URL for project website/blog
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/learningandtechnology/seminar_series/PLaTP
Video Interviews located at http://podcast.open.ac.uk/feeds/elttt/rss2.xml
What research questions the project addresses, aims & themes
This study was undertaken to investigate evidence relating to learning and teaching with technology in higher education and its role in informing the professional practice of university-level teachers. One aim of the project was to synthesise evidence from the research literature and published case studies relating to learning and teaching with technology in higher education for the benefit of academic practitioners and decision makers. Another aim was to investigate the use made of evidence by academic practitioners when attempting to enhance learning and teaching with technology. This was to support a range of stakeholders (practitioners, educational developers and policy makers) in making the best use of evidence in their particular roles.
The synthesis incorporates a wide-ranging review of existing accounts of practice relating to learning and teaching using technology in higher education. The study draws upon:
- recent research literature about interventions in learning and teaching practices;
- case studies and reports of such interventions available in web-based databases;
- other recent artefacts relating to technology-supported learning and teaching.
When reviewing the literature the following aspects were considered:
- What evidence was being used to drive the intervention?
- What evidence was gathered?
- What evidence illustrates changes in professional (HE teachers') practice?
In addition, the views and experiences of HE practitioners were explored through interviews, an online survey and professional networking. These methods were used to investigate the types and sources of evidence and support drawn upon by academic practioners when using technology for learning and teaching.
How the research questions are addressed by the project (methodology and activity/environment)
Review of Research Literature: The review covers literature for the period from 2005 to 2010, to reflect current thinking and evidence supporting positions and claims relating to technology enhanced learning (TEL). It included accounts of technology-supported interventions in higher education that:
- were intended for specific teaching and/or learning purposes;
- were associated with one or more particular course/module or group of students, and;
- included some form of evaluative evidence of the impact of the intervention described.
Articles were identified using the 'Web of Science' and the 'Academic Search Complete' databases, searching with the terms/keywords: 'technology', 'university or higher education', 'teaching or learning' and 'evidence or empirical'. Relevant journals were also reviewed manually for appropriate articles. The abstracts of the identified articles were scrutinised to ensure that they fulfilled the criteria above: some were excluded because they were wholly or primarily about
- technology interventions in schools
- students' attitudes to and use of technologies in general
- plans for technology interventions that were yet to be introduced with students
- the generalised or idealised potential or affordances of technologies in education
- approaches to professional development for teachers' adoption of technologies
- institutional policies relating to the adoption of technologies.
[Articles primarily concerned with using technology for assessment and/or feedback purposes were also excluded, as a separate parallel review was being conducted in that area.]
After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 50 unique articles and papers were selected for review. Three of these were literature reviews and were excluded, leaving 47 articles.
Review of Published Case Studies: The HEA EvidenceNet and JISC InfoNet websites were searched for relevant case studies, using the keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria detailed above. A total of 42 case studies were scrutinised.
Practitioner Survey: A short open-ended questionnaire was administered online via SurveyMonkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com) using volunteer sampling. It consisted of
- two closed demographic questions,
- two open questions about what resources respondents used and who or what they consulted to support their practices, and
- one array question ranking the importance/influence of information/experience sources.
Details of the study were distributed through the higher education sponsored emailing lists: There were 55 respondents.
Practitioner Interviews: Interview participants were drawn from the set of authors in the literature review and from questionnaire respondents. In total eight interviews were conducted comprising four practitioners, one policy maker, two educational developers, and one joint interview with an educational developer and a practitioner. The aim was to elicit views on evidence and its role in teaching and learning with technology.
Findings and outputs
This synthesis has shown that that a range of technologies could be used to support a range of educational purposes. These include:
- the use of technology to support flexibility and widened access to the curriculum;
- the support of more mobile and transient learners, those in the workplace, or those geographically remote from a campus;
- the ability to support students with specific learning difficulties who may find aspects of the curriculum difficult to access;
- the ability to engage students in a variety of ways in their learning;
- supporting appropriate assessment and feedback for students;
- supporting students' skills development and professional practice through virtual environments;
- supporting students' revision and reinforcement;
- supporting students' reflection upon learning and personal development;
- developing students' abilities to link theoretical and practical aspects;
- supporting students' interactions with peers and engaging them in collaborative work;
- preparing students for life beyond university by developing their networking and discernment skills.
The defining feature was how the technology was used to achieve learning goals, how it was integrated with the needs of the student, and how the learning and teaching context was accommodated.
In conducting this synthesis we uncovered some important issues in relation to the nature of the evidence reported and in finding evidence of changes in practice. Considerable variation was identified in the nature of the enhancements sought. Our findings showed that, in general, a weak theory/practice nexus exists. Fundamental issues are related to beliefs about and approaches to teaching. These are linked to how departmental or institutional contexts may constrain practice.
Project Outputs:
- Main Report - Enhancing professional learning and teaching through technology: a synthesis of evidence-based practice among teachers in higher education.
- Enhancing learning and teaching through technology: a guide to evidence-based practice for academics.
- Enhancing learning and teaching through technology: a guide to evidence-based practice for academic developers.
- Enhancing learning and teaching through technology: a guide to evidence-based practice for policy makers.
- Studies of evidence-based technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: practitioner view.
- Studies of evidence-based technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: developer view.
- Studies of evidence-based technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: policy maker view.
These documents can be accessed from the PLATP Resources link at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/learningandtechnology/seminar_series/PLaTP
8 Video Interviews located at http://podcast.open.ac.uk/feeds/elttt/rss2.xml
Project impact
The project report is with the Higher Education Academy and impact is yet to be measured.
Publications
Price, Linda and Kirkwood, Adrian (2010). Technology enhanced learning - where's the evidence? In: Curriculum, technology & transformation for an unknown future. Proceedings ASCILITE Sydney 2010, 5-8 December 2010, Sydney, Australia.
Journal Articles (in review) :
Price, Linda and Kirkwood, Adrian - "Using technology for teaching and learning in higher education: A critical review of the role of evidence in informing practice". Submitted to Higher Education Research and Development.
Kirkwood, Adrian and Price, Linda - "Missing: Evidence of a scholarly approach to teaching and learning with technology in higher education". Submitted to Teaching in Higher Education
Kirkwood, Adrian and Price, Linda - "Technology-enhanced learning and teaching: What is enhanced and how do we know?"
Keywords
Enhancement; Evidence; Higher education; Learning; Professional practice; Teaching; Technology.
People involved
Linda Price
Adrian Kirkwood
Funder(s)
Higher Education Academy
Start Date and duration
January 2010 to January 2011