This study investigated the use of interactive information technology
in teaching at the University of British Columbia in early 1997, the factors
influencing it, and the changes in the University associated with it.
The use of interactive information technology in on- campus and
distance education at UBC is largely limited to E-mail, World Wide Web, and
to a lesser extent, CD-ROM. It seems to be a relatively recent development, the
number of users of technology in teaching increasing only since 1994.
Four factors in the broader external context are driving the use of
interactive information technology in teaching at the University. These are:
(1) demands on higher education for greater and more flexible access, as well
as for technologically literate graduates, (2) the tight fiscal context in which
the University operates, (3) the culture of information technology in
Canadian and British Columbian society, (4) government policies on access,
funding, and the use of technology in teaching.
Within the University itself are two kinds of influence: actions by the
university leadership and the changing attitudes of faculty. The leadership
has put in place enabling initiatives in six areas: (1) infrastructure, (2)
equipment, (3) internet access, (4) funding, (5) faculty development, (6)
university publications. The attitude of faculty members towards the use of
the technology in teaching is generally positive. This is different from what
was found in earlier studies (Black, 1992).
Given strong external pressures for the adoption of interactive
information technology in teaching, given the existence of enabling
structures and mechanisms from the university leadership, and given a
marked increase in the favourableness of faculty attitudes, the question arises,
why so little use seems to be made of the technology? A number of hindering
factors emerge: (1) perceived or experienced pedagogical limitations of
technology, (2) lack of time needed to learn or use the technology, (3) lack of
professional reward for teaching by means of the technology, (4) lack of
appropriate skills, and (5) lack of resources and equipment. There seem also to
be three key organizational weaknesses in the technology-integration
approach of the University. These are, (a) lack of coordination of the various
initiatives, (b) a neglect of the motivational needs of faculty members, and (c)
the assigning of technology responsibility to units that do not have academic
policy-making authority.
Despite the modest use of interactive technology, there are indications
that the prospects for the use of interactive information technology at the
University for both on-campus and distance teaching are strong. The study
shows that the University of British Columbia generally manifests features
and tendencies typical of trends in the development of contemporary
universities, such as increasing acceptance of interactive information
technology in teaching, increasing responsiveness to societal imperatives,
growing government influence, and institutional restructuring. A number of
implications for policy and for research arising from the study are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/9577 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Nnazor, Reginald |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 11931609 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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