leadership positions.

To categorize staff members according to innovator levels, careful analysis was conducted. The technology project coordinators, Amy, Lisa and Maria, predicted staff members' adoption levels according to information gathered from first-hand experience and second-hand research. The project coordinators surveyed the staff's technology skills and interests, personally interviewed them to observe attitude and behavior, interviewed friends and colleagues for clues as to staff members' reputation and honest opinion, and conducted online research to gage staff members' public notoriety (news, reports) and online activity (social networks, posting resources).

The results of the analysis are listed below.



Middle Schools
 

[[image:Elementary_adoption_chart.png]]


The school district uses Macs at all the schools. These computers are current, are equipped with cameras and microphones, and come fully loaded with multimedia software. The following is an inventory of the technology equipment required for podcasting and for training. Some items are already on hand, like the computers. Items that are unavailable will need to be purchased according to school needs. While some schools are experiencing a shortage of computers, no new computers will be bought this year.



__Project Cost Analysis__
The technology analysis indicates that some equipment will have to be purchased. Headsets with microphones will be purchased for all the desktops in the elementary schools and in the high school. The elementary schools and the high school will also acquire microphones for ease of collaboration during podcasting. Since the middle schoolers get their own laptops, no microphones or headsets with mics will be bought. However, plain headsets will be bought and will be available for middle school students to check out in case they need them. The projected total expenditure for this project is listed below.