Instructional Technology
Conference 2007

Title: What Barriers Still Exist for IT Integration by Higher Education Faculty and What Strategies Could Dispel Them?

Name: Maria A. Clayton, D.A.; Thomas M. Brinthaupt, Ph.d; Barbara J. Draude, RN, MSN
Audience Level: All

Audience: faculty, department chairs, deans, instructional technology specialists

Length: 1 hour

Abstract:
 The presenters will define the current barriers hampering higher education faculty’s integration of IT, even when adequate levels of training, support, and access are available. Some of the most promising strategies for overcoming those barriers will also be shared. The presenters will propose that in order to insure increased effective implementation of new technologies, a very good starting point is for institutions to clarify and address each of these concerns that plague faculty.

Description:
Asking faculty to learn about and integrate new instructional technologies, with their inherent fast pace of innovation, is quite often offset by the likelihood that such endeavors will cut into the time and effort they can devote to research, service, and other institutional requirements and responsibilities. Why should they do that, especially if there is very little acknowledgment or tenure/promotion credit given for incorporating IT into their teaching? The situation is compounded by other concerns that include the academic quality of courses that integrate IT and fears about eroding job security. Thus, reluctance to invest themselves continues to plague faculty, even at institutions where early barrier issues, such as lack of training, support, and access, have already been addressed. In order to improve and facilitate IT integration, an alternative is needed to the typical model where faculty members may have to be dragged “kicking and screaming” into using these technologies.

In this session, the presenters will first define the major barriers to faculty integration of IT:

Then, the presenters will discuss some of the most promising ways of overcoming each of these barriers. They will demonstrate that in order to ensure more effective implementation of new technologies, a very good starting point is for institutions to clarify and address each of these concerns that plague faculty.

Session Type: Panel Discussion

Contact information/affiliation:
Maria A. Clayton, D.A.
English Department, MTSU
P.O. Box 70
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
898-2585
mclayton@mtsu.edu

Thomas M. Brinthaupt, Ph.D.
Psychology Department, MTSU
P.O. Box X034
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
898-2317
tbrintha@mtsu.edu

Barbara J. Draude, RN, MSN
Director, Information Technology, MTSU
P.O. Box 0226
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
904-8383
bdraude@mtsu.edu