Technology-enhanced teaching and learning: a case of the faculty of Art in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Date
2014-07-20
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment has been a challenge for Ghanaian Universities. Delivery of instructions is mainly instructor-led, with partial or no student-lecturer electronic connection and the undergraduate departments at the Faculty of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology are not an exception. Based on this, the researcher adopted a technology-enhanced course model (hybrid course model) that facilitated teaching and learning in large class sizes. The Educational design research under qualitative research design was used. Questionnaires and interviews were used to examine students and lectures proficiency, resources and readiness for teaching and learning with identified technologies. Convenience, purposive and proportional stratified sampling techniques were adopted; sampling 251 respondents–246 second year undergraduate students and 5 lecturers. The introduction of technologies into the classroom encouraged active learning by engaging students in the process. Technological additions to the teaching environment included Tablet PCs, wireless network access and social learning platforms. These individual technologies had the potential to change the classroom dynamics and fostered new teaching and learning approaches. Hence the introduction of the hybrid course model boosted student-instructor interactivity, students became motivated active learners and level of student engagement was increased. The data analysis revealed that, there is a high potential of using digital technologies to augment the traditional teaching method with the end objective of increasing the level of student engagement, motivation and interaction in large classes.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of General Art Studies,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Philosophy in Art Education,