Sell not, TEL not

Minimising uptake failure of Technology-Enhanced Learning pedagogies - a pilot study

Abstract

An interdisciplinary group of researchers designed an innovative mobile application (app) to support bioscience language proficiency among pre-registration nursing students. The app's design, which incorporated features for audition and speaking prompts, was a key factor in its effectiveness. The same pedagogical approach was applied to alternative topics within the unit in Moodle, the university’s learning management system (LMS). The intervention in both forms (IC) was trialled and evaluated in a pilot study with two consecutive student cohorts in 2023 (n₁=631, n₂=218). Student access to each form of the condition was measured via technology-provided user analytics. The intervention condition (IC) uptake was higher in its LMS form compared to the app form. However, there were more initial attempts of the standard condition (SC) than the IC overall, indicating a tendency towards novelty avoidance. This article highlights and discusses the challenges of implementing novel technology-enhanced learning (TEL) approaches, focusing on students as stakeholders. Recommendations are proposed to improve user uptake of TEL approaches by focusing on strategies to enhance students’ perceptions of the TEL’s utility. A consistent ‘sales pitch’ to students as stakeholders is suggested.