Abstract:

This paper deals with how a redesigned digitalized learning environment over time affects the police teachers' technology use and perceptions of its value in relation to the implementation of teaching and student learning.

The pace of digitalization of higher education and vocational training can be described as explosive (Laurillard, 2013). The limited research that is available points to both development opportunities in terms of increased student influence and learning activities (Andrews & Tynan, 2012) and challenges that can be attributed to the limiting effects of learning cultures (Fairchild, Meiners & Violette, 2016; Reid, 2014).

The unit of police education at Umeå University are changing. To complement the traditional campus mode for basic police training a distance mode was launched and in addition some further education courses and a specialized fast mode education were also implemented. Recently a new building for police education have been build and put into use and it contains a redesigned digitalized learning environment. It includes smartboards, a new shooting simulator, film cameras, microphones and speakers in training facilities with possibilities to capture, distribute sound, save and stream what happens, and systems for online meetings and seminars. During the first year of use, a support service was connected to the Unit. The changes have also led to an increased number of teachers and there are at the moment approximately 70 teachers affiliated to the Unit of Police education. The teachers are divided into two categories, department teachers from different departments at the university who have parts of their teaching at the unit and police teachers who are police officers who have time-limited contracts at the Unit.

Against this background, the aim of this study is to describe and analyze the one-year impact of a redesigned digitalized learning environment in basic police training at the Umeå University, regarding teachers' use of the technology and their perceptions on the implementation in terms of opportunities and challenges. Furthermore, the purpose is to explore the teachers' perceptions on how the use of digital tools affects the teacher role and the students' learning processes and goal fulfilment.

The data collection consisted of questionnaires that were carried out in two stages, one after 3 months in the new educational building and the other when just over one year had passed (August 2019). The questionnaire consisted of 14 statements that the teachers answered according to a likert scale (1-5), as well as opportunities to comment on their answers. The questionnaire was divided into the following themes: background questions, teaching and learning effects for teachers and students.

The results following the first questionnaire show a wide distribution on all questions, with a mean <=3. Furthermore, differences in teachers’ perceptions are marginal, regardless of each background variable. Noteworthy for the result is that one-third (9/26) of the teachers is yet to use the technology in the new building continuously, having rarely or never tried the new technology in their teaching. Finally the results indicates the tendency for teachers to focus on functioning technology rather than pedagogical possibilities, regarding the teacher role, student role as well as in relation to students’ learning processes and goal fulfillment.

Keywords:

Redesigned digitalized learning Environment, Police Education, Teaching, Learning.