FACULTY PERSPECTIVES ON BARRIERS OF BLENDED-LEARNING ADOPTION: A GHANA TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CASE STUDY
Aalborg University (DENMARK)
About this paper:
Conference name: 10th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies
Dates: 2-4 July, 2018
Location: Palma, Spain
Abstract:
Ghana Technology University College (GTUC) adopted Blended-Learning as the main teaching and delivery approach in 2014 with the aim of uploading eighty percent of course contents online by 2021.This approach however has not found wide spread adoption from faculty members who are expected to lead the drive. This paper presents findings from an exploratory, qualitative case study that examines the factors that inhibit faculty’s’ successful adoption of blended- learning. A total of 15 faculty members from four faculties of Ghana Technology University College (GUTC) responded to interview questions. Findings were based on content analysis of transcripts. The results of the study show that factors impacting on faculty decisions to adopt blended- learning were:- inadequate technical support, inadequate faculty capacity, wrong training approach, inadequate facilities, lack of management commitment to the implementation process, poor policy implementation, policy incoherence, poorly managed change management processes, faculty anxieties and job insecurities, faculty resistance to change, extra workload, poor delivery platform and system issues, erratic power supply and internet connectivity issues. This study indicates that there are major barriers that impact against faculty adoption of blended- learning. The findings help to articulate issues related to teachers’ adoption and implementation of blended- learning and in this way, contributes to the development of programs designed to address the relevant issues. Keywords:
Adoption, Blended Learning, e-learning and Online Learning.