SSHRC
2003-2006

A Faculty Development Approach that Focuses on Learning for the Effective Integration of Technology in Higher Education

Amundsen, C. (Simon Fraser University); Weston, C. (McGill University); Abrami, P. (Concordia University); & McAlpine, L. (McGill University)

A lot has been written in the popular media as well as the academic literature about the benefits of new technologies for instruction in higher education. There have been many reasons given for encouraging faculty in higher education to incorporate technology into their teaching. Some argue that it is important to keep up with innovation and address competition from on-line universities, many of which now provide degrees. Others stress the importance of preparing students to meet the job requirements of the workplace and our rapidly changing, information-rich society. Another reason for the push to integrate technology in higher education is the promise of more efficient and flexible learning. It is thought that learning technologies will allow faculty to teach larger numbers of students, offer courses at a reduced cost, and increase access for students who do not live near campus or cannot be on campus regularly. We argue that the most important reason is that learning technologies can support student-centred learning and provide students with sophisticated knowledge for problem-solving in complex situations.

Student-centred learning means that students become intellectually engaged with the content they are learning. The learning process is characterized by the active participation of students, perhaps working in collaborative groups, who take responsibility for monitoring their own learning. This type of learning experience is particularly effective in developing understanding, higher order thinking, and problem solving. In contrast, teacher-centered learning approaches such as lecturing are most effective in transmitting facts or information and in promoting basic understanding. We argue that both student-centred and teacher-centred learning have a place in higher education instruction. The problem is that teacher-centered approaches dominate higher education and, for a variety of reasons, many instructors do not understand the learning potential of student-centred approaches and they do not know how to use these approaches. This is reflected in the fact that the most common use of technology among instructors is for course management and lecture support (e.g., course outlines and lecture notes on the web, class e-mail lists, on-line references). The predominant view of teaching and learning, characterized by teacher-centred approaches, tends to obscure the most powerful potential of technology, which we believe is to support student-centred learning.

We propose a faculty development approach that encourages higher education instructors to shift from a focus solely on teaching to a focus on learning and the learning process. Our approach is based on our understanding of why faculty teach as they do, and why and how they change both their thinking about teaching and how they teach. The key characteristics of this approach that set it apart from others are that instructors:

• Consider the various elements of course design and the teaching and learning process in the context of their own discipline.
• Engage in collaborative discussion and peer critique with colleagues from across disciplines.
• Assume the roles of both instructor and student in preparing their courses.
• Engage in a yearlong action research plan focusing on changing their own teaching and specifically addressing learner-centred uses of technology.

This research program is expected to make contributions at several levels. It contributes a strong theoretical framework and systematic investigation to the faculty development literature in higher education. It also has the potential to inform university initiatives across the country that are focusing on the integration of technology into teaching. The format of this research, that of small interdisciplinary faculty groups working together to understand and implement instructional innovation, might serve as a specific model for instructional change and institutional development.

See: Amundsen, C., Abrami, P., McAlpine, L., Weston, C., Krbavac, M., Mundy, A., & Wilson, M. (2005, April).
The what and why of faculty development in higher education: A synthesis of the literature. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Faculty Teaching, Development and Evaluation SIG, Montreal. Download PDF.