The Digital Age: Changing Roles of Lecturers at a University of Technology in South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory mixed methods study was to investigate the level of digital technologies acceptance at a University of Technology in South Africa and how lecturers perceive as their new roles in the digital age. A total of 86 lecturers from four programmes in the School of Teacher Education participated in the study. The data for the study was collected using questionnaires and an interview schedule. The study found that the majority of academics surveyed used mobile telephones and computer-based technology more frequently compared to other digital technologies. These findings indicate the high level of technology acceptance among lecturers in the School of Teacher Education. The second part of the study found that the perceived changing roles were influenced by the frequent use of computer-based technologies within and outside the classroom. The study highlight two implications that need to be addressed, namely, technology acceptance and management of roles associated with digital technology use.