Information systems in teacher preparation programs: What can We learn from a 5-year longitudinal case study of an electronic portfolio database?

In 2003, a portfolio system was implemented to manage the data associated with the field experiences in a teacher education program at a research institution in the southeast region of the United States. In this longitudinal study, the implementation trends from usage data extracted from the system are used to discuss the implications for the use of the system in terms of how it "fits" within the organizational structure. This analysis is framed by concepts related to the implementation of Management Information Systems (Markus & Robey, 1988) and diffusion of innovation (Rogers, 2003). Findings suggest that decentralized environments result in higher degrees of reinvention.