Technology-Enhanced Learning in Higher Education

Author(s):  
Neil Gordon ◽  
Mike Brayshaw

This chapter explores issues that affect the uptake and integration of Technology in Higher Education, developing a framework to overcome some of the barriers. Technological adoption varies across disciplines. The authors consider disciplines as tribes, where some find technology acceptable and an enabler, whilst for others it is alien and deemed inappropriate. Some territories reflect technology as an area to defend and expand, whilst for others the imposition of technology and associated practices are considered a hostile intrusion into discipline practice. Within the framework, the authors reflect on various perspectives: practitioners', students', and support teams' perspectives within the wider eco-systems and structures. Practitioner concerns reflect discipline traditions and practices, from teaching through to assessment and how to manage the Wikipedia generation. Students' needs in a technological age reflect the demands of the Netizen as student, and the rise and challenge of MOOCs to the teacher and the learner. Institutional mechanisms provide the situation for the use of technology. The authors provide a framework within which to explore the above concerns and describe mechanisms to unite the academic tribes, to see the territorial boundaries as artificial and counter-productive, and to enable the utilisation of E-Learning in current and future Higher Education settings.

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Casanova ◽  
António Moreira

This paper presents a comprehensive model for supporting informed and critical discussions concerning the quality of Technology-Enhanced Learning in Blended Learning programmes. The model aims to support discussions around domains such as how institutions are prepared, the participants' background and expectations, the course design, and the learning process. The research that supported the design of this model was framed by a Grounded Theory method, combining different approaches to empirical data collection with a review of evaluation models on aspects of the quality of Online and Distance Learning. Throughout the paper, arguments are made that Higher Education institutions need to be more critical with regard to the use of Technology-Enhanced Learning, and to support it as a counterpart to face-to-face learning and teaching. The model provides a framework for teachers in Higher Education to reflect and discuss the quality of Technology-Enhanced Learning in their Blended Learning programmes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Hall

PurposeThis paper sets out to argue that the strategic implementation of technology is implicated in a range of crises or socio‐economic disruptions, like peak oil, climate change and the rising environmental costs of energy consumption. It aims to argue that institutional technological implementation is contested, complex and should not be treated deterministically, but that technologists might usefully consider the impact of these disruptions on their practices. The paper seeks to amplify how a focus on resilience, rather than marketised outcomes, can enable higher education to use technology to overcome or adapt to disruption and crises.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a critique. A conceptual analysis of the place of current research into the use of technology‐enhanced learning in higher education is critiqued in light of peak oil and climate change, in order to align strategic developments with disruptions and potential responses. The strategic response of one institution is outlined as a programme‐of‐work, and is related to a second university's approach.FindingsThe paper highlights five areas that require strategic responses to the use of technology in and for HE. These are: the place of TEL in the idea of the University; complexity in the use of technology, linked to shared values; adapting to disruption; institutional planning; and competing priorities for the use of technology.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the educational connections that are made between the politics of technology, shared values and socio‐environmental disruption. It also analyses a programme of work that is designed to engage with and adapt to disruption.


2018 ◽  
pp. 184-204
Author(s):  
Diogo Casanova ◽  
António Moreira

This paper presents a comprehensive model for supporting informed and critical discussions concerning the quality of Technology-Enhanced Learning in Blended Learning programmes. The model aims to support discussions around domains such as how institutions are prepared, the participants' background and expectations, the course design, and the learning process. The research that supported the design of this model was framed by a Grounded Theory method, combining different approaches to empirical data collection with a review of evaluation models on aspects of the quality of Online and Distance Learning. Throughout the paper, arguments are made that Higher Education institutions need to be more critical with regard to the use of Technology-Enhanced Learning, and to support it as a counterpart to face-to-face learning and teaching. The model provides a framework for teachers in Higher Education to reflect and discuss the quality of Technology-Enhanced Learning in their Blended Learning programmes.


Author(s):  
Martin Ebner ◽  
Timotheus Hell ◽  
Markus Ebner

In this chapter, the authors deal with the topic of integration of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. Due to the worldwide debate on digitalization for all possible areas, even educational institutions are asking how they can deal with this change or how they have to prepare for the future. At Graz University of Technology, a pre-project was started to elaborate a policy, which should help to start different projects afterwards. Therefore, a participatory approach was started following the idea that each university member (lecturers, researchers, administrators, or students) can give input. Different measurements divided into the fields of education, research, administration, and transformation were carried out, summarized, and consolidated to provide a final policy. The outcome of this publication will focus on the description of the whole process as well as the summary of the most interesting aspects which were used for the final policy. Furthermore, an outlook on how the digital policy will be brought to practice in the following years will be provided.


Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for mandatory use of technology to deliver class room learning to students who have been forced to Learn From Home (LFH). Learn From Home requires Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) method if students are to be satisfied with online delivery of lessons. Technology Enhanced Learning is used to describe the integration of technology to teaching and learning; the demand for Technology Enhanced Learning has been increased as a result of the lockdown. The study explores various online teaching platforms, techniques, online examination, and Technology Enhanced Learning methods needed to be used by university instructors to ensure that educating the students goes on unhindered. The identified variables were empirically tested with the aid of a structured questionnaire. The study concludes that there is a positive relationship between satisfaction with the delivery of online study and the perceived effectiveness of TEL among higher education students.


Author(s):  
Eileen O’Donnell ◽  
Mary Sharp ◽  
Vincent P. Wade ◽  
Liam O’Donnell

This book chapter reviews some of the challenges encountered by educators in creating personalised e-learning activities to suit students learning preferences. Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) alternatively known as e-learning has not yet reached its full potential in higher education. There are still many potential uses as yet undiscovered and other discovered uses which are not yet realisable by many educators. TEL is still predominantly used for e-dissemination and e-administration. This chapter reviews the potential use of TEL to provide personalised learning activities to suit individual students learning preferences. In particular the challenges encountered by educators when trying to implement personalised learning activities based on individual students learning preferences.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7281
Author(s):  
Santos Urbina ◽  
Sofía Villatoro ◽  
Jesús Salinas

This paper seeks to identify the characteristics of studies of self-regulated learning that consider the use of technology-enriched environments in higher education. To this end, a review was conducted of the scientific literature during the period 2015–2021 in various scientific databases. The analysis identified 42 research papers that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results show that this topic has been gaining interest among researchers and the main strategies developed to self-regulate students in academic virtual environments. On the other hand, classical self-regulated learning models underpin most of the studies reviewed; Zimmermann’s approaches, or those derived from his work, are the most frequent. As regards the methodology adopted, the preferred focus is quantitative; the questionnaire is the most used for data collection. Most of the research was carried out with students studying for different university degrees; the most-analysed technology tools were LMS platforms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Andres Neyem ◽  
Juan Diaz-Mosquera ◽  
Jose I. Benedetto

Capstone project-based courses offer a favorable environment for the development of student skills through an approach incorporating theoretical and practical components. However, it is often difficult to successfully coordinate between students, stakeholders, and the academic team. The absence of suitable tools for addressing this issue, along with time constraints, often prevents students from attaining the expected course outcomes. This raises the question “How can we improve project management skills in computing majors through the use of technology-enhanced learning environments?” This paper presents a Cloud-based mobile system for supporting project management under a framework of best practices in software engineering capstone courses. The Kanban approach was used as a core of the proposed system. Kanban boards are very popular in the software industry today. It has been empirically shown that they provide increased motivation and project activity control due to their inherent simplicity. This helps the students and academic team be aware of the project context as it aids in preventing ambiguities, flaws, or uncertainties in the development of software artifacts.


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