Implementing Web 2.0 technologies in higher education: A collective case study

Implementing Web 2.0 technologies in higher education: A collective case study

Bennet

Bennet did a great job experimenting with current 2011 technologies in the classroom.  I would even venture to state that his research ambitions though appropriate for the discipline were in some way precocious and ahead of his time.  I feel that the pedagogical models in education at the time of the study had not caught up with collaborative learning models for social technology integration. 

In another study, the author concludes that innovative pedagogical design of curricula using mobile devices and mobile applications are needed to increase learning outcomes as well as enhancing student engagement and experience.  Further, administrative policies for mobile device professional development and guidance for students will support educational technology adoption and integration.

Another author argues that it is not the technology that needs to change as much as it is the teaching styles, student teacher relations and what measurable student achievement looks like.  One argues that long-established instructional approaches such as constructivism, behaviourism, situated learning, project-based learning and collaborative learning lack pedagogic and didactic concepts on the usage of mobile devices for teaching and learning.   Mobile devices in the classroom are becoming increasingly sophisticated, enabling students to collect data via probe, visualize complex ideas and generate expressive representations to support STEM education.

Another article that advocates for new learning models reports that from the student perspective, the iPad was found to enhance the learning experience but not necessarily lead to better learning outcomes.  Educators found tablets supported electronic information dissemination and academic administration.  The study concluded that it is unclear how to align and integrate contemporary mobile devices within academic programs and workflows.  Higher education service providers are eager to adopt and try the new technologies, yet it is evident that a structured pedagogical approach is needed to align its use within academic STEM programs.