Technology Considerations and Opportunities in Higher Education

Technology has transformed teaching and learning by providing access to education that transcends the boundaries of race, gender inequity, costs, and physical constraints. The importance of providing professionals in higher education with a compilation of evidence-based findings, focused on the use of promising practices in technology and what is needed to create a learning environment that will meet the educational needs of students, is even more significant now in light of a worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the increased need for expanded knowledge on such practices, the authors have examined the importance of technology usage in developmental and transitional education courses; however, discussion is included on technology use in higher education courses, the transition from traditional seated courses to fully online delivery, the use of social media in the classroom, and the inclusion of cell phone technology in learning. TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 5 Technology Considerations and Opportunities in Higher Education Issac Asimov once proclaimed, “...I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them” (as cited in “Age of Miracle Chips,” 1978, p. 45). Years later, Castells (2010) posited that we are now living in a distinct information age. In our current age, computers are perceived as being ubiquitous, even in regards to education, but it was in the 1960s when Lipsitz predicted this phenomenon (Kinshuk et al., 2013). The term “educational technology” has been commonly used. From online courses, cell phones, computers, Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle, and Blackboard, and social media avenues such as Facebook and Twitter, this article will offer a comprehensive examination of the value of the various educational technologies and the implications that accompany them. In higher education today, no matter the course level, technology can be viewed as a great equalizer, as evidenced in its accessibility. For example, in terms of educational technology, students and staff can communicate across cities, states, and continents. Technology applications currently in education are nearly infinite. The recent Covid19 crisis has required all in higher education to use it, including many luddites (Gardner, 2020). Hadadian et al. (2014) asserted that technology is quickly becoming a global phenomenon, increasingly seen in higher education classrooms. For instance, prospective international students can participate in virtual tours of many campuses in the United States from the comfort of their homes. This technology usage is just one example of how technology has connected people across oceans and continents. Without a doubt, technology has profoundly altered the education experience. It has greatly expanded access to education as vast amounts of information (books, audio, images, videos, and podcasts) are available at one’s fingertips through the world wide web. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s (2017) Office of Educational Technology, formal learning opportunities can be easily accessed with platforms such as Khan Academy, Massive Open TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 6 Online Courses (MOOCS), podcasts, traditional online degree programs, and other learning resources. Technology has brought about the exposure to learning opportunities and digital connection in unprecedented possibilities. It is up to educators to adapt, if they have not already done so. Attributes of College Students Enrolled in Higher Education Enrollment in online courses rose at a faster pace between fall 2015 and 2016 when compared to the previous 3 years. Based on federal data from more than 4,700 colleges and universities, more than 6.3 million students in the U.S., most of whom were undergraduates, took at least one online course in fall 2016, a 5.6% increase from just a year before (Friedman, 2018). One societal benefit of online learning is increased access to higher education. Online education increases access to learning for anyone interested in attending college, particularly those students who have full-time work and/or family obligations who might not have otherwise entertained the notion of attaining a degree (Gannon, 2019). Different generations are affected by different factors (Statnickė et al., 2019). Generation Z students have grown up with technology in all aspects of their lives. Generation Z students are considered the generation that was born between 1995 and 2012 (Persada et al., 2019). Many from this group are enrolled in high school and college education; this generation is dominated by Internet inclusion. Therefore, technology in education is expected as part of preparing today’s students for the workforce. Amid the current global pandemic, elementary, middle, and high schools are providing instruction online in order to keep their students on task. These students, even though at home, get to see their friends and communicate with them like normal while working on classwork at the same time On the other hand, these students may miss out on the sense of community that they feel inside the traditional classroom, but this can be built inside an TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 7 online learning community as well. Instructors are able to track the progress of their students by joining breakout groups via Zoom or Google docs, but it is important that they take the time to develop a classroom community, especially in an online environment. There are certain factors that help Generation Z students succeed in a fully online learning environment for communication skills. Out of a diverse group of learners, the student’s institutions significantly impacted their preference for instructional delivery modality. The factors which lead to student success and retention in online courses are dependent on the characteristics of the student (Yu, 2020). Though creating a sense of community and belonging within the classroom is vital to overall student success and retention, methods for doing so vary by course design, as well as other factors. A majority of students work to pay some, if not all, of their tuition and living expenses which is a reality and would prefer an online learning environment over traditional. In addition, these students become more responsible and efficient learners due to working independently in an online course environment, they are able to get a lot done in a small period of time with technology. According to Conference on College Composition & Communication (2013), appropriate composition teaching/learning strategies should be developed for the unique features of the online instructional environment. Meeting Students Where They Are In developmental education, math, integrated reading, and English courses, technology is a tool which can help bridge the gap among students who enter college immediately after high school and those who enroll after entering the workforce. Technological support for student learning in developmental math can improve student Lexile reading levels, grammar, and writing skills in integrated reading and/or English courses (standalone, transition, or integrated). TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 8 According to Kim (2019), while only 14% of undergraduate students study exclusively online, 30.7% of graduate students participate in courses in this manner. Campus support services can set students, who enter college, especially in developmental and/or transition-level courses, up for success by acknowledging student deficits across disciplines. If the skill level of the student is not considered, then instructional design teams are creating a potential barrier to these students who lack the skills needed to be successful in college-level courses. If these deficits are not considered, pass rates in courses will decline. Regarding modifications and accommodations, one important tool is the laptop. Students, for example, may require use of a laptop instead of another mobile device that fits learning needs. This technology provides full access to most computer programs, rather than a minimalist version that is meant to be used on phone apps. Because of the legal and ethical issues surrounding these students, such as ADA compliance or software licensing, it remains important to provide various technological resources to students. Technology can be an equalizer for many students in the classroom. Using supplemental software programs can provide spelling, grammatical, calculating, and other resources to students who lack certain skill sets. While technology can be a positive addition to student learning in many cases, it can have negative connotations for some students. Hess (2019) presented studies which showed how powerful cell phones offered distraction to the most disciplined adults and student learners. Learners are also supported through embedded YouTube videos in the campus LMS while other learners can listen to lectures which are recorded in programs such as Jing. Other programs, like Camtasia, provide instructors opportunities to extend options to different modalities of learning. TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 9 Helping Students Underprepared to Succeed with Technology There are certainly positive and negative aspects to using technology in developmental education courses. Up-to-date pedagogy needs to be adjusted to computerized environments, and that tasks cannot simply be transferred from traditional study environments to computerized one. However, there are no clear guidelines as to how to do this effectively (see Cheung & Slavin, 2013). There are three phases to increasing college completion. The first is to improve the quality of teaching and learning in community college classrooms; the second phase is to fully integrate courses and student support services; and the third is to expand the connections between community colleges, public schools, and community services (Boylan et al., 2016). Professio