Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives Volume 2 Barriers to Technology Integration in a Technology-Rich Environment

This paper reports on one segment of a research project which investigates what faculty members perceive to be acting as barriers in their attempts to integrate [information and communication] technology into their teaching at a laptop university. A web-based questionnaire was used to collect information from 69/288 (24%) faculty members from a small U.A.E. university. From the data gathered, patterns and associations emerged from which the researcher is able provide recommendations as to what type of interventions and programs could be provided to increase current levels of teaching with technology. Introduction This current research project is based upon the belief that only recently, since the spread of the World Wide Web and high speed computer processors, has computer-based technology – henceforth referred to in this paper as ‘technology’ – become easy enough to use and of enough value for most faculty to pursue it as a tool for teaching. Such technology had previously only been the realm of the innovators and early adopters (Rogers, 1995). However, technology is now accessible to far more faculty and students. In addition, with more and more institutions removing the barrier of access through the implementation of programs such as a laptop program, the degree to which technology is being integrated into teaching and learning must be further explored. Hence, this paper attempts to answer the question: What do faculty in a technology-rich environment perceive as barriers to technology integration? In answering this question, the researcher will be able to provide