PERCEPTIONS OF LECTURERS ON INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY INTO EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES AT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, KANDY

Abstract

This survey was carried out to investigate the views and opinions on incorporating technology for effective education. Technology is merely a tool, but the teacher plays the most crucial role in inspiring students to foster collaboration and work effectively. Therefore, the main research questions of the study focused on the use of technology in traditional classrooms and the integration of technology in lectures: 1. What are the perceptions of lecturers regarding the use of technology in traditional classrooms? 2. How do lecturers at the American College of Higher Education, Kandy, enhance their knowledge through the use of digital technologies and digital literacy? 3. How has technology influenced the lecture room practices and curriculum development at the ACHE, Kandy? The target group for this survey consisted of 35 randomly selected full-time and part-time lecturers teaching various subjects at the ACHE, Sri Lanka, Kandy, branch. Due to the design of the survey and the nature of the data collected, a mixed data collection approach was adopted. A structured questionnaire was administered primarily to obtain data, with individual interviews and the study of prior work also providing data for the survey. In this survey, attention was paid to the following tools used in lecture rooms: Projectors, smartboards, presentation slides, online assessments or quizzes, educational videos or YouTube, video conferencing tools, AI tools, and content creation tools like Canva and Padlet; learning management systems, for example, the CloudSmartsSchool System, the learning management system used by the college for Diploma Programs, Higher National Diploma Programs, Foundation Programs, and Lincoln University College Malaysia Degree Programs; and the "Blackboard" platform, i.e., the learning management system provided by Keiser University USA for Keiser University associate degree programs, which represents a new experience for ACHE colleges. The survey concluded that lecturers prefer to use technology to deliver lectures. However, the survey revealed that the difficulties encountered when using technology tools can be addressed through workshops or similar training programs. The use of learning management systems such as CloudSmartsSchool systems, Blackboard, and other learning management systems can further facilitate the use of existing technology tools and methods for effective education.