The rapid development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) is having significant impact in universities and on other educational and teaching providers. Since around 1993, universities have used ICTs mainly for administrative and academic purposes, but recently universities have started to use ICTs in more profound ways enabling new methods of delivery and new teaching and learning strategies which may change or influence the nature of the teaching and learning experience.
This study aims to explore how university teachers experience the use of ICTs for teaching and learning and to identify potential differences between teachers’ stated beliefs and actual practice. In particular, the study aims to contribute to an understanding and awareness of teaching and learning from the teachers’ experience and to identify implications for the pedagogical development of e-learning. A phenomenographic approach is used as the methodological and theoretical basis for the study. The resulting experiences, will be represented by ‘categories’ describing them, will provide a picture of the phenomenon of using ICTs for teaching and learning as it appears to people. The following discussion particularly concerns theoretical and practical aspects regarding the use of ICTs including learning theories, pedagogical approaches and technological tools. Specifically, a review of learning theories is attempted, from which key components of learning are distilled. This process is important because it may allow pedagogical approaches to be described and related to appropriate theoretical models through the use of specific technological tools and resources.
After outlining theoretical and practical approaches for e-learning this presentation reports current teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning using ICTs that may range from using ICTs for repository purposes to using ICTs for collaboration, interaction and the creation of communities of practice. Specifically, the presentation includes a summary of literature review, a statement of research aims and objectives, a description and discussion of the research approach and the pilot study.
