The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in University Students' Learning Experience: The Instructors' Perspective

This paper reports on a study that was undertaken to measure university instructors' perceptions of pedagogical use of various information and communication technologies (ICTs) and links these to their perceptions of effectiveness of students' learning experiences. Using a theoretically derived 54-item instrument and a rigorous probabilistic sampling strategy, survey data were collected from 2,626 instructors from 12 participating universities in Québec, Canada. Exploratory factor analyses and regression modeling demonstrate that, for the most part, effective use of office automation tools and, to some extent some text-based tools, are perceived by instructors to significantly contribute to students' learning. We however find some variance in the results when controlling for instructors' computer proficiency, faculty and gender. Results and limitations are discussed in light of current research on the role of gender, type and proficiency of ICT use as well as perceptions of teaching and learning effectiveness in higher education.