Faculty Technology Usage Resulting from Institutional Migration to a New Learning Management System
Research literature is flush with articles discussing how teachers use individual learning management systems. However, very few studies examine how faculty are affected as they move from one platform to another. This study addresses that gap and examines how faculty adapt their online teaching practices as they migrate systems. In doing so, faculty usage levels were examined for 10 common teaching tools found in two prominent systems, Blackboard and Desire2Learn. Two broad conclusions emerged from the study. First, faculty usage is highly dependent upon system affordances; systems perceived as cumbersome will repress faculty’s use of tools and subsequently will alter their teaching practices. Second, faculty adoption rates are not equal across disciplines. As a result, additional training and support may be required for certain units.
