Sell not, TEL not: Minimising uptake failure of Technology-enhanced learning pedagogies - A pilot study

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 withinthe unit in Moodle, the university’s learning management system (LMS).The intervention in both forms (IC)was trialled and evaluated in a pilot studywith two consecutive student cohortsin 2023 (n1=631, n2=218). Student accessto each form of the conditionwas measured via technology-provided user analytics. The intervention condition (IC) uptake was higher in its LMS formcompared tothe app form.However, there were more initial attemptsof the standard condition(SC)than the IC overall, indicatinga tendency towardsnovelty avoidance.Thisarticle highlightsand discusses the challenges ofimplementing noveltechnology-enhanced learning(TEL)approaches, focusingon studentsas stakeholders. Recommendations are proposed toimproveuser uptake of TEL approaches byfocusingon strategiesto enhancestudents’perceptionsof theTEL’s utility. Aconsistent‘sales pitch’ to students as stakeholders is suggested.