Pages 139-144 in G. Pétursdóttir et al., eds. Circumpolar Health 93. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 20-25, 1993. Arctic Medical Research. 1994;53(Suppl.2)
Pages 139-144 in G. Pétursdóttir et al., eds. Circumpolar Health 93. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 20-25, 1993. Arctic Medical Research. 1994;53(Suppl.2)
The Diffusion of Innovations Theory was applied to the historical development of educational telecommunications in Alaska to determine the role various factors play in the adoption and the history of telecommunications. Five stages for complete adoption are required. The stages include: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption. Over a 20-year period, the developmental phases of educational telecommunications were divided as follows: the Pre-Learn Alaska Network Era: 1971-1981; the Learn Alaska Network: 1981-1986; the Post-Learn Alaska Network Era: 1986-1991. The objectives were: (a) to determine the factors that led to the implementation of educational telecommunications in Alaska; (b) to describe the various phases of educational telecommunications over a 20-year period; (c) to determine educational programming and marketing strategies; (d) to determine educational benefits to the citizens of Alaska; (e) to identify the factors that stopped the Learn Alaska Network's operation after five years; (f) to utilize the Diffusion of Innovations Theory to review the history in determining the role various factors play in the adoption and the history of educational telecommunications in Alaska. Now that the history of telecommunications in Alaska has been reviewed in relation to the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, the following predictions can be made: if state policy, administrative support, and funding is not provided, projects cannot become functional; if teacher education and training is not available, ownership and knowledge for utilizing the program is not understood; if funding is not made a part of the operating budget, the projects will not be long range; if the innovation meets the needs of the people to be served, the project will be utilized; if Alaska continues to have a "boom and bust" economy, little long-range growth and development will occur. Unless Alaska develops a budget based on a permanent fund rather than money that fluctuates with the price of oil, long-range growth and development is uncertain.