Technology-enabled delivery and assessment methods : are we addressing student expectations and learning preferences?

The role and importance of technology in an educational environment is growing and changing at a rapid pace. This technology has the potential to address many deficiencies of more traditional educational models, but also has accompanying potential drawbacks. As educators, we are balancing on a daily basis, differing expectations of our students (particularly across the generations), changing societal norms in relation to the balancing of work/life and education, and the turbulent landscape of resource allocation and focus in the tertiary education sector. This study provides insights into student perceptions and expectations in three large, cross-discipline courses, each using different forms of technology-enabled delivery or assessment. In particular, the study considers individual students' learning styles and whether this impacts their preference for, or expectations and experiences of technology-enabled learning.