Guidelines for the effective use of audio-visual technology in lecture rooms at North-West University

Abstract

The use of audio-visual (AV) technology at institutions of higher learning has improved the methods and techniques used to deliver knowledge content to students. While these technological devices keep advancing in our society and daily lives, some institutions are not up to date with the evolving technological changes. The new generation of tertiary lecturers and students are dynamically involved in the use of these devices in their daily lives and it would also make it easy for them to use the same devices even in the lecture rooms for education purposes. However, some lecturers still struggle to effectively apply these technologies in their lectures. The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for the effective use of AV technology in lecture rooms at North-West University (NWU). The study identified the different barriers that affect use of AV technology by lecturers in lecturing rooms. In situations where AV technology is available for use in lecture rooms, the barriers that led to lecturers not to make use of the equipment, were determined and guidelines were developed for effective use. The study was conducted using an interpretive research approach, where the researcher applied grounded theory to understand the problems, situation and context of the research participants. The development and structuring of interview questions were guided by the literature review. The interviews with NWU lecturers were used to collect rich qualitative data. The collected data were analysed, coded, and categorised in order to develop themes and patterns that emerged from the participants. Interpretive content analysis method was applied to analyse the data and to develop guidelines for lecturers for the effective use of AV technology at NWU. The study outcomes reflect the barriers and challenges identified in the literature and the findings of the study in such a way that these guidelines should improve the effective use of AV technology in lecture rooms for lecturers.