Technologies, Teaching, and Learning in Higher Education

by

Jason M. Lodge

• LAST MODIFIED: 31 July 2019
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0221

Introduction

Among all of the activity and commentary about the impact of technology on higher education, there is, unfortunately, not a high proportion of this work that could be described as rigorous or logically sound. There is a tendency for scholars and commentators to take either an overwhelmingly positive position or a skeptical position on the use of teaching technologies, either seeing them as a silver bullet to solve all educational problems, or as a direct route to a hellish, dystopian future. The focus of this bibliography is the subset of journals, books, and articles that are based on sound evidence, are well argued, and are therefore of high quality and high possible utility. As such, the emphasis is on what is known, rather than on conjectures about the utopian or dystopian versions of the future of higher education. The primary focus is on the role and impact of technologies on teaching and student learning. The bibliography is aimed at providing a high-level overview of teaching technologies in higher education from the perspective of sound, evidence-informed pedagogy. The entries in this bibliography also only include those from peer-reviewed outlets (with one key exception). As grey literature tends toward baseless claims and is based more on opinion and conjecture than sound evidence, it has been left out of this bibliography. Also left out are high-level, sensationalist publications written by former university presidents, consulting firms, or star economists and management professors (again with one exception). As these well-known publications tend to make gross generalizations based on little evidence about how teaching and learning actually work, they are of no real use and have therefore not been included. Looking across all the entries provided here, it is evident that many of the key issues that currently occupy those involved in the conceptualization, research, and implementation of technology in teaching in higher education have been of interest for some time. Many of the seminal articles and topics were published a decade or more ago. While there is probably a case for fresh, systematic reviews and possible reconceptualizations of the role technologies are playing in university teaching, the long-established theories still provide a solid basis for understanding current issues. There has, in fact, possibly been a tendency to ignore these theories in favor of the latest trend or tool. So while it may appear that many of the sources cited in this bibliography are out of date, that is far from the case. It is not the new, shiny technologies that should drive innovation in university teaching, but rather the rigorous and scholarly contributions that have stood the test of time. It is those contributions that make up much of the literature included here.

General Overviews

There are many available overviews of the state of teaching technologies in higher education. However, few of these take an evidence-informed view. The entries included in this section are among those that provide the most useful and measured overviews of teaching technologies in higher education. While there are many similar overviews of education more broadly, the publications included here focus specifically on higher education. Laurillard 2002 is a seminal contribution that is still heavily cited many years after initial publication. Laurillard’s thorough and thought-provoking treatment of higher education in the digital age is as relevant today as ever. A companion to Laurillard’s book, Collis and Moonen 2001 reviews the implications of new technologies on students and faculty. Unpacking these implications further, Burbules and Callister 2000 delves into the kinds of opportunities and challenges that emerge in practice as technologies are implemented in the higher education context. Along similar lines, but with a more specific focus on planning, Benson and Brack 2010 provides a concrete means of engaging with the critical relationship between learning and assessment. More recently, Boys 2015 provides an analysis of the changing nature of universities and the teaching that occurs within them; it is incisive and outlines some of the most innovative examples of the approaches taken at an institutional level to deal with the increased influence of technology. Bates 2015 is an authoritative source of wisdom on teaching in the 21st century. From a more sociological perspective, Selwyn 2014 provides a needed critical perspective on the hype and rhetoric about teaching technologies in the university context. At the time of writing, there is an opportunity for an updated contribution in this area. The entries in this section all focus on the overall impact of technologies on teaching in higher education in different ways. As with any other field where there is constant evolution in thinking and available tools and approaches, this is one where a fresh perspective is periodically required. Having said that, the entries included here collectively provide a comprehensive and holistic view of technologies in higher education.

• Bates, A. W. 2015. Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Vancouver, BC: BC Open Textbook.

  This open textbook is among the most well-informed and comprehensive treatments of the state of teaching with technologies. Tony Bates’s wealth of knowledge and experience is evident throughout.

• Benson, R., and C. Brack. 2010. Online learning and assessment in higher education: A planning guide. Oxford: Chandos.

  DOI: 10.1533/9781780631653

  A nuts and bolts guide to getting started on teaching with technologies in higher education. The grounded nature of this book makes it particularly valuable for people starting out and needing to get up to speed quickly.

• Boys, J. 2015. Building better universities: Strategies, spaces, technologies. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

  A very useful overview of the current state of universities internationally, with an emphasis on improvement efforts. Taking a critical and holistic approach, this book provides a solid overview of the state of the art from the institutional perspective.

• Burbules, N. C., and T. A. Callister. 2000. Universities in transition: The promise and the challenge of new technologies. Teachers College Record 102.2: 271–293.

  DOI: 10.1111/0161-4681.00056

  There has been discussion about the transformative potential of technology on higher education for some time. This article is particularly salient in that it demonstrates that some of the key discussions about technology in higher education have been brewing.

• Collis, B., and J. Moonen. 2001. Flexible learning in a digital world: Experience and expectations. London: Kogan Page.

  A genre-defining classic. This important volume helped to define the way technologies in higher education are discussed today. This book is generally not given the credit it deserves.

• Laurillard, D. 2002. Rethinking university teaching. 2d ed. Abingdon, UK: Routledge Falmer.

  Although this book was published some time ago, it still provides a valuable reframing for university teaching in the 21st century. It is as relevant and timely as it was when first released, due to its foundational reimagining of teaching in universities.

• Selwyn, N. 2014. Digital technology and the contemporary university. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

  DOI: 10.4324/9781315768656

  A well-rounded coverage of the potential and pitfalls of digital technologies in higher education. Selwyn’s insightful and critical analysis is worth paying attention to.