Vol. 3 No. 1 (2022)

Research into the adoption of learning technologies has identified predictive factors of individual adoption. However, this research largely assumes technology adoption-as-use, which, I argue, is technology-centric and disregards the role

Research into the adoption of learning technologies has identified predictive factors of individual adoption. However, this research largely assumes technology adoption-as-use, which, I argue, is technology-centric and disregards the role of teachers and their teaching practice. Following a people-centred approach, I sought to focus on teachers’ experiences during technology adoption and in doing so contribute to the notion of adoption-as-process. I undertook interpretive phenomenology research, conducting semi-structured interviews with a group of seven academic teachers in a New Zealand university where a new learning management system (LMS) was implemented following an institutional-wide LMS review. I analysed the interview data using a reflexive thematic analysis method. The findings indicate that technology adoption is more than technology use; it is laden with emotional experiences, learning experiences, experiences of inability to perform and experiences of incongruence in the teaching space. To facilitate appropriate individual adoption, the study calls for future research to focus on adoption-as-process and institutional practice to address emotional responses, enable learning in safe and authentic environments, scaffold performance, and align existing policies and practices with new technologies.

As many international students attending Western universities do not have English as their first language, they can experience difficulty sharing their wealth of ideas. As critical thinking and academic writing are often mutually

As many international students attending Western universities do not have English as their first language, they can experience difficulty sharing their wealth of ideas. As critical thinking and academic writing are often mutually dependent, this study sought to explore how international students express their ideas and how this can be further supported in the classroom. Using educational design research, 20 tertiary foundation students received 12 weeks instruction in critical thinking and academic writing and their output assessed pre and post course. The study established that students could demonstrate critical thinking on entry to the program and, with focused instruction, were able to further enhance their skills. However, findings also illustrate that the students did not possess the same ability to construct advanced written representation of their ideas. This study suggests that consideration be given to alternate methods of assessment and instruction that recognise international students’ existing critical thinking skills base.

Convergent education calls for the dismantling of long held academic borders, and for the blurring of traditional academic divisions. It emphasizes the development of professionals who are comfortable thinking across traditional boundaries

Convergent education calls for the dismantling of long held academic borders, and for the blurring of traditional academic divisions. It emphasizes the development of professionals who are comfortable thinking across traditional boundaries and who are equipped to best meet the needs of today’s society through critical thinking and problem solving. In doing so, it focuses on issues central to and concurrent with a student’s present experience. As we explore, we find that despite a variety of implementations of multidisciplinary approaches, an implementable framework for convergent education that is transferable across university settings seems lacking. We offer a framework for defining, identifying, and evaluating convergent education and apply this to a 2020 undergraduate course at the University of Portland. In addition to the development of a framework and analysis of convergent learning within the case study, we find that despite the ready need for and applicability of convergent-based education, more traditional academic structures predispose both students and educators towards educational outcomes that remain largely siloed, particularly in the divide between STEMM and non-STEMM majors. We demonstrate how the existing mismatch between intended convergent education outcomes and traditional academic structures may limit convergent education possibilities and we propose areas in which higher education can improve in developing professionals who are equipped to address the most pressing global issues.