Poster Presentation: Using Technology to Enhance Learning Among Undergraduate Business Students A Sri Lankan Case Study
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Date
2018-08-25
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NSBM Green University
Abstract
In the context of Higher Education (HE), there has been much debate about the increasing use of technology to enhance student learning. Walker et al (2016: 441) capture very well the reasons behind technology-enhanced learning (TEL) developments in HE when they highlight its role in ‘enhancing the quality of learning and teaching, meeting student expectations and improving access to learning for students off campus’. However, while it has been argued that technology has not fundamentally changed teaching practices
(Henderson et al, 2017; Kirkwood and Price, 2013), students report how several technologies and applications have helped with their learning, research and collaborative activities (Henderson et al, 2017). If, as Selwyn (2016: 1006) suggests, ‘digital technology is now
woven deeply into the fabric of university teaching and learning’, a better understanding is needed of students’ satisfaction with the level of technology usage and also their experiences of effective and ineffective use of digital tools and technologies to enhance their learning. The paper aims to address the question posed by Kirkwood and Price (2014: 7) of ‘how technology enhances learning and what value is being added to learners’ experiences’. It focuses on two particular aspects of technology usage in HE: (1) to what extent are students’ expectations regarding the level of faculty usage of technology and digital applications met? and (2) what positive and negative experiences have students had regarding faculty usage of digital tools and technologies to enhance learning?. To address these questions an exploratory study was undertaken at University College Dublin’s (UCD) College of Business. An online survey was distributed to 6,956 students enrolled across four campus locations Dublin, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka – and 1,009 survey responses were received. The sample included full-time and part-time students enrolled on undergraduate and graduate taught business programmes in the 2017/18 academic year. This research paper focusses on UCD College of Business’ students completing their undergraduate degree in conjunction with the National School of Business Management (NSBM) in Sri Lanka. The survey was distributed to a total of 1141 students in Sri Lanka with a response rate of 123 representing just over 11% of the sample size. The survey was designed to explore three key aspects of technology in HE: ownership and use of technology devices and applications; lecturers’ use of technology devices and applications; and students’ own evaluation of their digital skills. Considering the role of lecturers as facilitators and curators of student learning, only findings relating to the second aspect of the survey – lecturers’ use of technology devices and applications – are reported on in this paper. An initial cohort analysis of the responses by age, campus location, mode of study (full-time/part-time) and level of study (undergraduate/graduate) revealed very few differences in students’ expectations and experiences of the use of technology and applications. Overall, though, the findings provide a considerable degree of confidence that students’ initial expectations of technology usage are being met. Over three-quarters of respondents reported that their lecturers use technology and applications for teaching-specific purposes either more than or at least as much as they had expected. However, a significant percentage of respondents would like to see their lecturers make even greater use of technology and applications and almost half suggest that a greater use of technology could potentially improve class attendance and active participation by students in the classroom. In examining how technology might improve a student’s learning, respondents gave 372 examples of an effective use of technology by a lecturer. Many of these examples relate to the use of video; quiz/polling tools; gamification; PowerPoint slides; lecture capture; online classes; and several application-specific tools. 166 examples of an instance of technology usage that did not support an individual’s learning were also cited. Among these examples include lecturers’ reliance on the use of PowerPoint and video; non engaging content; the look, feel and functionality of the learning management system (LMS); lecturers who do not use the LMS; lecturers who prohibit the use of laptops in the classroom; and problems with the technological infrastructure. While the literature may suggest that students are not actively calling for universities and faculty to dramatically increase their use of technology and that they prefer a more moderate use of technology in their studies (Caruso et al, 2005; Lohnes and Kinzer, 2007), our research highlights students’ desire for even greater technology usage in the classroom. The results of the study are used to further develop the TPACK (technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge) framework developed by Koehler and Mishra (2009). The results will also provide faculty with examples of technology tools and applications that support student learning and these examples may be useful when designing modules and planning classroom delivery with a view to maximizing student learning and engagement.
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Citation
Glowatz, Matt., Dempsey, Audrey., Dowling, Linda., McDonald, Elanor (2018) Using Technology to Enhance Learning Among Undergraduate Business Students A Sri Lankan Case Study, International Conference On Business Innovation (ICOBI), NSBM Green University Town, Sri Lanka. P. 194