RIPPLES Model

This lesson’s readings include an introduction to the technology integration planning model developed by Dr. Daniel Surry, known as the RIPPLES model. In this course, we are going to repurpose the RIPPLES model for our own preferred learning environments: Surry’s model was developed in the context of colleges of education within university settings, but we will use the elements of the model for our own purposes. A key reason RIPPLES was selected as a framework for discussing—and applying—the basics of technology integration in this course is the model’s simplicity. Instead of hiding good ideas behind a mountain of flowery language deeply enriched with academic concepts, Surry’s RIPPLES model gets straight to the point: These are the elements that you must plan for in any technology integration effort.

RIPPLES is an acronym for

• resources (the fiscal resources necessary to purchase, implement, service, and support a technology; answers: “How are we going to pay for it?”),
• infrastructure (the hardware, software, facilities, and network capabilities of a learning environment; answers “Will it work in our current system?”),
• people (cooperation among all stakeholders through shared decision-making and effective communication, cannot be overlooked; answers “Who will do it?”),
• policies (organizational policies and procedures that enable adaption to new technologies; answers “Are we allowed to do it? Are we expected to do it?”),
• learning (the technology is a means for enhancing the specific learning goals of a learning environment; answers “How will it improve learning?”),
• evaluation (continual assessment of the learning technology with regard to (a) its effectiveness for enhancing teaching, (b) whether a better alternative has emerged, (c) the efficacy of its integration into the learning environment, and (d) the return on investment achieved in relation to the technology’s cost; answers “Is it actually working?”), and
• support (the training, technical support, pedagogical support, and administrative leadership that enables the technology to continue to be effective; answers “Will it continue to work for us?”).

Surry does not describe RIPPLES as a linear model, meaning that infrastructure does not come from resources, learning does not come from policies, and so on. Because it is nonlinear, we can discuss components of the model individually, or in novel order, without harming the validity of the model.

As you develop your Technology Integration Blueprints for this course (described next), the RIPPLES model will serve as a framework for many of the blueprint documents. While the focus will be on integrating technology into your own preferred learning environment (an environment where you have control over what you use to support your teaching), the seven elements of RIPPLES will help you plan for the full breadth of needs that would support or hinder the implementation of a technology into your learning environment.