@rjhogue
Considerations for a Professional Development Program
to Support iPads in Higher Education Teaching
by Rebecca HoguePhD Candidate, University of [email protected]: @rjhogueBlog: rjh.goingeast.ca
@rjhogue
Definitions
Term Definition
Technology Adoption
An individual's acceptance of a technology
Teaching practice
All activities performed by teachers in the administration, preparation, delivery, and evaluation of instruction
iPDP iPad Professional Development Program
Pre-Adoption Learner
Teachers who do not yet use the iPad to support teaching practice
Post-Adoption Learner
Teachers who use the iPad to support teaching practice
@rjhogue
iPad Professional Development Program (iPDP)
@rjhogue
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
• Quantitative measure that predicts whether an individual will adopt a new technology
• Two key variables - ease-of-use and perceived usefulness
• To increase adoption, increase the learner's:– Perception on how easy the device is to use– Perception of how useful the device is
@rjhogue
Technology
• Product technology: The hardware and software aspects
• Idea technology: The usefulness aspect - specifically the workflows that describe how the product is used
• Introducing the learner’s to idea technologies (contextualized ways in which the product is used) increases adoption
@rjhogue
Time
• Calendar time is requires for learners to absorb the information about the new technology and reflect upon how that technology can be adapted to their workflow
• An iPDP needs activities that are spread out over time
@rjhogue
Individual Beliefs
• Compatibility with individuals beliefs is important• Avoid associating the technology with a specific teaching
strategy or pedagogy• Begin by using technology to support common tasks (like
checking email), before introducing ideas that require a change in beliefs
• Beliefs are more likely to be changed if peers socialize the ideas
@rjhogue
Organizations Structures
• Organizational policies and practices will either help or hinder adoption
• In higher education, change will be faster if it is initiated by professors
• Requirements to score high on teaching, lead to a lack of innovation
• Identify stakeholders and idea leaders - those who have influence over how peers adapt new ideas
@rjhogue
Evaluation
• Determines whether or not the program was a success• Need to study an individual's use over time• One useful measure: Impact of a lost device and how that
impact changes over time• TAM - measuring perceived usefulness and ease-of-use
and how the values change over time
@rjhogue
iPad Professional Development Program (iPDP)
@rjhogue
Design Considerations
• Benefit both pre-adoption and post-adoption learners• Include a learning intervention (e.g. workshop) that aims
to increase pre-adoption learner's perceptions on usefulness and ease-of-use
• Integrate both product technology and idea technology• Demonstrate useful apps with workflow in a context that
learners understand • Begin with familiar activity before challenging beliefs• Seek out stakeholders and idea leaders to provide context
and champion the program
@rjhogue
Delivery Considerations
• Provide ways to share new idea technology (that is, workflows) at regular intervals
• Provide multiple training interventions spread out over time
• Use post-adoption learners (peers) to encourage change in beliefs of pre-adoption learners
@rjhogue
Evaluation Considerations
• Repeat evaluations over various time frames (in the beginning, after each intervention, and at the 3- and 6- month marks) to measure the change in the organization
• Evaluate by measuring the impact of individual's loss of a device
• Evaluate individual's perceptions using the TAM:– Ease-of-use– Perceived usefulness
@rjhogue
Thank-you.
Questions?
by Rebecca HoguePhD Candidate, University of [email protected]: @rjhogueBlog: rjh.goingeast.ca