The Effects of Faculty Status, Faculty Gender, Field of Study, and Class Size on the Use of Blogs, Wikis, and Discussion Boards

This study examined faculty's use of time intensive Web 2.0 technologies (blogs, discussion forums, and wikis) in teaching during a university's quest for higher research productivity and higher ranking in the Carnegie Classification. Results show there was a difference in using Web 2.0 technologies in teaching between faculty with different status (tenure track and non-tenure track), male and female instructors, and among faculty members in different disciplinary areas. The study also reports how class sizes impacted faculty's use of time-consuming technologies in teaching across disciplines. Findings indicate the importance of planning and building technological changes and integration into an organizational strategic planning process to ensure continuing and effective integration of technology in teaching.