Research Article
Julio Cabero-Almenara, Carmen Llorente-Cejudo, Cristóbal Ballesteros-Regaña, María Victoria Fernández-Scagliusi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 18, Issue 4, Article No: ep690
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the perceptions of university faculty regarding the challenges of integrating augmented reality, virtual reality, and extended reality technologies into higher education. Using a non-experimental design, a Likert-type questionnaire was administered to a sample of 775 faculty members from Spanish and Ibero-American universities to assess difficulties across five dimensions: technical, pedagogical, economic, resistance to change, and ethical-social. The results indicate that faculty perceive these challenges as significant, with economic (mean [M] = 8.04) and pedagogical (M = 7.40) barriers being rated as the most prominent. The most highly rated issues include insufficient faculty training (M = 8.50), the lack of clear educational models (M = 8.22), and the absence of financial incentives (M = 8.08). While no significant gender-based differences were found in the overall score or in four of the five dimensions, female faculty rated ethical-social barriers significantly higher. The analysis also identified statistically significant variations based on university location (with Ibero-American faculty perceiving greater difficulties than their Spanish counterparts), as well as age and teaching experience, where older and more experienced faculty reported a stronger perception of the challenges. The study concludes that overcoming these barriers requires strategic institutional measures, including faculty training programs with a strong pedagogical focus, robust financial planning that accounts for maintenance and updates, and the promotion of a culture of innovation to facilitate the effective adoption of these technologies.
Keywords: augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality, higher education, faculty perceptions, adoption barriers
Research Article
Filomachi Spathopoulou, Konstantinos M. Pitychoutis, Stavros Papakonstantinidis
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 17, Issue 4, Article No: ep600
ABSTRACT
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, impacting pedagogical practices, administrative processes, and faculty engagement with technology. While AI holds promise to enhance learning and streamlining operations, its adoption remains complex and debated. This study examines faculty perceptions of AI integration, focusing on factors such as teaching experience, institutional context, and disciplinary specialization. Using a quantitative survey, the research explores AI engagement across institutions and disciplines, analyzing how demographic factors influence adoption. Findings suggest that junior faculty and those in technology-driven environments demonstrate higher AI confidence and adoption, whereas senior faculty engage in AI leadership yet express skepticism about its pedagogical applications. Disciplinary differences reveal that faculty in content-based fields view AI as a teaching tool, while those in applied disciplines utilize it more strategically for administrative and leadership functions. The study also addresses ethical and institutional challenges, including concerns over data privacy, algorithmic bias, and institutional readiness. By identifying these barriers, the research highlights strategies for fostering AI literacy, professional development, and ethical implementation in higher education. This study contributes to the discourse on AI in academia by presenting an educator-centered perspective, bridging the gap between technological advancement and pedagogical practice. The findings provide academic leaders and policymakers with insights on creating AI-inclusive environments that align with faculty needs, uphold ethical standards, and enhance student learning outcomes.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, faculty perceptions, pedagogical practices, AI adoption, ethical challenges, institutional readiness
Research Article
Khitam Shraim, Helen Crompton
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 4, pp. 301-318
ABSTRACT
Smart mobile devices (SMDs), especially smartphones and tablets, are becoming increasingly ubiquitous among educators and students in Palestine. While their use is on the rise, many academics are not effectively incorporating this technology into their teaching, which may be attributable to their negative perceptions of these devices. This study therefore examined academics’ perceptions of the value of integrating SMDs into their teaching activities. A questionnaire survey collected data from 56 academic staff of the Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie, eliciting perceptions of the physical attributes of SMDs, participants’ self-efficacy, the pedagogical affordance of mobile devices and challenges to their use in teaching. The findings show that participants were still at the stage of actively experimenting with smartphones and iPads, trialing their use at different levels and for different purposes. In general, although participants were unaware of the full potential of their functionalities, they viewed positively the various pedagogical affordances of integrating these devices into their teaching activities. The most important affordances were linking formal and informal learning spaces by providing anywhere-anytime learning opportunities, and developing interest in the subject matter, thus making learning experience more enjoyable, meaningful, and accessible. The results also identify various challenges including lack of experience and knowledge, finding the time to design and implement such integration, and selecting appropriate apps for the content being taught. Participants also expressed concerns with the limited connectivity and unreliability of Wi-Fi and 3G/4G networks in Palestine.
Keywords: Higher education, Smart mobile devices, Mobile learning, Faculty perceptions