Assessment of technology-assisted learning in higher education: it requires new thinking by universities and colleges

The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the issues, challenges and questions facing universities and colleges as they consider the use of technology in the support of teaching and learning. The issues are difficult in that they require balanced consideration of questions such as: (i) what types of technologies improve learning?; (ii) which faculty members will adopt and experiment with technologies and how will this impact the reward system?; and (iii) which technologies can we afford and what are the hidden costs? Most of these questions remain unanswered. The authors begin by giving examples of the types of learning technologies that universities are exploring and adopting. They proceed to enumerate some of the reasons for this adoption, and then discuss the various groups who should be asking probing questions about the effectiveness of these technologies. Some of the characteristics of an evaluation plan that would address these various questions are then proposed. They conclude with several emerging models for such an evaluation plan.