Faculty Attitudes Towards Integrating Technology and Innovation

TL;DR

This study explores faculty attitudes towards technology integration in higher education classrooms, revealing generally positive perceptions but concerns about losing humanistic values, with insights from a survey of 72 faculty members.

Contribution

It provides empirical data on faculty perceptions and usage of technology in higher education, highlighting barriers, opportunities, and future directions for integrating technology.

Findings

Faculty generally have a positive attitude towards classroom technology.

Average faculty use about six different technology tools in their courses.

Faculty express concern that technology may diminish the humanistic aspect of education.

Abstract

Technological innovation is an important aspect of teaching and learning in the 21st century. This article examines faculty attitudes toward technology use in the classroom at one regional public university in the United States. Building on a faculty-led initiative to develop a Community of Practice for improving education, this study used a mixed-method approach of a faculty-developed, electronic survey to assess this topic. Findings from 72 faculty members revealed an overall positive stance toward technology in the classroom and the average faculty member utilized about six technology tools in their courses. The opportunities, barriers and future uses for technologies in the higher education classroom emerged from the open-ended questions on the survey. One finding of particular concern is that faculty are fearful that technology causes a loss of the humanistic perspective in education. The university is redesigning ten of its most popular courses to increase flexibility, accessibility and student success.