What is good? Students' perceptions of 'good IT practice' in teaching and learning in higher education

Pedro Lok
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR, China

As web-based education is seen 'as a means by which quality higher education can be provided at a lower cost per student' (UGC 2005, 10), university senior management staff and government agencies advocate the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) to support teaching and learning. However, students' perceptions are not often reflected in the decision-making processes. This study involved an in-depth investigation of student perceptions of the implementation of information technology (IT) in teaching and learning at the University of Hong Kong. Students were predicted to have different criteria for good integration of IT and pedagogy, and the project aimed to: (1) identify students' perceptions and viewpoints with regard to their faculty contexts and their own use of IT for learning; and (2) examine their reflections on teachers' implementation of IT to facilitate their learning. Student focus group interviews were conducted across the 10 faculties in HKU. Students nominated examples of 'good IT practices' in their faculties, with the conception of 'good' being subjective and mainly based on their experiences of use. They provided explanations of the critical components to be considered in judging good practice. Based on qualitative research methods, it was found that the criteria students used to determine 'good IT practices' were primarily teacher-oriented, student-oriented and technology-oriented -- with some other factors such as environment-oriented also being reported. This exploration and evaluation of student perceptions of 'good IT practices' may offer new proposals on curriculum development for teaching staff and administrators.