An evidence base emerges that informs design and implementation. The techno-optimism is replaced by techno-pragmatism. The trough is real.īut it’s during this phase that research starts to catch up. They may question the huge financial investment or the impact on student learning or the lost professional development. The technology enters the Trough of Disillusionment and early adopters start to question the cost of their efforts. The hype fuels more adoption.Īnd then the crash happens. Technology companies set up stands at conferences and create ambassadors to advocate all of the (perceived) benefits. Authors and theorists write books that trumpet all sorts of benefits and opportunities. People see a shiny new object or instructional strategy and only see the promise and possibility.

Early phases of the Hype Cycle are fueled mostly by techno-optimism and rhetoric promoting the technology. Looking at the Education Hype Cycle Report produced by Gartner, they identify gamification as “climbing the slope.” Maybe research is starting to catch up to earlier promises.īut that’s the larger take away from the Hype Cycle. Now, years later, those proposed benefited haven’t happened. Gamified websites emerged that offered all sorts of educational benefits. A few years ago, gamified learning environments were lauded as a major innovation in education. If you’ve been working in education for some time, you can probably recognize this pattern for different instructional technologies and pedagogical practices over the years. The technology’s broad market applicability and relevance are clearly paying off. Criteria for assessing provider viability are more clearly defined. Plateau of Productivity: More widespread and mainstream adoption starts to take off. Second- and third-generation products appear from technology providers. Best practices and emerging research fuels new adoptions. Slope of Enlightenment: The affordances of the technology begin to be better understood. Some technology developers fail while others work to improve their product to deliver on early promises. Trough of Disillusionment: Interest begins to wane as adoptions and implementations fail to deliver. Some schools choose to take action while others do not. Peak of Inflated Expectations: As awareness grows, success stories fuel increased publicity. Significant publicity fuels awareness and the technology’s visibility. The technology is presented as the “next big thing” and is conceptualized as solving numerous problems. Innovation Trigger: A new technology or idea is introduced. For those of you who may not be familiar, the Hype Cycle is broken down into five key phases: A few weeks ago, a conference presenter shared Gartner’s Hype Cycle and discussed how the phases described the adoption and implementation of technologies in education.

Gartner hype cycle gamification