Teaching with technology – a pilgrim’s journey

Abstract

This paper reflects on the impact of technology on the academic activity of university teachers over the last decade, as seen from within a department in a faculty of science of an Australian university. The paper provides a description of, and reflection on, evolving practice in the use of technology in teaching and learning. Much of that evolution is reflected in the developments, trends and issues documented in the various CBLIS proceedings. The availability of sophisticated computer and communication technologies promised an opportunity for new and more student-centred methods of teaching and learning. The new ways of accessing knowledge and manipulation of information also offered a challenge to shape curricula to the needs of the students who will operate in a highly technologically dependent society. The paper concludes that even though individual adopters have made significant progress in the effective use of educational technologies, and that universities have adopted institution-wide platforms for online supported teaching and learning, on average, the progress in the uptake of educational technologies has been very slow and in most cases old solutions have been applied to new settings. Curricula and teaching methods at traditional universities are still very much the same.