Faculty Use of Technologies in Online Courses
Abstract
- Compared to courses delivered in the face to face setting, courses delivered entirely online rely more on technology. This study investigated the current state of faculty using technologies in online courses. Three technologies were examined in depth: asynchronous discussion, real-time chat, and audio/video. The following issues were investigated: how the technologies were used, how the instructors perceived the importance, necessity, and effectiveness of these technologies, and how skillful they were in using the technologies. The School of Education of a large Midwestern university in the United States was selected for the study. All the 30 instructors teaching online courses at the school were invited to participate in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an electronic survey that consisted of closed-ended questions as well as a number of open-ended questions. .Findings of the study and implications for tool developers, university administrators, and instructional and technical support staff were discussed.
