An Exploratory Study on the Part-Time Teaching Staff Engagement on Canvas for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

The use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) is an essential component of the teaching and learning strategy in higher education. This research paper aims to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the levels of utilisation of the Canvas VLE by part-time teaching staff at a higher education institution in Hong Kong with a view to understanding the factors influencing the level of use by teaching staff and pointing to how its use could further be enhanced for an improved teaching and learning experience. A survey of current academic research literature on VLE engagement by teachers was carried out in conjunction with structured questionnaires and interviews with teaching staff of the Hong Kong Higher Education (HE) institution. Issues in the research literature were corroborated by survey and interview findings and included lack of preparation time, lack of familiarisation with VLE features and technical issues. To address these issues, strengthening of preparation by teaching staff through practical familiarisation with the use of the VLE coupled with the dissemination of adequate instructional resources for both teaching staff and students supported by robust training sessions in the use of interactive communication features of the VLE were recommended.