Technology, Learning, and College Teaching Evaluations

Abstract

College students utilize technology in vast ways. However, the results of studies evaluating the technological experiences of young people within the academic setting are varied, suggesting that students are more complex in their preferences for academic technology use than once thought. Yet no studies have explored student preferences for academic technology as measured by formal course evaluations. This study examined the relationship between technology use and student ratings of instructor and course effectiveness in post-secondary classrooms. Level and type of technology use, individual instructor demographics, and ratings of instructor effectiveness were measured using formal student evaluations of teaching (SETs). The findings suggest that significant differences in technology use exist between instructors of varying rank and experience. Additionally, the results suggest that students identify technology as a tool that contributes to their learning, but that technology is not sufficient in and of itself to impact ratings of instructor effectiveness and self-reported student learning. Rather, students identify instructor variables and instructional approach more frequently as important contributors to their learning. Future research should expand on these results by exploring the specific types of technology that students attend to in the classroom and by investigating how best to incorporate technology while maintaining strong pedagogical approaches.