The American Sociological Association will conduct a detailed study of how well digital versions of course materials are used and distributed throughout colleges and universities compared with traditional paper forms of classroom materials. The study is designed based on theory of diffusion of innovations and includes a 5 part empirical analysis of predicted behaviors. The researcher would conduct statistical analysis of how diffusion of course materials occurs for different types of colleges and for professors of different ages and forms of training. The results of this study will be useful for understanding the current value of digital libraries as a form of access to teaching materials and it is also likely to contribute to the method and theory of understanding the diffusion process for educational materials throughout the US higher education system. The methods of study use the latest developments in sociological practice such as analysis of social networks among publishing and references of sociologists.
