Adoption of environmental innovations (ECON855_SOLEM )

• Semester 8
•  Duration :  Within one semester 
• Type: Mandatory
•  Student workload:  Lecture (CM): 10,5 hours + hours of self-study
•  Applicability: SOLEM course only
• Module examination:  1 written exam (100%) 
• Teaching and learning method : seminar, case studies.

This short course introduces Masters SoLEM students to key principles and current research in the diffusion and adoption of environmental innovations.  It beings by surveying key principles and current research in the adoption of innovations generally, before examining the specificities of ‘environmental’ innovations.  The principles will be discussed in the context of specific industry examples.  Students apply the principles practically in a project using household solar PV adoption data from England and Wales.  

Teaching and learning objectives  

  
The aim is that, by the end of the course, students:  

• understand some of the main principles that social scientists believe govern the adoption and diffusion of new technologies  
• appreciate how those principles do – or do not – apply to examples of specific technologies, among specific social groups, in specific contexts  
• recognize different ways to measure the adoption and spread of new technologies  
• gain practical experience applying the knowledge and skills above to an analysis of real environmental innovation adoption data.  

Admission to 2nd semester  

The sessions will include interactive lectures, in-class exercises, out-of-class readings, group work, and the analysis of industry-specific cases.  The teaching strategy is to move back and forth, from theoretical principles to real world examples, in a way that builds understanding of the material through iteration and contrast.   

Course materials  

All of the materials needed to follow the course will be emailed to students.  

Evaluation  

Student performance on the course will be evaluated as follows:  

• 20 percent - attendance, preparedness, and participation at taught sessions  
• 80 percent - written analysis of domestic solar PV adoption in England   

The instructions for the written analysis are at the back of this document. 

Attendance  

The taught session are the main venue for intellectual exchange.  Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each session.  If an individual is not present when their name is called, they will be marked absent.  If an individual arrives late, they will be marked present for half of the session.  If an individual must be late or absent from a session (family emergency, covid), they must communicate this to the professor before the start of the session in order for an excused absence to be considered.