Higher education institutions are embracing the Internet as a means of offering distance education programs and augmenting face-to-face on-campus courses. Consequently, there is a surge in technology-mediated Web-based learning products, in particular, Instructional Management Systems (IMSs). Notwithstanding the growth in IMS usage, the quality and effectiveness of online teaching and learning still lie with faculty. Their perceptions of this technology will ultimately determine whether its implementation meets with success. Increasingly, faculty are encouraged and/or required to use electronic technology in their teaching. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to utilize a research design employing a quantitative survey instrument to establish faculty perceptions of the effectiveness of using IMSs in the teaching and learning environment.
The target population consisted of full-time and adjunct faculty using Blackboard CourseInfo version 4, Level I as their chosen IMS at seven of the 10 colleges that constitute the Maricopa Community College District (MCCD), Arizona. MCCD is the largest community college system in the United States, with a student population over 243,000 enrolled in credit and non-credit courses. Data were collected with a survey instrument designed by the researcher entitled "Faculty Perceptions of Blackboard as an Effective Instructional Management System", and validated by a panel of knowledgeable Blackboard Course Info version 4, Level I users within the MCCD. This instrument identified: a) faculty Blackboard usage, training, and support; b) faculty release time and compensation; c) faculty personal opinions relating to Blackboard usage; d) Blackboard tools faculty utilize the most; and e) what features faculty believe would enhance Blackboard.
Analysis and synthesis of the survey results, together with the literature review, provided answers to the research questions and enabled the development of a set of guidelines to enable deans, division chairs, information technology directors, and faculty to clarify goals and objectives for effective IMS selection, deployment, and utilization in their own institutions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nova.edu/oai:nsuworks.nova.edu:gscis_etd-1383 |
| Date | 01 January 2003 |
| Creators | Akuna, Valerie A. |
| Publisher | NSUWorks |
| Source Sets | Nova Southeastern University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | CEC Theses and Dissertations |
Page generated in 0.0041 seconds