Integrating an Information-Intensive Website into Pedagogical Practice

by Brett E. Shelton
May 4, 2001

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This study followed the introduction of the Arthritis Source website into the existing teaching practice of Arthritis Foundation Helpline volunteers. The goal was to examine what factors may affect a particular group of educators adopt a potentially valuable Internet tool into an existing instructional environment. Defining the possible uses of the Arthritis Source in reference to the volunteers' actual job duties helped to provide a clearer understanding of how the volunteers might use this new technology. I focused on three Helpline volunteers who experienced different physical, environmental, and cognitive means that allowed them access to the new tool. Each of them experienced varying levels of motivation in areas of learning, satisfaction, and responses to outside influences. Each subject also had varying amounts of opportunity prompts in which to interact or refer the Arthritis Source website. Consequently, Helpline volunteers experienced different rates of adopting the information-intensive website into their traditional work system.