On Being Earnest: The Importance of Engaging With Technology in Education

On Being Earnest: The Importance of Engaging With Technology in Education

Thomas E. Webster
DOI: 10.4018/IJCALLT.2018100101
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Abstract

Communicative practices in second language learning are underpinned by the assumption that they will enable students to apply lessons to real life circumstances outside the classroom. However, the disparity between the dearth of technology integration in tertiary English education in Korea and its central position in Korean society cannot be overstated. As found in one of the most recent studies by Webster (2011) on teachers' perceptions and uses of technology, teachers often lack motivation to make changes owing to a lack of reliable resources, training and professional development support. This article, therefore, provides the underpinning for a new theoretical approach to promoting a more culturally holistic engagement with technology at Korean universities and education in general.
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Barriers To Technology Use At Korean Universities

The call to expand the view of the barriers to technology use beyond isolated variables to a more holistic consideration began nearly two decades ago (Becker, 2000; van den Berg, 2002). Even then, this may be seen as a natural reaction to the overabundance of specific barriers to integration that had been identified, with some implicitly suggesting that there are few factors in education which do not seem to play at least a minor role in technology integration. For instance, consider what Becker, in 2000, provided as an explanation of the necessary factors for successful integration:

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