There is no doubt that technology has had an enormous impact on different areas of modern life, such as higher education. For universities and other higher learning institutions, it is an excellent opportunity to improve the quality of teaching and encourage students to learn new information in more interactive ways. Moreover, it is important to note that the implementation of technological advancements has significantly facilitated the process of learning for both students and teachers. Nowadays, students are not restricted by the four walls of the classroom, as they are able to benefit from personal computers, mobile phones, and internet access. In turn, teachers frequently use trends revolutionizing learning, including learning management systems, collaboration platforms, and data visualization. However, in order to determine specific features of the connection between technologies and higher education, a deeper analysis of evidence-based information is required. Therefore, the research questions are:
- How does the implementation of innovative technological interventions affect the quality of teaching and perception of information by students?
- How should the teaching process differ among various generations?
- How can technology-enhanced learning affect health research capacity development?
- What are specific features of IT adoption in the teaching process?
It is a widely known fact that people born at the end of the 20th century and later use Internet technologies as an integral part of their lives. Usually, this generation is described as “digital natives,” whereas individuals born before 1980 are defined as “digital immigrants” due to the lack of technological fluency. Subsequently, it is predicted that the new generation has radically different educational needs. To satisfy the expectations of these individuals, educators aim to develop new teaching strategies. The inability to serve this function effectively causes “moral panic” among teachers and educators.
This article has the appropriate credentials to contribute to the topic, although it is not up to date. It is conducted by a group of researchers headed by a teacher in learning design and communication technologies in education. Besides, the authors back up their assertions with credible evidence from other research articles. For instance, they rely on the information provided by Gaston, Long, and Skiba, as well as other scientists.
The analysis of the evidence-based information demonstrates that there is no need to implement significantly different educational interventions to educate “digital natives.” On the one hand, these students obtain well-developed skills in technology. On the other hand, they still manage to perceive information in the same way that “digital immigrants” do. Simultaneously, it would be beneficial to use the basic advantages of technologies to make the process of teaching more interesting for both educators and students.
Despite the fact that all generations have different values and views on life, the process of education does not require considerable changes. Nevertheless, it would be better to replace lecture-based learning with activity-based learning. This implementation is expected to encourage students to put more efforts into the process of learning. Additionally, learning via electronic media is a great chance to accommodate everyone’s needs and get access to resources from anywhere and at any time.
To define the use of innovative technologies in higher education, researchers frequently take into consideration various generations. In fact, it is assumed that people born after 1982 are fundamentally different than previous generations in terms of perceiving information. As a result, a vast spread of this belief has motivated numerous scientists and researchers to test it with the help of qualitative and quantitative research methods. In this case, researchers have made a decision to use the method of interviews with surveys with over 500 students.
The source has the credibility necessary to contribute meaningfully to the topic, as it is unbiased and is backed up with evidence. Furthermore, the article is conducted by a team of individuals supervised by a consultant with over 30 years of experience in distance education, e-learning, and educational technology. At the same time, taking into consideration that this research study was published in 2011, the relevance of the provided information is questionable.
The findings of this article are based on the idea that generations do not significantly differ in the context of learning new information with the help of innovative technologies. In other words, all students regardless of their age have a similar understanding of digital literacy, connectedness, as well as experiential learning. Even though this suggestion is not supported in a variety of other articles, the results of this research study can be considered accurate. It can be explained by the fact that provided information is backed up by objective, scientific evidence.
This article is useful in answering the research question because it takes into account the interconnection between technologies and students of different generations. Consequently, researchers highlight that educational uses of innovative technologies in higher education are dependent on the context rather than the generation. The proper understanding of the ways different students use innovative technologies is essential for the improvement of teaching in the future.
The accurate use of innovative technologies is predicted to have a positive influence on the quality of teaching and learning, especially in terms of health research capacity. To develop high-quality strategies for a master’s degree in Malawi, researchers of this article are focused on several types of technologies, including remote collaboration and engagement. Moreover, authors are intended to identify the ways learning content can be designed to be transferable across different contexts.
Researchers of this article used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to receive unbiased findings. Furthermore, to enhance the quality of results, the authors of the article took into consideration surveys, online activities, and evaluation of the program. Thus, this research study can be considered relevant from the perspective of credibility. Also, it was conducted in 2016, thereby, becoming one of the latest articles written on this topic.
As with other articles, this piece of information is useful in answering the research question. In fact, it is demonstrated and confirmed that the use of a blended learning program has considerable significance for the development of health research capacity. Researchers highlight that the idea of this research study can be implemented in different areas of learning, including healthcare, psychology, biology, sociology, as well as exact sciences. In terms of the position taken by the researchers, it is essential to note that they support the received results. However, the authors highlight that selection of the most appropriate technology tools requires comprehensive support.
