Technology Integration in Higher Education: Situations of Faculty Members

Abstract

Since the use of technology in education is considered critical in terms of both teaching and learning, technology integration into instructional methods and teaching environments is a must. This requirement is indispensable for the education organizations at all levels of education, including higher education organizations. The use of instructional technology not only increases the success of the students but also offers many advantages to the academic staff. To benefit from technology for educational purposes, the staff must first adopt the technology and use it to support their teaching and then restructure their teaching experience with technology. The purpose of this study is to investigate the issues in technology integration of academic staff at a Turkish university located in Central Anatolia. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were used in this study designed as a correlational survey research. The results showed that the techno-pedagogical competence of academic staff was almost at the advanced level. Moreover, the staff had high level of information and communication technologies (ICT) acceptance so they used technology in their teaching quite often. The participants reported that they used technology during the presentation of slides, and listed their major problems as insufficient infrastructure, limited ICT skills, inadequate technical support, and student- and software- related problems. The findings indicated that it was the daily life experiences of the academic staff rather than the in-service trainings that enhanced their technological and pedagogical skills.