DISCUSSION

Do personality traits help to predict individuals who might show a more positive disposition toward trying new educational technology? These results suggests they do, at least to a moderate degree. More global personality factors such as openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and non-neuroticism (five of psychology's most well-established factors) did not have the predictive power that specific component traits held. Furthermore, the results clearly show that different groups of people draw on different traits. No one pattern of personality traits predicts willingness to try technology. For staff and faculty, nearly half of overall willingness could be predicted by a grouping of four primary traits (less calm, less reflective, more spontaneous and more cooperative) and three less significant traits (less talkative, more gentle and less dependable). As new educational technology becomes available, staff and faculty with energetic, action-oriented styles and cooperative attitudes and behaviors will gravitate more quickly to the technology. Those with calmer and more planned styles, who prefer thinking independently before acting, may tend to wait. Because these are personality traits of adults, it makes little sense to attempt to get the latter individuals to act more like their spontaneous colleagues. Their personality differences will likely cause them to approach new technology differently. Recall that overall willingness was quite high. So the personality traits may be assessing the rate at which different individuals will approach new technology. We also see that concern about gender differences in regard to staff and faculty would not be supported by these data. Only about 20% of female students' willingness to try new technology can be accounted for with the personality traits measured. Best predictors were being composed, frank, responsible and lower in steadiness. Women with straightforward confidence, competence, and less fixed attitudes may show stronger willingness to experiment with technology. Similarly, women students who are less self-possessed, keep their thoughts to themselves, feel less reliable and prefer things to be more fixed may hold back. These differences may involve non-traditional gender role behaviors and attitudes. Given that college-aged students are actively building competencies and modifying existing personality traits, there may be a rationale for encouraging all female students to develop greater composure, frankness, experimental attitudes and responsibility in regard to technology. In other words, if we want to encourage women to encounter new technology at the same level as men, we may need to nurture the traits that seem associated with higher willingness. These results also suggest that campus initiatives aimed at students may need to be fine-tuned to attract women as effectively as men. Many interesting questions could be considered about how training programs for women students might be improved by considering the role of certain personality traits. Likewise, training workshops and similar initiatives might be reviewed to see if they appeal more to particular personality traits. Male students are more likely to be positive toward new technology when they have a personal interest in greater sophistication, greater boldness and higher emotional agreeableness. This appears to be a straightforward finding that relates to gender roles in American society. Only about 25% of male students' willingness was predicted by these traits, so additional factors will be important to investigate. Training initiatives for male students may be able to appeal to these traits. But if training relies on such traits, not all males will be equally served. High willingness to try new educational technology is not difficult to find among the groups studied in this project. It would seem that overall motivation is not really a problem when considering the introduction of new technology. However, staff/faculty, female students and male students form three different groups in regard to willingness. These three groups also draw on varying personality traits to support their willingness. In essence the results suggest that the three groups bring different strengths and weaknesses to the encounter with new technology. Educators and trainers who remain sensitive to these differences may be far more effective as they seek willing participants for educational technology initiatives.