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Education is often the setting for innovation, whether tied to
technology or not. American educators have faced such innovations
as open classrooms, new math, block scheduling, and teaming—to
name a few. Many innovations come and go and teachers go back to
their tried and true methods and wait for the next new craze. What
happened to innovations that seemed to hold much promise but never
panned out? How will technology-supported innovations in education
fare in the tide of ever-changing innovation?
The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)
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was developed by the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education
at the University of Texas at Austin. (For more information, contact
the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) at www.sedl.org) It
has been used successfully to implement change in settings across the
world. The CBAM is based on the premise that the single most important
factor in any change process is the people involved and affected
by the change. Evaluations of an innovation that do not consider
whether the change was implemented correctly or to what degree the
change has taken place can lead to distorted results.
From their years of research and experience with implementing the
CBAM, the developers note the following about change:
- Change is a process, not an event. Change occurs over
time, often several years, and cannot be "handed off" or implemented
like turning a key or a switch.
- Change is accomplished by individuals. Change is often
conceived and presented in ambiguous, impersonal terms. In reality,
change affects people and the way they act, think, and believe.
Successful innovations must consider the role of individuals.
- Change is a highly personal experience. People will react
to change differently and their actions will not all be the same.
- Change involves developmental growth. People express
their reactions to change in terms of their own feelings and skills.
- Change is best understood in operational terms. People
will relate to change in terms of what it means to them. Change
facilitators should address questions in concrete, practical terms.
- The focus of facilitation should be on individuals, innovations,
and the context. Change will only occur when people alter
their behavior. Notions about the rate of change, strategies and
procedures, and even what success means may alter as behaviors
change.
The CBAM is not prescriptive but provides a framework for facilitating
change. The model was originally conceived and tested in numerous
schools and can be adapted to any type of innovation, such as integrating
technology. The model notes that successful change management requires
that a skilled facilitator be designated and ready to support the
change effort. Training is required to fully implement all facets
of the CBAM as a "change facilitator;" however, the model is composed
of three major components:
- The Innovation Configurations Component Checklist (IC Checklist)
- Stages of Concern (SoC)
- Levels of Use (LoU)
The model also provides suggestions for strategies to support individuals
as they go through change.
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