ERIC Number: EJ1001206
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1449-5554
EISSN: N/A
Experience and Beliefs of Technology Users at an Australian University: Keys to Maximising E-Learning Potential
Kregor, Gerry; Breslin, Monique; Fountain, Wendy
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, v28 n8 p1382-1404 2012
This article reports on a survey of more than 2,300 students and 250 staff members conducted at the University of Tasmania as part of a wider review of e-learning practice, demand and capacity which aims to improve planning, decision-making and the quality of the online experience of students and staff. Data was collected on access to technology, technology usage patterns, and experiences with technology at university. Respondents were also asked for comments on their experiences. Results from the quantitative component are in line with findings from similar recent surveys: high penetration of laptops, wide access to broadband Internet at home, and usage patterns concentrated strongly around common web activities. Differences in usage profiles of some applications can be explained by the difference in lifestyles of students and staff. The two cohorts also exhibit different attitudes towards technology as a result of their different relationship with it in the context of their use of it at university. Many indicated pathways and solutions to imbalances in demand and supply are straightforward and pragmatic. Support of teaching staff is considered crucially important to advancing broader and more effective use of technology at the university. (Contains 10 tables and 7 figures.)
Descriptors: Computer Uses in Education, Foreign Countries, Electronic Learning, College Students, Student Surveys, Teacher Surveys, Laptop Computers, Educational Planning, Decision Making, Access to Computers, Life Style, College Faculty, Questionnaires, Computer Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Information Technology, Computer Literacy
Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. Ascilite Secretariat, P.O. Box 44, Figtree, NSW, Australia. Tel: +61-8-9367-1133; e-mail: info@ascilite.org.au; Web site: http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A