Further education tutors lack time and support to utilise technology

Most (80%) further education tutors believe the use of technology has a positive impact on teaching and learning, but 62% say they lack the time and support to explore all the options according to City & Guilds research.

Surveying 600 further education professionals, the City & Guilds: Technology in FE Survey Report found two-thirds (66%) feel technology improves teaching and learning, but better support and investment is needed to move the industry forward.

Three quarters (75%) of respondents said they find technology useful for tracking student progress or conducting tests (74%), and 72% said they see it as beneficial to sharing resources with students outside of lessons. 

The survey also indicated the age of the tutor is not a barrier in wanting to adopt technology in teaching, finding that more than third of tutors who qualified before 1999 said they use all technology available, compared with 17% of those who qualified three to four years ago.

Due to the research, City & Guilds is calling for further education leaders to support tutors in experimentation time and the provision of news tools to enable them to use new technologies.

Kirstie Donnelly, UK managing director of City & Guilds, said: “The research shows on the one hand a positive step forward in the attitudes of FE practitioners to embrace learning technology and on the other a continued lack of support, training and time for tutors to make the best use of the technology available. 

"Whenever a big change is needed in the system it is often the tutors who suffer as they struggle to learn new skills and ways of teaching without being given any extra support.

“Using technology in teaching and learning is no longer optional and tutors want and need to embrace the digital future and the onus is on the sector as a whole to ensure that they are not held back. 

"It is crucial that we ensure tutors have access to the time and support they need to become confident practitioners, and for senior management to ensure that resources are forthcoming.”