Encouraging the adoption of education technology for improved student outcomes

Abstract

Evidence in the literature indicates that the current generation of electronic learning and teaching aids can offer significant pedagogical advantages ranging from revision to improved feedback. As a result, many universities in Australia and worldwide, are investing heavily in modern teaching tools, often equipping lecture theatres with the latest multimedia facilities. However, at the same time, there are growing pressures on academic staff regarding the competing needs for their time spent on research and other commitments. Questions therefore arise as to whether these new education technologies are in fact welcomed and used by some academics, despite the reported advantages to the student learning experience when used effectively. To investigate this, several surveys of engineering staff and students regarding education technology were conducted to establish the perceptions of their impacts on student learning and scope of their use. Based on these results and a review of the literature, recommendations are proposed for effective strategies for academic staff who wish to adopt education technologies. The objective is to decrease the resistance of those academics that may not yet have embraced some of the more modern teaching technologies. This is done by demonstrating that if integrated into existing teaching practices in a systematic manner, any short-term increase in workload can be offset by longer term efficiencies, along with potential improvements to student understanding and satisfaction.