Faculty Technology Use: Overview & Summary

Infrastructure & Support

Barriers to using technology such as insufficient technical support and insufficient equipment have been significantly reduced. However, approximately half the faculty still consider those items to be barriers. In particular, faculty have indicated that insufficient infrastructure has remained a barrier to using Web-based instruction in classrooms.

Faculty Interest & Attitude

The level of faculty interest in using computer technology in classrooms was high in 1998 and has continued at a high level through 2001. Nearly 90% of our faculty do not consider themselves beginners in the use of basic applications such as word processors and drill and practice software. Most Xavier faculty use some form of technology and feel encouraged by the university to use technology.

What Faculty Are Using

Word processors, research resources, spreadsheets and presentation software are the forms of technology most commonly used by faculty. Regular integration of technology for collaboration, communication and research into classroom instruction is practiced by at least 75% of faculty. Web-based instruction is used by less than one-half of the faculty; however, there has been an increase in use since 1998. Most faculty never use list servers, chat lines or bulletin boards.

What Faculty Require Of Students

The technologies faculty require students to use the most are word processors, research resources (e.g., CD-ROMS or on-line resources) and electronic mail. Since 1998, there has been a modest increase in student use of e-mail (25% used email in1998 and 32% in 2001) as part of classroom instruction.

See also: Faculty Technology Use Index | Overview & Summary | Item-by-Item Analysis | Survey Data