Examining the Connection between Classroom Technology and Student Engagement

Pedagogical strategies increasing rely on technology as a way to address challenges facing the contemporary higher education classroom. This study investigated the use of a tool designed with the specific purpose of student engagement in a large classroom. The tool allows students to post to a community based discussion in a manner similar to a Twitter feed. Despite engaging in a community dialogue, results show that as usage of the technology went up a student's sense of community learning went down. This result prompted the authors to consider how this tool was utilized in the classroom, and while implementation diverged from the original design intention the usage mirrored common technological teaching tools like a threaded discussion board. We close with a warning that adoption of a novel technology alone does not produce a greater sense of community learning.