Invisible barriers to eLearningColin Loughlin, Dr Jason Spendelow & Professor Steven Warburton

Colin LoughlinUniversity of Surrey

Department of Technology Enhanced Learning

Why wouldn’t academic staff want to engage with technology which could make their life easier and improve

the learning outcomes for their students?

Despite sustained effort and innumerable initiatives the impact of learning technologies on education remains ‘a resolutely disappointing one’ (Watson, 2001)

‘Education is on the brink of being transformed through learning technologies; however, it has been on that brink for some decades now’ (Laurillard et al, 2008)

‘Resistance seem[s] to be an inevitable outcome of even the smallest and least controversial of innovations […] It permeate[s] all aspects of the implementation. (Bryant, 2014)

Staff Survey Results

Identity and motivation

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/digital-literacies/

“Skills workshops alone do not impact on that take-up of TEL”Liz Bennett – ALTC 2013

Motivational theory

Goal Theory

Achievement Motivation

Theory

Bandura Self Efficacy

Piaget Motivational

model

Cognitive Theory

Personal construct

theory

Attribution Theory

Attribution Theory (Kelley 1967, 1980, Weiner 2010 & Heider 1958)

Attribution theory is concerned with how and why ordinary people explain events as they do.

These attributions are not necessarily real, but fit with existing (possibly faulty) models which interpret the world around us and allow us to predict future outcomes.

For example: others’ success put down to natural talent rather than hard work etc.

When we try to explain our own behaviour we tend to make external attributions, such as situational or environment.

Internal vs, external | stable vs. unstable

We are more likely to explain our FAILURES, with EXTERNAL attributions.

We are more likely to explain our SUCCESSES, with INTERNAL attributions.

stable vs. unstable (do causes change over time)

The top three reasons for non-engagement with TEL are external & stable.

Therefore, unlikely to change – resulting in low motivation for change.

Learned helplessness - locus of control (feelings of powerlessness)

Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DoI)

According to DoI theory, behaviour will change more rapidly if innovations are perceived as being better than previous options (relative advantage) and consistent with the existing values, experiences and needs of potential adopters (compatibility), if they are easy to understand (complexity), testable via limited trials (trialability) and their results are visible (observability).

Different information exchange relationships (communication channels) have specific impacts in terms of innovation diffusion. This theory particularly highlights the different roles of ‘mass media’ and ‘interpersonal’ channels, with the former especially useful for creating awareness amongst potential adopters and the

latter being more effective in terms of persuading actual adoption.

(Rogers, 2003)

‘Too often it is education’s own processes and practices that limit broader uptake of new technologies […] Changing these processes will require major shifts in attitudes as much as they will in policy’

(New Media Consortium, 2013)

‘Furthermore, if our mechanics or doctors did not use these tools, we would deem them out of date and take our business elsewhere’

(Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010, p.255)

Thank You!

c.loughlin@surrey.ac.uk