EDT-FPX5100A asks Educational Technology FlexPath students to analyze research and theories for innovation and change related to the use of technology and media in classroom and school settings. It's the theoretical foundation course of the EDT-FPX5100 pair — what you establish here about change models and innovation diffusion gets applied directly in EDT-FPX5100B, where the focus shifts to collaborative implementation. This guide breaks down what the course typically requires and how academic support for EDT-FPX5100A fits into a self-paced course that still expects graduate-level theoretical rigor.
Course Overview
Per the Capella catalog, this course has students "analyze research and theories for innovation and change related to the use of technology and media." Rather than a survey of edtech tools, the course is grounded in change theory and innovation-diffusion literature — you're expected to connect named frameworks (such as Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations or Kotter's change model) to a real or realistic technology integration scenario in a school or classroom setting.
Common Assessment Focus Areas
-
1Analysis of Change and Innovation Research
A written analysis of research and theory on innovation and organizational change as it relates to integrating technology and media into instruction — typically requiring synthesis of multiple peer-reviewed sources, not just summary.
-
2Application to a Technology Integration Scenario
Connects the change theory you've analyzed to a specific, realistic technology integration challenge — identifying barriers to adoption and how a named change framework would address them.
How We Help With EDT-FPX5100A
- Selecting and correctly applying a recognized change/innovation theory (Rogers, Kotter, Fullan) rather than describing change generically
- Structuring the analysis so theory and evidence are integrated, not just listed side by side
- Grounding the technology integration scenario in specifics realistic to a K-12 or higher-ed setting
- APA 7 formatting and scholarly source integration throughout
- Aligning the submission with this course's specific rubric language before you submit
Common Challenges in This Course
Students often lose points by describing change theory in the abstract without tying it to a concrete technology integration example — the rubric typically wants both the theoretical framework AND its applied implications named explicitly. Another frequent issue is treating this as a literature summary rather than an analysis; graders are usually looking for your synthesis and critical evaluation of how the research applies, not just a list of what different theorists said.
Need Help With EDT-FPX5100A?
Send us your specific assessment instructions and rubric, and we'll match you with a specialist familiar with this exact course.
Related Courses
EDT-FPX5100A FAQ
Yes — 5100A establishes the change/innovation theory foundation that 5100B's collaborative application builds directly on.
Most rubrics accept any recognized framework (Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations, Kotter's 8-Step Model, Fullan's change theory) as long as it's applied consistently and cited properly.
It can be a realistic composite rather than a documented real case, but it needs enough specific detail to support genuine analysis rather than generic statements.
Both. Rubrics typically expect explicit theory grounding AND a clear connection to a practical technology integration challenge.
EDT-FPX5100A sits in Capella's Educational Technology FlexPath course set, commonly taken alongside the 5102, 5104, and 5130 course series.