Particularly for college students, the use of Internet resources has become a vital part of their everyday lives. This age group pays a significant amount of attention to the global network of computers, as it can give the appropriate social support during the transitional period to adulthood. In this article, self-report questionnaires offered to 312 college students were based on the idea to determine the connection between different types of Internet use and their influence on well-being. Researchers took into account meeting people, information seeking, coping, and e-mail as the main types of Internet use.
This research study can significantly contribute to the topic, as it is credible from the perspective of authority and accuracy of the provided information. First, it is conducted by two doctoral candidates in Educational Psychology and an Associate Professor of Psychology. Second, the provided information is verifiable, logical, well organized, and professional in appearance. The only area of credibility, which is questionable in this case, is timeliness. The article was conducted 13 years ago, which is why the findings should be reanalyzed.
As a result, the analysis of self-report questionnaires has helped determine the effect of each type of Internet use on the overall health status of participants. For instance, it is assumed that using the Internet for coping purposes is strongly associated with mental health issues, such as depression, social anxiety, and family cohesion. Therefore, the permanent use of the Internet can have a negative effect on the well-being of college students during the transitional period from adolescence to adulthood.
Hence, considering that the misuse of the Internet is related to health issues, the quality of learning can be impacted as well. Researchers recommend selecting the beneficial types of Internet use, such as information seeking and communication with people, whereas coping should be minimized to avoid potential psychological health problems. In this way, the ability to perceive information will be developed to the fullest extent.
The majority of college students used to consider the process of learning new information as a challenging task. Nowadays, innovative technologies provide the opportunity to make it more interactive and interesting for both students and educators. For instance, the use of activity-based learning and mobile applications is one of the best chances to achieve this goal in a short time. Researchers of this article aim to determine the impact of these technologies on the development of appropriate skills in universities and colleges.
The credibility of this article is based on the use of qualitative design methods, such as interviews, as well as analysis of 24 courses. Simultaneously, the authors of this research study rely on evidence-based information offered by their colleagues working in the field of psychological education. By the way, the article was published in 2019, thereby, becoming one of the latest articles written on this topic.
The results of this study demonstrate that integration of interactivity and mobile applications can improve the quality of teaching in colleges and universities. For example, in order to identify the effect of technologies on the process of learning, the authors of the article used the mobile app providing information to the history class. As a result, interactive teaching was more preferable to students than lecture-based teaching. The level of their knowledge significantly increased after the implementation of this innovation. Accordingly, it is important to take appropriate measures to integrate technologies into the process of educating college and university students. This article is useful in answering the research question because it addresses specific features of innovations from the perspectives of students and educators.
In the past several decades, innovative technologies have been integrated into numerous areas of life, including education. In order to improve the quality of the teaching process, educators and authorities invest a vast amount of money in information technology infrastructure and online learning opportunities. As a result, students of colleges and universities have the opportunity to become active participants rather than passive receivers of content.
This research study can be considered credible due to a combination of several factors. First, it was conducted in 2015; therefore, the provided information is still relevant to the field of education. Second, the authors use paper-based and web-based questionnaires, which are regarded as excellent methods of collecting information from respondents. Third, the “snow-ball sampling method” was used to gather appropriate information from 261 participants. Subsequently, the mix of evidence-based methods is the reason why this article can be considered credible.
The results of the study demonstrate that there is a variety of factors affecting the success or failure of integrating IT technologies into education. For example, compatibility, computer self-efficacy, and prior computer experience are expected to have a positive influence on the integration of innovative technologies into the process of teaching students. At the same time, males are more likely to develop a deep understanding of computer applications than females in a short time.
In the context of the main research question, this article plays a prominent role, as it demonstrates factors affecting the successful implementation of technological advancements in higher education. It is recommended to create workshops that can be beneficial for the development of appropriate skills among faculty members. In turn, permanent education on IT technologies is expected to help both educators and students face the best results from teaching in colleges and universities.
References
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Bullen, M., Morgan, T., & Qayyum, A. (2011). Digital learners in higher education: Generation is not the issue. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 37(1), 1-25. Web.
Byrne, E., Donaldson, L., Manda-Taylor, L., Brugha, R., Matthews, A., MacDonald, S., Mwapasa, V., Petersen, M., & Walsh, A. (2016). The use of technology-enhanced learning in health research capacity development: Lessons from a cross country research partnership. Globalization and health, 12(1), 19. Web.
Gordon, C., Juang, L., & Syed, M. (2007). Internet use and well-being among college students: Beyond frequency of use. Journal of College Student Development, 48(6), 674-688. Web.
Jahnke, I., & Liebscher, J. (2019). Three types of integrated course designs for using mobile technologies to support creativity in higher education. Computers & Education, 146(1), 1-12. Web.
Surej, J. (2015). The integration of information technology in higher education: A study of faculty’s attitude towards IT adoption in the teaching process. Accounting and Administration, 60(1), 230-252. Web.