Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Dan Cernusca

Abstract

Effective integration of active learning technology tools in classrooms is a key component of 21st century higher education classrooms. Challenged with outdated technology access and traditional classrooms, a local university in North Carolina initiated a strategic plan to update classrooms and laboratories with the 21st century technology. The problem of the study was that limited information existed regarding faculty perceptions regarding benefits of and barriers to integrating active learning technology tools. The goal of this study was to uncover the faculty members' views and perceptions about redesigning classrooms with the active learning technology tools. The technology acceptance model (TAM) framework was used in this qualitative exploratory case study to explore perceptions of 8 faculty members through semistructured interviews. The research questions were focused on exploring faculty members' perceptions about the main benefits and barriers of upgrading the local university's classrooms with active learning technology tools. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for recurring themes. Insights from this study revealed that it is a teaching technique and style of the faculty members in the use of the active learning technology tools that determined the nature of their perception of success, rather than the active learning tools themselves. The resulting project study is a position paper intended to deliver the results of the case study. The position paper includes recommendations to the senior leadership to increase an understanding from the faculty members' perspectives to better align the implementation of these tools. Positive social change may result from this study, improving 21st century higher education classrooms through more effective implementation of active learning technology tools.

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