The Impact of ICTs on Lecturer and Student Interaction in University Education Processes

Abstract

Interaction is a basic element in any educational process, and it is something that needs to be reconsidered in the light of technology. In order to examine the methodological changes that ICTs bring to teaching from an interaction perspective, a study was carried out at the University of Lleida to observe interaction processes in various face-to-face, blended learning and e-learning subjects. The methodological design was based on three data collection techniques: documentary analysis of subject curricula, lecturer and student questionnaires, and lecturer interviews. The data showed that, as the online component of subjects increased, the lecturers and students used more technological tools to communicate (e-mail, forums, chats, social networks, etc.). Furthermore, we found that the lecturers and students basically communicated for academic purposes. While they hardly ever communicated for personal reasons (guidance, support, etc.), they claimed that closer contact with a non-academic focus would be preferable. We also observed that the students' work was more individual in e-learning subjects. Although there is still a considerable way to go in ICT-mediated lecturer-student interaction, both the lecturers and students recognise the potential of such technologies, even though they still do not use them as they feel they should.

The Higher Education Sustainability before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Spanish and Ecuadorian Case

“…An unexpected result was that despite having to integrate an online learning process, the ICTs' frequency of use, according to university teachers, did not significantly increase after lockdowns. These results matched the finding of other authors, whose results about e-learning teaching did not increase the technologies [98]. An explanation of this could be linked to the training and ICTs skills of university teachers.…”

Video technologies for professor-student interaction in online teaching

“…The testimonies collected show a high satisfaction of the people who approach these technologies and their great potential to promote interaction in teaching, especially in the asynchronous one, which is the most inaccessible, since it is developed in different times and spaces for professors and students (Alarcia & Bravo, 2012;Alvarez-Alvarez et al, 2019;Alvarez-Alvarez, 2017;Burns et al, 2020;Comer & Lenaghan, 2013;Hernández & Álvarez-Álvarez, 2018;Vercellotti, 2018). The testimonies collected also reveal an idea pointed out in the state of the art: the preference for graphic and visual material that helps to understand the contents (Arnone & Grabowski, 1992;Roberts, 2019;Silverajah & Govindaraj, 2018).…”

“…Based on this evaluation made by 60 different people, it can be concluded that technologies for interaction in asynchronous teaching via video allow teachers to interact with students when they are learning alone, adding value to their own or others' graphic material to be used. Therefore, taking into account the current health crisis and the remarkable technological development, it is necessary to consider the need for greater dissemination of these technologies among professors to increase their use and thus make blended learning, online, synchronous or asynchronous and distance learning more attractive, motivating and interactive (Alarcia & Bravo, 2012;Asri et al, 2020;Comer & Lenaghan, 2013;Ellis & Bliuc, 2019).…”

“…Our university teaching context is gradually transforming in recent years developing changes that impact strongly on teaching, both in the face and distance processes: today we live connected, we no longer understand life without the Internet and we have many resources from web 2.0, all universities are developing and expanding their virtual platforms and learning technologies and knowledge are multiplying (TAC) so that regular classes increasingly combine classroom and digital elements (Alarcia & Bravo, 2012;Asri et al, 2020;Comer & Lenaghan, 2013;Ellis & Bliuc, 2019).…”

“…Previous research has shown that it is important to promote interaction in university teaching because it allows to promote teaching relationships based on dialogue, promote participation and encourage the involvement of students, as well as promote more effective teaching-learning processes (Alarcia & Bravo, 2012;Alvarez-Alvarez et al, 2019;Álvarez Álvarez, 2017;Burns et al, 2020;Comer & Lenaghan, 2013;Hernández & Álvarez-Álvarez, 2018;Vercellotti, 2018).…”