Dear Future COMM 309 Student,
Do you want to take a fun course that allows you to use your creativity and experiences to get a grade? I mean, come on! How much easier can it be when all you have to do is read a few chapters, take 10 question quizzes, communicate with peers, have an opinion and be creative? This course is not like other online courses. Just reading and writing an essay or posting about what you think can be boring. COMM 309 will allow you to reflect on your own uses of the internet while making your own media channels to express what yourself. You will be able to learn about different digital cultures and better understand how the people you are going to school with think about he same thing you are learning.
The professor creates an awesome online culture by allowing the uses of different channels. For example, you will create a meme, use tumblr, create an interactive timeline, and even learn about the companies that gather and buy your information to sale and profit. The syllabus is straight to the point and Dr. Popescu does a great job of helping you understand the material. She frequently interacts with students by commenting on their posts and replying to emails in a timely manner.
After you read the syllabus, you will se that the whole course is designed to help you understand how “digital technologies are changing our lives and are changing how we think about ourselves” (Popescu, 2016). One way you will learn this is by understanding the diffusion of innovation theory created by Everett Rodgers. The purpose of the Diffusion of Innovation theory is to better understand how, why, and at what rate do people adopt new ideas and technology. Rodgers purposes that there is a social system in place that influences the spread of new technology. He places people into one of five categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. The video Diffusion of Innovation Theory: The Adoption Curve posted by Dr. Popescu in the study guide she provides, explains the theory in an easy and creative way. Innovators make up about 3% of the population and are the first ones to know about an innovation. If they adopt it then the innovation will spread to the other categories. The early adopters are about 13% of the population, their opinions matter, are considered trend setters and bridge the gap to the majority of society. The early majority make up 34% of the population, take their time to make decision regarding technology, but eventually adopt the innovation. People in the Late Majority make up about the same percent as the early majority. They are more resistant to the new and wait for the product to go main stream. The laggards are the last to adopt a new technology, and sometimes never do. This cartoon shows another way to better understand the theory.
Above is a photo of electronics that I own. I would categorize myself as a part of the Early Majority group. (Apple Watch, Vaporizer, Cell Phone, leaning on an MacBook) I waited for these products to to be used by trusted sources before I bought them.
In the course, each student had to post about which category they would put themselves in and also comment on what their peers thought. It is very interesting to see how peers react to the information, where they place themselves, and how they feel about technology. I was able to better understand how people feel about technology and that changed the way I view it because not everyone has the same opinion of technology that I have. The Diffusion of Innovation theory is one of the first steps in understanding how technology affects the way people communicate.
If you want to take an interactive class, that offers extra credit too, then take take COMM 309.
Sincerely,
S. Drago
References
Lateacha. (2012). What is ‘Diffusion of Innovaton’ theory? BlogSpot. Retrieved from http://lateacha.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-is-diffusion-of-innovation-theory.html
Popescu, Michaela. Digital Media and Communication. (syllabus, California State University of San Bernardino, 2016). Retrieved from https://csusb.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-1283234-dt-content-rid-4529063_1/courses/166COMM30970/COMM%20309%20Summer%202016%20Syllabus%281%29.pdf
Rare. (2015). Diffusion of Innovation Theory: The Adoption Curve. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QnfWhtujPA