Support Mechanisms for Early, Medium and Longer-Term Use of Technologies

In this paper we examine the support mechanisms that encourage and support early, medium and longer-term use of technologies. In two longitudinal studies, we examine use of a Learning Management System and the software application EndNote in an educational setting. Our findings suggest that providing classroom-based training for users may be a good mechanism encouraging adoption and early use. However, in the medium and longer-term, access to a variety of support mechanisms are necessary to encourage and support the appropriation process. Findings from these studies reveal that, in the medium and longer-term, localized oneon-one support, peer-support and availability of advanced training in the form of one-on-one contact with the trainer at critical time periods are key factors in encouraging productive use and avoiding rejection of the technology in the longer-term.