Reaching in-service primary teachers with research innovations: the role of dissemination events in stimulating download activity.

Education researchers want to influence classroom practice, but in-service primary teachers are hard to reach. Thus, many researchers disseminate their innovations online. Dissemination by event may be a more effective means, but little is known about its relative value in a dissemination strategy, nor potential influence upon research innovation downloads. This quantitative study analysed the influence of dissemination events on downloads of a research innovation called the TAPS Pyramid over one year. The location, size and date for dissemination events were mapped against location data for downloads during the same time period. Downloads were significantly higher in regions where dissemination events were held and positively correlated with dissemination event frequency. Event size was not found to be significant. By demonstrating the value of dissemination events in stimulating downloads of educational research innovations online, these results also show the centrality of social learning opportunities to a successful bimodal dissemination strategy.