EDU697: Week 1 Discussion; Learning in a Technology-enhanced Environment

    I found a very interesting article/study in the Ashford Library called Connecting Organizational Environments With the Instructional Technology Practices of Community College Faculty (Mars, 2007). It was a qualitative study that looked at community colleges, three specifically, and their integration of technology into their programs and how the faculty responded to it, or were affected by it. The results were somewhat expected in that those colleges who had a looser approach to the integration are not/were not poised for as much success as those colleges that tightly integrated technology along with specific policies, directives, and procedures. It is also interesting to think about the faculty and what they look for in terms of types of employment. Those instructors who are more familiar, comfortable, and partial to technology will naturally gravitate to universities or colleges that integrate technology more into their programs, or offer programs that are completely based online.

   I would really like to see this study redone. This one was completed 7 years ago and technology has changed so much, especially in terms of use in education. We are obviously completing a program that is completely online and based on technology, while the school does offer on campus classes as well. I would just be interested to see how professors feel about the integration of technology, especially with so many amazing tools available to use, today versus seven years ago.

  This article relates to professionals in higher education, but the same study could be done for any profession. Technology is such a huge part of society that every company uses it in some form or another. I work in real estate and there are always new apps and programs being invented to assist the realtors and home searchers. It is incredible to see how much the profession of real estate has gone to online platforms and uses. I think it is hard for many from older generations, but it has attracted a large amount of people from younger generations who are comfortable and successful at marketing with websites and social media. I think, in regards to technology integration, you have to either accept it and try to learn, or accept the fact that you won't do as well as you once did in this profession.

Here is the link to the article if anyone wants to read it.



Mars, M. (2007). Connecting Organizational Environments With the Instructional Technology Practices of Community College Faculty. Community College Review, 34(4), 324