When I should (not) use technology

Abstract

New technologies regularly burst onto the academic scene, with many promising to transform the academic experience. Amburgey and Valeria (2007) identified many problems faculty have in integrating new technologies, centred around the lack of assistance in translating the new tool for an educational environment. Saeed, Yang and Sinnappan (2009) found that perception is central to technology adoption. What one professor finds indispensable, simple to learn, and easy to operate could appear to the next academic as both limited in scope and inscrutable. The underlying problem is one of expectations and assumptions. People display a wide range of assumptions about how intuitive technology has to be before it becomes a useful investment of time and mental energy. The fundamental lever could be considered technology readiness. Bagozzi (1992) states that attitudes toward technology often dictate the direct usage of the technology. Technology readiness varies so greatly between individuals that it becomes challenging to generalise assumptions about technology. (Abstract taken from first paragraph of document)