Presented at the Conference on Technology and Learning at the University of South Alabama, 05/14/13

1. Technology Utilization among
Graduate Assistants and Faculty
Lindsay Ann Parvin, Ashley Ryals, Dr. Paige Vitulli, & Dr. John Strange
College of Education

2. Literature Review

3. Changing Face of Education
Today’s students are evolving in that they are able to
access a wide array of material and are behaviorally
different from any other generation.
 Digital Natives have spent their lives surrounded by
the media of the Digital Age—first it was video
games, then cell phones, and finally Internet access.
Such students are said to be “native speakers” of
those digital languages.
The challenge exists for instructors to make material
relevant and engaging.
Source: (Prensky, 2001).

4. Shift in Technology
 “The modern academic workplace is characterized
by student diversity, new technologies, changing
societal expectations, a shift in emphasis toward the
learner, expanding faculty work loads, and a new
labor market for faculty,” which indicates a major shift
in higher education.
 With the incorporation of virtual education into
degree programs, faculty will be expected to use
technology-mediated teaching and learning
strategies. At many institutions, faculty are
encouraged to participate in curricular development
that draws on delivery or learning options made
available through new technologies.
Source: (Austin, 2002).

5. “New” Technologies
 Web 2.0 encompasses web-based technologies that allow for a
“read/write” approach to the web and enables the learner to be both
a consumer and producer of content and services, thereby
enhancing opportunities for collaboration and the generation of new
knowledge (Buchan, 2007).
 Based on constructivist learning theory—that learning is made more
effective when it is social, engaged, and relevant (relating to
students’ concerns); provides formative assessment; and offers
learners multiple paths (Brown, 2007).
Characteristics of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0
Web 1.0 Web 2.0
Publishing Participation
Content management, presentation Content reappropriation (e.g., “mashups”)
Individual, are scale web sites Blogs, wikis
Directories Tagging
Users observe, “listen to” web sites Users add value, co-create
Control Cooperation
Example: Encyclopedia Britannica Example: Wikipedia
Source: (Brown, 2007. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0725.pdf).

6. Collaboration among Faculty and Graduate
Assistants
 Research has shown that faculty-graduate student (F-
GS) relationships play an important role in shaping
graduate students’ research training, their professional
identity, and career dedication, in addition to providing
socialization into academe.
 Mutual support and comprehensive relationships (those
extending beyond the academic environment) are two of
the most essential factors contributing to successful
graduate student mentoring.
 The roles and responsibilities associated with F-GS
relationships have been documented to be broadly
perceived, as faculty can serve as
advisors, instructors, employers, and/or agents of
socialization.
Source: (Lechuga, 2011).

7. Current Practices
 Graduate assistants serve as mentors and post-
training support to faculty.
 Attend introductory training sessions on technology
components to aid in the mentoring of faculty who also
receive training.
 Graduate assistants serve as mentors to faculty
through a program requiring their participation in a
technology course as a condition of their
assistanceship.
 Assistants are paired with professors on the basis of their
skills, experience, and schedules and undergo 40 hours
of training to support their mentoring relationship with
faculty members.
Source: (Smith & O’Bannon, 1999).

8. Data Collection

9. USA Faculty Case Studies
 Four professors in the Department of Leadership
and Teacher Education (LTE) were interviewed for
the case studies.
 Dr. David Gray, Associate Professor
 Instructional Leadership and Planning
 Dr. Harold Dodge, Associate Professor
and LTE Chairman
 Instructional Leadership and Planning
 Dr. Susan Santoli, Associate Professor
 Social Studies Education
 Dr. Rebecca Giles, Professor
 Early Childhood Education
Source: (http://qrstuff.com)

10. USA Faculty Case Studies, cnt’d.
 Two professors remarked that time was an issue in their utilization of technology.
 One professor reported using social media, mainly for nonacademic purposes.
 Cited as most promising in the field of higher education, professors listed Macbooks, video
streaming sites (YouTube, TeacherTube, etc.), iPads, and laptops.
 When seeking help with technology, 3 professors reported going to other faculty and colleagues
first.
 The technology components with which the professors reported seeking the most help from
graduate students included Sakai and PowerPoint.
 All 4 professors explained that the current relationship between graduate assistants and faculty
could be improved upon.
 Cited as potential benefits from the relationships between faculty and graduate assistants, the
professors reported graduate assistants as being more knowledgeable about technology.
 To be incorporated as part of a mentoring program for graduate assistants, two professors cited a
training experience.
 As factors and trends considered the driving force in educational technology adoption, the
professors named greater accessibility, cost, and efficiency.
 As barriers to university adoption of new technology, the professors listed possible social media
misuse and cost.
 Cited as their role in preparing graduate assistants for future career endeavors, the professors
mentioned helping students with research, writing, and networking.
 To improve upon the current faculty-graduate assistant relationship, the professors suggested
ensuring faculty and assistants are abreast of each person’s interests, mentoring assistants with
research, and making faculty aware of students’ competencies and strengths.

