This blog aims to answer the question: What barriers exist in in schools for technology adoption (if any)? Are there teacher-related barriers? Resource Related barriers? Is there anything that can be done?
I believe there are always barriers to overcome in schools and in education in general. As long as things keep evolving, growing, and advancing, there will always be new challenges to conquer.
Financial resources, adequate educator training, and technology support have been the greatest deterrents to technology adoption in my experience. These three barriers are also outlined by Solomon, Allen, and Resta (2003) who feel these are crucial components to digital equity. Many schools struggle with just being able to purchase technology. Many schools that have actually been able to acquire new technology never plan for effectively training teachers to properly integrate the new technologies into the learning environment. And then schools that can purchase technology, and train teachers, still often fail to provide proper support for the technology and for the teachers over the long term.
I have worked at a university that had enough resources to buy the technology and train faculty, but the training was terrible and ongoing support was somewhere between “extremely limited” and “non-existent.” When I refer to “support,” I am referring to technology support for faculty members who are actually motivated enough to try to integrate technology into learning, but when they have questions or difficulties, the I.T. department is unhelpful and/or never available. This is what I have seen at the university level, and it is difficult to see motivated faculty get discouraged and give up because there is poor support. A university can have all the technology in the world, but when that same university does not provide effective professional training for faculty, countless time and financial resources will be wasted.
Has anyone else seen or experienced being de-motivated by an uncaring or unsupportive I.T. or faculty support department? How do you think we can get and keep teachers motivated to use technology?
Reference
Solomon, G., Allen, N. J., Resta, P. (Eds.). (2003). Toward digital equity: Bridging the divide in education (2 ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
