College faculty’s perception of technology tools & support: Supporting faculty to teach online

Abstract

The purpose of this survey research was to understand the perceptions of college of education (COE) faculty members about technology tools and how to support online teaching faculty. Results indicate that the majority of COE faculty were confident with using technology tools for their professional career needs and for teaching with students. The COE faculty also reported being confident in using the university-supported Laulima online course management tool (asynchronous) and the Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing tool (synchronous). Additionally, many faculty acknowledged that the COE for providing excellent training and support for using technology for teaching. The top three ways faculty preferred to learn new features or skills related to technology for teaching were asking a support person, followed by attending formal coursework or training sessions and working with an individual tutor. The results of this study have implications for those who teach online as well as those who support them.