The broad audience for this book is college faculty; however, the way a faculty member defines “emerging technology” is directly influenced by where s/he is situated on the technology adoption continuum. I find the image shown here, by Mindwires Consulting, to be especially useful to understand what this continuum looks like and how it feels to be a faculty member at its various stages.

Faculty who self-identify as an “EdTech Enthusiast,” are not interested in buying a book to learn about teaching with technology. These are the individuals who are blogging and Tweeting about what they’re doing with technology and looking ahead to the trends on the horizon. However, faculty who identify as a chasm straddler or at the tip of the late majority adopters are different. These faculty sense an opportunity with using technology. They see the possibilities, but they have not yet gotten started. This can be attributed to many reasons. Some faculty simply feel overwhelmed by the idea and are looking for examples to consider for their classes. Chasm straddlers often feel mixed with emotions. While they see the possibilities and have experimented with digital tools, they feel a sense of allegiance to a classroom without technology. This can be a difficult and painful shift to make.

This book is written for the chasm straddlers and the late majority adopters. These individuals are seeking practical ideas and a guidebook to orient them to this new, complex teaching and learning landscape.