What is important and why? Students’ experience of educational activities including technologies

Abstract

Digital technology is now a central part of higher education and has led to high expectations of increased student activity, engagement, and learning. Drawing on two research projects about Norwegian bachelor’s students, this article explores how they experience educational activities, including the use of technologies in on-campus courses. It is vital to understand this from the students’ point of view. Data have been gathered from qualitative group interviews and an online survey. The analysis draws on socio-cultural perspectives on learning, focusing on what forms of activities and technologies the students experienced as important and useful, or challenging, in various contexts. The results suggest that, despite extensive access to digital technologies, the students experience that activities that support physical encounters on campus, such as lectures and group work, are more important and beneficial than flexible digital solutions. Technologies are basically experienced as a supplement for handling academic demands. The possible implications this has for students’ experiences of educational activities and technology use, and teachers’ facilitation, are discussed. The overall intention is to highlight the significance of the students’ experiences, as well as contribute to more realistic institutional expectations for the pedagogical use of technology.