Perspectives of Exchange Students on the Role of Classroom Technology: A Law of Diminishing Returns?

Abstract

Technology in the classroom has grown both in its usage and as a research topic to the extent that there are entire journals devoted to the topic. Distance learning was once considered to be the preserve of lesser institutions, but has now become common at many leading universities, and this trend shows no sign of abating. Many now question whether the traditional lecture format, and indeed the need for a campus with its expensive maintenance, will survive given that computerized technology now allows students to receive instruction from wherever they are located. This paper considers a new perspective by seeking the views of current and former exchange students from the United States and the United Kingdom. Data was collected by interviewing twelve students representing eight universities in the two countries, and an analysis was conducted using phenomenological principles. While attitudes varied, the general feeling seemed to be that using technology to teach a class offered diminishing returns, to the point where participants were almost uniformly against the notion of completely online courses.

Enhancing the Success of College Algebra Students by Incorporating Adaptive Technologies

“…It should be noted that while we did not seek student perceptions of adaptive learning in this study, one should not be take for granted that adaptive learning is necessarily popular or viewed as being beneficial, even when test scores and overall grades improve (Stuve, 2015). Careful implementation that incorporates all the stakeholders is therefore of critical importance when successfully carrying out changes to existing courses, with Sun, et al (2021) supporting the contention of Griffiths (2015) in concluding that adaptive technologies provide a bigger boost to student learning when supplementing rather than replacing traditional instruction.…”