Integrating technologies in higher education: the issue of recommended educational features still making headline news

Abstract

The integration of technology in higher education has been swiftly changing since 2000. This study, which focused on issues related to technology integration in higher education, included 24 interviews done in 15 universities. The interviews documented an accelerated pace of change as well a wide range of innovations. Relying on the idea that technologies used in hybrid and online learning require specific functionalities for effective collaboration, the study explored the features required from these technologies to enable more flexible online learning environments. According to study results, the primary reasons why universities chose to integrate technologies were not specifically for educational purposes. Consequently, the technologies used are not necessarily interactive or instructional. Even though many changes have taken place, such as retooled legacy LMSs or MOOC platforms, more up-to-date and educational technology features are still required for collaborative and interactive online education environments.