11. USA Graduate Assistant Survey
 Survey was
disseminated to
graduate students in
the College of
Education; the 7
respondents
represent the
graduate programs in
counseling and
exercise science,
with a mean age of
27.5 years.
 Majority were
females (71.4%)
enrolled in graduate
school at USA for 3-4
semesters (42.9%)
who have been
working as graduate
assistants for 1-2
semesters, assigned
to 1-2 professors
(57.1%).Source: (http://www.surveymonkey.com)

12. USA Graduate Assistant Survey, cnt’d.
 Meeting the demands of the shift in technology has not been seen as difficult. (5
participants)
 There does not exist an established, effective mentoring program between graduate
assistants and faculty (4 participants), with shortage of time and guidance being
deterring factors.
 Technologies listed as promising in the field of higher education included online
academic journals, smart phones, eBooks, tablets, and project management programs
(Dropbox, Basecamp, etc.).
 Technological tools reported in use within the department that are expected to remain
in use within five years included SMART boards (interactive white boards), handheld
devices, Dropbox, Sakai (course management software), email, word processing
software, presentation software, computers, and printers.
 Technology components cited as those with which faculty most often seek help
included Sakai (course management program), Facetime, Microsoft Office
Suite, online academic journal research.
 Benefits listed as perceived in the relationships between faculty and graduate
assistants included more comfort to the difficulties in technical usage, technology
integration, and sharing of new information.
 To improve upon the collaboration between faculty and graduate
assistants, participants cited additional time/patience, regular meetings, rotating
mentorships, and additional interaction/communication.

13. Discussion

14. Recommendations
 To more appropriately use Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
tools in higher education, such tools must be infused into daily activities for
teaching and learning, e.g. as more than for administrative and research
purposes.
 Faculty must be helped to see the perceived ease of use and usefulness of
ICT tools in their teaching practices, as faculty who are not confident in their
ability or competence to handle ICT tools are reluctant to integrate them into
their teaching practices.
 Organization support, leadership, effective training, and development
programs emerge as factors of faculty willingness to adopt various ICT tools
into their instruction.
 Organization support: Administration should support and encouraged the faculty
by removing barriers to technology adoption.
 Leadership: Leaders must think about keeping universities and faculty well-
informed and trained in the effective use of technology for educational purposes.
 Training and development: Involve all stakeholders (including students); extend
resources to the continuous process of professional development.
 Resources: Provide faculty with relevant and current technological tools and best
practices; instructional design support personnel and timely assistance; and
funding to support faculty adoption of ICT tools.
Source: (Keengwe, Kidd, & Kyei-Blankson, 2008).

15. Conclusion
 There needs to be further research into what other
universities are doing to help ease the strain of
today’s shift in technology.
 Our current survey for graduate assistants is still
open, and a survey for faculty adapted from the case
study questions and graduate assistant survey has
been created to study the needs of both professors
and graduate assistants.
 By opening the surveys to faculty and graduate assistants
at other universities, more definitive ways to help foster
the collaboration process between faculty and graduate
assistants can be developed in the utilization of today’s
new technology.

16. Additional Materials
 Please, take our faculty
survey:
 Follow our journey on the
blog:
 The iSchool Initiative:
Source: (http://qrstuff.com)
Scan the QR codes with your smart phone or device to be
directed to the links.
http://behindthedoorsofacademi
asouthalabama.blogspot.com/

17. References

18.  Austin, A. E. (2002). Preparing the next generation of faculty: Graduate
School as Socialization to the academic career. The Journal of Higher
Education, 73 (1).
 Brown, M. (2007). Mashing up the once and future CMS. Educase
Review, 42(2).
 Buchan, J. (2007). Web 2.0: The dawning of the Interaction Age. Retrieved
from
http://csusap.csu.edu.au/~jbuchan/documents/Web%202.0_theDawning_of_
the_interaction_age.pdf
 Keengwe, J. Kidd, T., & Kyei-Blankson, L. (2008). Faculty and technology:
Implications for faculty training and technology leadership. Journal of
Science and Educational Technology, 18, p. 23-28. doi: 10.1007/s10956-
008-9126-2
 Lechuga, V. M. (2011). Faculty-graduate student mentoring relationships:
Mentors’ perceived roles and responsibilities. Higher Education, 62, p. 757-
771. doi: 10.1007/s10734-011-9416-0
 Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
 Smith, S. J. & O’Bannon, B. (1999). Faculty members infusing technology
across teacher education: A mentorship model. Teacher Education and
Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the
Council for Exceptional Children, 22(123). doi:
10.1177/088840649902200206