Survey Reveals Conflicting Faculty Views on Technology

How do college and university faculty feel about using technology to deliver instruction?

Last year, Inside Higher Ed published their 2018 Survey of Faculty Attitudes on Technology.  As the name suggests, the survey looked to identify how college and university faculty really felt about using technology to deliver instruction.  After compiling the responses of 2,129 instructors and 206 digital learning leaders, the survey administers found a series of conflicting views.  Some of the survey’s key takeaways include the following:

• 44% of instructors reported that they had taught an online course. This was an increase of 2% from last year and a 14% increase from 2013.  Additionally, 38% of respondents said that they had taught a blended course.
• Faculty that had taught an online course reported that the experience improved their teaching abilities and said that it made them more likely to experiment with new educational approaches in the future.
• 30% of respondents expressed their belief that online courses could achieve student outcomes comparable to those achieved in traditional educational settings. This is a slight decrease from the 33% recorded in 2017.
• Professors reported their belief that using digital tools would not help to lower the per-student cost of instruction without affecting the quality of education.
• Instructors and digital learning experts agreed that textbooks are too expensive and think that there should be open educational resources and other low-cost alternatives available. However, professors disagreed with the idea that saving students money justified faculty losing control over course material selection.

This is what Inside Higher Ed found in their survey that analyzed faculty attitudes on using technology to deliver instruction.  For a more detailed look at the findings, please access the official survey HERE.  Are you interested in more higher education news or looking for a consulting firm with experience with higher education institutions or medical centers?  Then don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at McKnight Associates, Inc.  We are ready to offer you hands-on human resources consulting for colleges, universities, medical centers, and organizations of all sizes.