Teachers' use of technology in the university classroom

Abstract

This study aims to explore the use of technology in the classroom for teaching purposes in a university environment. The research provides evidence both on the use of the technological tool and the instructive task performed with it. Based on a survey of 112 professors, the tools were classified into items of mobile and social media (SM), learning management systems (LMS) and graphic and dynamic visualizations (Graphic). Regarding the Faculty, the study collected a number of sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, discipline, academic background and experience in online teaching. Results show the limited use of technology in classroom, highlighting only those technologies related with graphic and dynamic presentations, while they do show correlation between the use of LMS tools and SM tools. However, significant differences in the use of technology in the classroom have been found between teachers from different disciplines, academic backgrounds and prior experience with online teaching, while no differences were detected in other variables. This investigation thus contributes to studies that aim to advance the effective integration of technology in teaching and learning by introducing relevant teacher variables.