Barriers to the effective use of technology in education

As classrooms continue to fill up with all manner of exciting and innovative technology, and students become more familiar with using it, the need to identify and overcome potential barriers to the successful integration of this technology becomes increasingly important.

Many academics acknowledge that the role of technology in the classroom is no longer the issue – the issue is how to ensure that educators are confident and suitably equipped with the skills to integrate the technology into the curriculum and that student learning is enhanced by its use. This view is supported by researchers such as MacCallum (2010) who states that the successful integration of mobile technology into teaching and learning will depend upon the attitudes and support of the teachers involved. Balanskat et al. (2006) found that the vast majority of educators are keen to incorporate technology into their lessons, but face a number of barriers when trying to do so. Becta (2004) identified these barriers as being either at teacher level (lack of time, lack of confidence, and resistance to change), or at institution level (lack of access to training or a lack of access to resources). Groff and Mousa's 2008 framework (below) identifies similar barriers, and groups them into six categories.

Source - http://www.vteducation.org/

Lack of confidence was cited by many educators as a major barrier in the Becta research. This often stems from a lack of specific technological knowledge, and is exacerbated by the fact that students are often more adept at using the technology available. Even when the technical knowledge is present, educators may struggle with how best to exploit it in the classroom. The ideal situation is when the educator is not only proficient in the use of technology, but understands how to meaningfully integrate it into the curriculum. I have seen and experienced this lack of confidence, where you find yourself in a world where students are completely at ease with, and use technology without a second thought – it is a daunting situation, and one which requires input from institutions, as well as a shift in personal attitudes towards professional development and training. I know that my lack of confidence comes from inexperience, and that professional development and more time spent in the classroom will help me to overcome this barrier.

Resistance to change can present another barrier, and is often seen in educators who have been teaching in a more traditional style for many years, or who do not feel that technology can improve their subject areas. This resistance can be linked to a lack of confidence and/or skills. As a new educator, I welcome the changes that technology can bring, but can empathise with those who may not be so accommodating.

It is understood that training and planning are crucial elements when helping educators to be able to integrate technology into the classroom – issues such as a lack of time to deliver such instruction, or to investigate and evaluate resources are often cited as barriers. The institutional structure often does not allow sufficient time for either, leading to a situation where educators are reluctant to make the changes. Timetables usually allocate a block of time for ICT, rather than weaving it into the entire curriculum, and it is rare to see institutions with access to technology in every classroom, or even access to the internet, so mobile technology can be used. This lack of access to resources is ubiquitous in many schools and colleges, and is a barrier which needs to be addressed by higher authorities such as finance departments, institution management, and, more importantly, funding bodies of local and national government.

UPDATE

I found this article on the Times Higher Education website, which looks at the findings of the 2014 NMC Horizon Report. The article focuses on some of the issues raised in this blog post.

References

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (2004) A review of the research literature on barriers to the uptake of ICT by teachers [Online] Available at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1603/1/becta_2004_barrierstouptake_litrev.pdf (Accessed 29th November 2014)

Balanskat, A., Blamire, R., and Kefala, S. (2006) A review of studies of ICT impact on schools in Europe. European Schoolnet.

Groff, J., & Mouza, C. (2008). A framework for addressing challenges to classroom technology use. AACE Journal, 16(1), 21-46. [Online] Available at: http://www.editlib.org/d/24421 (Accessed 29th November 2014)

Mac Callum, K. (2010) “Attitudes of educators to the introduction of mobile technology.” Paper presented at the 1st annual conference of Computing and Information Technology Research and Education New Zealand (CITRENZ2010), Dunedin, New Zealand