Luddites or Sages? Why do Some Resist Technology/Technique in Classrooms?

Abstract

Approximately 500 post baccalaureate students were surveyed about 11 pedagogical techniques to which they were exposed in a media-friendly lecture hall. The data allowed for students to be grouped into “non-likers” (those who showed an absence of positive responses to a particular method) and “likers” (those who indicated they liked the method). Web-oriented methods showed “non-liking” rates ranging from 28–42%. Ironically, while brief stories (using speech, PowerPoint text and animation) generated the least amount of “non-liking,” an audio story by a classic storyteller generated the most “non-liking.” A psychodynamic model was constructed incorporating information-intake styles, information-expression styles, and demographics to examine the determinants of such “liking”/“non-liking” via Logistic Regression analyses. The model was reliable for six of the 11 variables, and numerous predictor variables revealed the complex interplay between pedagogical technique and the type of student. Even with popular techniques like sound-bites, PowerPoint, animation, MPEG, stories, and the use of the Internet, there was a substantial rate of “non-liking.”