Instructional technology adoption at the University of Tennessee : perceived influences of select faculty members

Instructional technology can help transform college teaching from a teacher-centered instructional paradigm to a learner-centered paradigm. However, any educational change must begin with the faculty because only they can make a personal commitment to use technology in their teaching. This study focused on faculty members who have adopted the computer as an educational innovation seemingly in spite of the barriers. The purpose of the study was to identify how selected university faculty members are integrating instructional technology into their teaching practices and to determine the primary intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and incentives that influenced them to do so. Investigating what rewards and incentives were deemed as important to faculty who have already adopted instructional technologies can assist higher education in creating conditions that will influence more faculty to adopt the new instructional technologies.

Data were gathered using a survey instrument, which was completed by 41 faculty members from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who were identified as integrating instructional technologies into their teaching practices. In addition, 12 of these respondents were selected to participate in a semistructured interview. In summary, email was reported as being used more than any other computer-driven instructional technology followed by using web-based materials that support course content; showing computer-projected visuals while lecturing; and, providing a web-based syllabus. This study found that the participating faculty members were overwhelmingly influenced to start using instructional technologies by intrinsic rewards and incentives, primarily because they wanted to increase their teaching effectiveness and improve their instruction. Additionally, the most influential extrinsic rewards and incentives were related to receiving work-related support and recognition or encouragement.

It can be concluded from this study's findings that instructional technology will be adopted by faculty who want to improve their instruction and perceive technology use as beneficial to the teaching/learning process. Recommendations based on the findings included suggestions to increase satisfaction in teaching, encourage instructional technology adoption, address facilities and equipment, and conduct further research.