A Framework for Assessing Technology-Assisted Learning Outcomes

Colleges and universities have been actively engaged in integrating technology in teaching and learning activities since the early 1990s. These activities have been as varied as the university’s missions and the clarity of their aims for technology-assisted instruction allowed. In tandem with the widespread institutional support for new computers and software many faculty invested time and energy in learning how to use the new tools in their own teaching and disciplines; other faculty went further and became agents for transforming teaching and learning within their institutions and in their professional organizations. However, worldwide global changes are happening faster than change is occurring in higher education teaching and learning curricula and the resulting learning outcomes of students. Acquiring the intellectual capabilities necessary for technology fluency and information literacy generally and in particular within content domains remains elusive. Growing calls for students to demonstrate technology fluency competencies in their disciplines and chosen professions is a pressing challenge and a necessity.