Technology adoption Voices of teaching academics, educational designers and students Ramya Gayani Samarawickrema BA, MA Thesis submitted to fulfil requirements for a degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Education Deakin University, Australia November 2005 DEAKIN UNIVERSITY CANDIDATE DECLARATION I certify that the thesis entitled Technology adoption: Voices of teaching academics, educational designers and students Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is the result of my own work and that where reference is made to the work of others, due acknowledgement is given. I also certify that any material in the thesis which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by any other university or institution is identified in the text. 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Table of contents List of figures and tables vi Abstract vii Acknowledgements ix Dedication x Chapter One Overview of the folio 1 Introduction 1 Rationale 1 Context of this folio 2 The three studies in the folio 2 Theoretical basis 4 Limitations of the research 10 The researcher’s role 10 Folio structure 11 Summary 12 Dissertation - Adoption of web-based learning and teaching: Voices of the teaching academics 13 Chapter Two Overview of the dissertation and origins of the research 14 Introduction 14 Concerns that led to the study 14 Purpose of the study 15 The research proposition 15 Terms used in this study 16 Theoretical perspective of the study 18 Limitations of the study 18 Structure of the dissertation 19 Summary 20 Chapter Three Technology and higher education institutions 22 Overview 22 Introduction of technology into universities 23 i The lure of technology in higher education 25 The impact of online learning and teaching on higher education institutions 28 Australian universities 28 Institutional strategies for adopting web-based learning and teaching 31 The impact of online learning and teaching on university teachers 36 Developing new roles and skills 37 Staff development 39 Workloads and time pressures 42 Impact on research 45 Rewards 46 Emerging research themes 48 Summary 52 Chapter Four Technology adoption 53 Overview 53 Adopting web-based learning and teaching 53 Approaches to adoption 54 Adoption experiences with web-based learning and learning management systems 55 The theory of diffusion of innovation 57 Diffusion theory and learning technology 59 Diffusion theory and context 63 Actor-network theory (ANT) 66 Diffusion of innovation and actor-network theory 70 Summary 71 Chapter Five Research Procedure 72 Overview 72 How diffusion theory and actor-network theory are used in this study 72 Rationale for the case study 77 Research context 78 The research design and method 79 Sample 82 Data collection procedures 83 Data management 85 Measures taken to enhance credibility and trustworthiness 86 Data analysis 88 The researcher’s position 94 Summary 95 ii Chapter Six Context of the study 96 Overview 96 The University 96 The University policy on technology for learning and teaching 97 The respondents 100 Summary 102 Chapter Seven Findings 1: Individuals’ reasons for adoption 103 Overview 103 Describing the findings through the Integrated Theory of Diffusion of Innovation 104 Demographic data 106 Participants 110 Network exposure 150 Teaching approach 151 Reasons for adoption 154 Rewards 157 Summary 157 Chapter Eight Findings 2: Influencing and Contributing Actors 159 Overview 159 Describing the findings through actor-network theory 160 The actors in this study 163 Summary 193 Chapter Nine Discussion 194 Introduction 194 Power, politics and the individual 195 Supporting organisational infrastructure and policy framework 197 New work practices 203 Staff development 206 Being adaptive 208 Summary 210 Chapter Ten Conclusions 211 Introduction 211 Summary of the study 211 What was learned from this research and its implications 212 Significance of the results 218 iii Recommendations for further study 220 Elective 1 - Online learning and the evolving role of the educational designer: Voices of the educational designers 222 Chapter Eleven Elective 1: Online learning and the evolving role of the educational designer – Voices of the educational designers 223 Background and justification 223 Concerns that led to the study 223 Terms used in this study 224 Defining and redefining the role 225 Research focus and scope 228 Method 229 Data collection 232 Findings and discussion 233 Introducing technology into design 234 Meeting staff development needs 237 Working in teams 241 Resource-creating processes 242 General technical help 244 Other roles 245 Issues arising 249 Conclusion 251 Elective 2 - Client diversity: Voices of the students 252 Chapter Twelve Elective 2: Client diversity – Voices of the students 253 Overview 253 Chapter Thirteen Voices of teaching academics, educational designers and students 273 Overview 273 Voices of teaching academics 273 Voices of educational designers 275 Voices of students 276 Implications of the collective voices of teaching academics, educational designers and students 277 Conclusion: Changing times 280 iv Appendix 1 Deakin University Ethics Application 281 Appendix 2 Monash University Ethics Application 283 Appendix 3 Open-ended interview questions for teaching academics 285 Appendix 4 Example of field notes 286 Portraits/sketches 01 – Carman 24 June 2004 286 Portraits/sketches 02 – Marg 03 May 2004 290 Appendix 5 NVivo subject categories/tree 291 Appendix 6 Elective 1: Ethics papers 293 Appendix 7 Elective 1: Interview questions 295 Appendix 8 Elective 2: Ethics papers 297 Appendix 9 Elective 2: Interview questions 299 References 300 v List of figures and tables Figure 4.1 Rogers’ theory used as the central foundation 61 Table 4.1 Extending the theory of diffusion of innovation to learning 62 technology Table 4.2 Categories of information technology related diffusion research 64 Table 5.1 Descriptors derived through the Integrated Theory of Diffusion of 75 Innovation Table 5.2 Distribution of the participants across the ten faculties 83 Table 5.3 Interview question themes and codes 92 Table 5.4 Organisation of codes derived from the Integrated Theory of 94 Diffusion of Innovation and actor-network theory Table 7.1 Focus of Chapter Seven in relation to the theoretical framework 105 of the study Table 7.2 Demographics of participants 107 Table 7.3 Participants’ technology adoption continuum 153 Table 7.4 Technology related reasons for adoption 154 Table 7.5 A summary of reasons for adoption 155 Table 8.1 Focus of Chapter Eight – Actors in the study 165 Table 11.1 Demographics of participants 232 vi Abstract This folio presents three studies (a dissertation and two electives) which use qualitative case study methodologies to investigate technology adoption from three perspectives. Central to all three studies is the study context of Monash University. The Dissertation explores adoption of web-based learning and teaching approaches from the perspective of teaching academics as they incorporate these to facilitate their students’ learning. The study investigates teaching academics’ reasons for adopting these new technologies, the factors that influenced their adoption decisions, and the challenges they were confronted with, including the contributing factors that impacted on their adoption decisions. The study shows that while contextual factors such as power and politics of the school, department, faculty and the institution impact on adoption, supportive organisational infrastructures and policy frameworks are necessary to encourage adoption, including wider adoption. In turn, on going staff development, adoption of new work practices and being adaptive to changing work environments are key demands made on teaching academics as a result of adopting web-based teaching approaches. Elective 1, a smaller study, leads on from the dissertation and examines the impact of technology adoption on the evolving role of educational designers. The study identifies the educational designers’ role change in assisting teaching academics to move from more conventional forms of teaching to more technology based learner-centred collaborative models. An important aspect of the study is the managers’ perspectives of this role in a university that has adopted a strong flexible learning and technology policy. The findings show that educational designers now work as project managers in larger teams consisting of a wider range of professionals, their expanded role in introducing technology into learning designs, providing staff development in the area, and giving technical help including advice on copyright and intellectual property issues. Elective 2 explores student readiness to adopt these technologies for learning. The study is designed to achieve an understanding of three broad categories of learners from a first year design unit: (1) South East Asian and East Asian students, (2)