Majority of US higher ed faculty sees positive impact from tech
Around 80% of faculty at US colleges and universities believe tech has had either an "extremely positive" or "mostly positive" impact on education, according to a study by Campus Technology. In addition, 77% said tech had made their jobs easier, compared to 16% who said it had made it harder. Of those surveyed, 88% believed technology improved the effectiveness of their teaching and 84% thought it had positively affected students' learning. However, one teacher noted that it wouldn't change the basic structure of education and couldn't replace certain basic teaching skills or the writing and critical thinking skills of students.

Dive Brief:

A recent Campus Technology survey reveals that more than 80% of faculty have an 'extremely' or 'mostly positive' experience with technology in the classroom as a tool to increase engagement and streamline instruction.

Some faculty, about 19%, believe that technology is too complex to learn for instructors and for some adult learners, and 17% believe that it has made their jobs harder.

More than 500 professors participated in the survey, with more than 69% of respondents self-describing as public institution employees, and 49% of survey takers having more than 21 years of experience.

Dive Insight:

Perhaps faculty members overwhelmingly accept that technology is a growing part of society, and that their role as professors is to adapt to this reality instead of opposing the inevitable. But the survey also suggests that institutions are doing a good job of carefully integrating mandatory technology use in the classroom, and offering training for faculty that is comprehensive and makes sense from pedagogical and logistical perspectives.

Some institutions are adapting classroom space to better suit certain course content and student profiles, like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's media ethics class, to enhance experiences for students and professors alike. These kinds of changes, when made with faculty input, help to yield positive reactions like those posted in this survey.