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Are We Assuming Too Much? Exploring Students' Perceptions of Their Computer Competence
College Teaching, v53 n2 p50 Spr 2005
by Messineo, Melinda; DeOllos, Ione Y.

The reported experience, comfort level, and perceived skill of 233 students in a medium-size midwestern university were measured to determine how best to approach the use of information technology within departmental curricula. Results show that students view their computer competence differently depending on whether they are using the technology for personal or course-related tasks. Additionally, while the expressed levels of experience and comfort are high for some forms of technology, exposure and confidence with more advanced applications are lacking. Such findings suggest that faculty members may make false assumptions about student preparedness and, in turn, may jeopardize student success. Differences by gender and race/ethnicity also were observed, suggesting that departments need to be aware of the varied experiences of their students.

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Using Technology in Education: When and Why, Not How
College Teaching, v44 n4 p123-26 Fall 1996
by Kussmaul, Clif; et al.

It is argued that discussion of technology in college teaching commonly focuses on how to use it, while the important issues are when and why it is appropriate. Reasons for using technology are outlined, relating widely accepted goals in instructional development (improvement of communication, access to information, and effective presentation of materials) to technologies that can help address them. (MSE)

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Using Technology Wisely: The Keys To Success In Schools
by Harold Wenglinsky

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The Strategic Use of Learning Technologies:
New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No. 88
Elizabeth J. Burge (Editor)

This issue helps educators make the most effective use of the dizzying array of learning technologies available today, offering expert guidance on harnessing technology to serve the needs of all adult learners. The contributors draw on case examples to explore the advantages and disadvantages of three existing learning technologies--print, radio, and the Internet--and examine how a large urban university has carefully combined old and new technologies to provide a range of learner services tailored to its enormous and varied student body. They outline the importance of understanding students' learning strategies when choosing a learning technology and reveal the basic information literacy skills necessary for a student to take advantage of the wealth of information available electronically. They also discuss the unintended effects of using various learning technologies, a subject rarely addressed in learning technology literature

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Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success
A.W. (Tony) Bates, Gary Poole

[This book] draws on current research and best practice to show how to integrate technology into teaching in higher education. This book provides a comprehensive theoretical and pedagogical foundation for helping instructors make critical decisions about the use of technology within the college curriculum. This practical and much needed resource discusses the relationship between knowledge, learning, teaching, and the nature of media, and shows how this information should inform the use of technology in a teaching environment. The authors introduce a decision model that is based on key criteria for selecting appropriate technologies for teaching in higher education. They also provide guidance for developing and delivering a course using electronic technology and discuss the organizational and technical support structures that are needed to back up instructors using technology.

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