Abstract:

Technology as learning tool has been embraced by some teachers, but resisted by many more. Yet, technology offers an opportunity for an enriched curriculum. Tertiary institutions are responsible for creating the synergy needed to deliver a technologically imbued curriculum so that future generations learn the technological culture that will be expected of them by the society.
Sometimes the fears of faculty are debilitating and prevent them from delving in or implementing technology; and their autonomy prevents the cross-pollination of ideas of technology usage across departments. Hence, the challenge to institutions is to establish a shared vision of the power of technology, and to implement a professional development program with suitable rigor to challenge more advanced lecturers while supporting the novices.

21st century society has been described as polarized with several groups feeling a sense of alienation. Education, which has often been thought of as a mirror image of society, has been portrayed as a being in a volatile state with competing philosophical, economic social and political interests (Sanborn, Santos, Montgomery & Caruthers, 2005; Lindsay & Poindexter, 2003).
The literature has placed educators squarely at the center of the debate, stating that their job was to generate unity and direction out of chaos, and provide the society with the tools needed to succeed in life (Lindsay & Poindexter, 2003). One of those tools was recognized as technology. Civilization was presented as being on a continuum from an information age to a learning society (Aguolu, 1997; Baxter, 2003; Chafy, 1997). This was said to create tensions between traditional methodologies and new organizational systems (Aguolu; Brown, Benson & Uhde, 2004; Von Holzen, 2005). The paradigm shift was paralleled by several movements in the field of education including the move towards collaboration, customer driven orientation for higher education, education as a business venture and on line education (Kidney, 2004; Van Holzen).
The infusion of technology into the society in general, and education in particular, was seen as posing challenges as well as offering opportunities for growth of educational organizations (Aguolu, 1997; Von Holzen, 2005). The discourse on infusing technology into the school curriculum pointed to the role of faculty of higher educational institutions in passing on the skill to pre-service teachers in particular as well as the broader student population.
If education is to remain relevant to the needs of future generations, challenge and lead society and satisfy the basic requirements of the society in which it exists, faculty will have to become technology savoir-faire realizing that new technologies will continue to evolve. Teachers will have to master technological as well as pedagological skills that allow for effective integration and evaluation of teaching methods. Professional development will need to be modular, egalitarian, and motivational. Collaborative relationships between faculty, staff, and community will need to be built and maintained by all stakeholders in the education process.

Keywords:

technology.