Adoption and Use of Innovative Mobile Technologies in Nigerian Academic Libraries

The research explores the extent to which academic libraries in Nigeria are using mobile technologies for the delivery of its information and research services, and the impact these technologies may have on the professional development needs of librarians. Using a mixed method design approach, two data sets were investigated. First, the web-based library homepages of 15 tertiary education libraries in South-west Nigeria were examined for their level of conformance to a mobile platform and second, library staff from the 15 academic libraries were surveyed for their perceptions of, and experiences in, using mobile technology both within a social context and within the workplace. This research found that while mobile technologies are in use by the majority of academic libraries to a degree, lack of resources and awareness of new innovations were identified as barriers to providing mobile services that meet users' needs and expectations.

Best Practice to Support Online Student Engagement

A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result (Rouse, 2007). This chapter explores a best practice that aimed to increase the engagement of online students in a teacher education course. The best practice is related to the Community of Inquiry (CoI; Anderson, & Archer, 2000), a framework that provides an understanding of the development of online learning communities (Swan & Ice, 2010). The chapter includes a brief review of the literature on the factors that foster student engagement; online student engagement is also discussed. A description is provided of a course assignment that was modified to increase the engagement of online students. The results of this assignment's modification were positively perceived by the online students. The chapter concludes with recommended technology tools to foster engagement of online students.

Technology Integration in Digital Learning Environments

Digital literacy indisputably plays a momentous role in our future lives (Allen, 2007). This chapter considers technology integration at various levels of school, ranging from primary to tertiary levels. It further shows results of a practical quasi experimental study done in Kenyan secondary schools showing how scores of students learning mathematics in a technology-based environment compared with those learning using conventional methods of teaching. The students' scores in examinations showed that the students learning using the selected application known as GeoGebra performed better and girls performed equally as well as boys when taught mathematics in a technology environment. The chapter underscores the importance of technology to improve teaching and learning process and it has promise to bridge the gap in performance between boys and girls in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Different Enhanced Technology Used in Core Counselor Education Courses

Recently the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) broad granted many graduate counselor education programs eight or more year accreditation. In order for these institutions to have been awarded its accreditation, eight core counseling areas should have been addressed in their program or university alike. For counselor education programs to enter the 21st century, technology and media devices should be embraced in all of the eight core counseling areas. The chapter examines the usefulness and effectiveness of enhanced-technology and media devices of five of the eight core counseling areas for advancement and improvement of effective skills for counselors-in-training (CIT). University web-base and audio/video media devices were the common enhanced-technology devices used among five of the core counseling areas. In addition, the school counseling program technologies were also examined. Finally, implications for counselor education are provided.

Technology and Teaching

Teachers at a technology diverse school explored ways to shift toward a more student- centered pedagogical practice. The project determined whether a shift in teacher practices could impact student engagement and success. The results were positive: many students had more academic success when student-centered learning activities were incorporated into their schooling. In theory, this means student learning that includes non-linear learning approaches can work in more generalizable settings than what have been expansively published in the current literature. In practice, the findings may help to inform schools dealing with current societal pressures to help their students find greater success through the use of pedagogically appropriate technology implementations and teacher support.

Case Study

Student orientation programs can enhance new student self-esteem, which is in turn a significant positive predictor of personal, social, and academic achievement (Hickman, Bartholomae, & McKenry, 2000). Furthermore, these programs can help students develop the basic technical skills they will need to be active learners. According to Dixson (2010), research into effective online instruction supports the argument that “online instruction can be as effective as traditional instruction, [and] to do so, online courses need cooperative/collaborative (active) learning, and strong instructor presence.” Likewise, online orientation programs for new students must provide opportunities for active engagement and strong facilitator presence to be effective. This chapter presents a case study that describes the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of the online orientation modules for new students at a Canadian postsecondary institution that offers primarily blended and online programs.

Integrating Digital/Mobile Learning Strategies With Students in the Classroom at the Historical Black College/University (HBCU)

Today's digital classroom must include contemporary learning strategies to interest the millennial students. Students are learning the latest digital/mobile technologies daily. Likewise, the professors must keep up with students and encourage universities to invest in digital technologies. Without this, how can students be ready for the working world and the global impact of education? Of course, this is not a question to answer right now; however, educators must take it serious in preparing students for the competitive workforce. Faculty must stay current with the latest digital/mobile technology and seek innovative strategies to keep abreast of research within the discipline area. This chapter's purpose is to: 1) examine authors' perception of digital/mobile learning technologies at HBCUs; 2) examine research on digital/mobile technology in classrooms; 3) discuss teaching and learning strategies that can impact the digital/mobile learning environment; and 4) note the global impact of learning strategies in classrooms.

Effective Educational Leadership in the Digital Age

The purpose of this paper is to develop and promote a realistic understanding of leadership in higher education in a digital learning environment. This is critical to supporting current generations of students also known as digital natives in the digital age. This chapter also discusses the importance of immediacy in educational leaders in education, and its ability to allow both learners and leaders to work together in an environment that promotes teaching and fosters meaningful learning. Leadership challenges discussed include lack of communication between leadership, students, and employees, maintaining quality with diminished resources. Best practices discussed include setting the pace, developing the human capital, and developing the school as an organizational unit and also promote individual responsibility and leadership accountability. Finally, workplace behaviors such as effective leadership behavior and role modeling, interaction between leaders, stakeholders, and the promotion of mutual understanding are discussed.

Enhancing Learner-Driven Informal Learning in a Virtual Practice Community

Professional development is an individual's lifelong learning process. Accessing knowledge in an unfamiliar domain (however necessary for professional development) can be limited within traditional higher education and training settings because addressing immediate needs is expensive and time consuming. Active learners often seek new channels of information in order to fulfill learning needs. One example is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Even though many research studies have emphasized the importance of understanding how technology and digital content lead to changes in the learning context, particularly with respect to informal learning and communities of practice (CoP), there is a notable gap about this issue in the professional development area. This book chapter aims to address this research void by exploring how emergent learning platforms are equipped with new technologies and digital content that may benefit modern learning environments in regards to professional development, such as informal learning in virtual CoPs.

Integrating Technology in the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education in Namibia

Few studies have examined the use and impact of technology in professional development programs in higher education. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the significance of technology as a tool for professional development in a postgraduate program in higher education in Namibia. Framed in the interpretive paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative approach. Data were collected through an open-ended qualitative questionnaire distributed to participants in the first four weeks of the postgraduate program and a second time six months afterwards. The findings reveal that the use of the flipped classroom approach and the use of the reflective e-portfolio enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the delivery of the postgraduate program as well as in the participants' teaching practice.