Zuheir N Khlaif

This candidate statement details my competencies within various categories of scholarship, teaching and service activities that align with my interests, scholarly goals and desired future position.  It also provides indicators that document my progress towards acquiring these competencies in the field of Instructional Systems Technology.

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My Primary Goal 

 

Based on my background and experience, my primary goal is to conduct research in the field of technology integration in K-12. My definition of technology here includes digital devices including desktop computers, laptops, mobile tablets, interactive whiteboards and as well as associated software applications and Internet. Hew and Brush (2007) define technology integration as “the use of computing devices such as desktop computers, handheld computers, software, or the internet in K-12 schools for instructional purposes” (p.225). This research is leading to a greater understanding of the role of teachers, students, local community, policymakers, and other stakeholders during adoption and deployment processes. Furthermore, I am interested in conducting research about the impact of technology on teachers’ performance as well as its impact on learning outcomes. The research is not limited only to technology integration in classroom instruction, but I would like to develop educational intervention programs that focus on supporting teachers to integrate various types of technology in class activities. In order to achieve these goals, I plan to pursue a tenure-track position of professor-designer. The contribution of my research is to shed light on crucial issues about why technology has been used in classroom, how teachers handled new technology, what factors influenced teachers’ adoption of technology in classroom instruction, what purpose should technology serve, how the integration process is administered in a government mandate program, and what its impact on students’ performance. 

Teachers play an important role in the success or failure of technology integration (Ertmer, 2005; Aypay et al., 2012). However, it is hard for teachers to share their ideas and opinions about technology integration because the decision generally comes from a higher level in the Ministry of Education without asking teachers or consulting with them; that means teachers have to implement the innovation without discussion. According to Rogers (2003), this is called authority innovation-decision process. 

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My Background

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I became interested in the Instructional Systems Technology (IST) program for many reasons. First, my teaching experiences at elementary and high schools in Palestine has increased my interest in the field of educational technology to enhance my teaching approach which is student-centered approach and pursuing a Ph.D., in the Instructional Systems Technology (IST) program. Second, my work experiences as a trainer (training teachers about how to integrate technology into their practices), and designing various in-class activities in Educational Resources Center and E-Learning Project in Ministry of Education. The training sessions were about how to use Overhead Projector, TV & Video, and Slide Projector. In addition, training teachers to design activities by using computers and produce transparencies to be used on Overhead Projector. Third, after starting my Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Development, & Evaluation at Syracuse University this interest grew as I acquired new vocabulary to express design concepts and analyze instructional material from new angles. The coursework in my Master’s program focused on theories of learning that are foundational to Instructional Systems Technology including technology integration in various settings. Four, the Ministry of education started implementing ICT in education since 2000, and in 2010 has implemented a new initiative called Promoting e-Learning in Palestinian Schools. The purpose of the project is to create an interactive environment between students, teachers and the local community inside and outside classrooms and to improve learning outcomes in Science, Math, Arabic Language, and English Language (MoE, 2010). In the beginning, I developed an interest in educational practices through working as a teacher for different subjects like Science, Math, Physics, and Technology. Based on my work experience in the Ministry of Education and non-profit organization (Cultural Forum Society), and my Master’s education, I began to understand what happens during the integration process of an innovation and the procedures used to implement it. Through communications with teachers, I know more about what obstacles impede the implementation process, how teachers and administrators try to overcome these barriers, and what types of technology I can use to meet teachers, administrators’ and students’ needs. I realized that humans play a crucial role in the success or failure of using technology to develop the outcomes of various organizations (Ertmer, 2005; Aypay et al., 2012). There are various barriers associated with technology integration in classrooms and online training, such as a lack of appropriate resources and lack of advanced training in using available resources (Ertmer, 2005; Ertmer et al., 2012; Hew Brush, 2007). These experiences helped me to shape my understanding of technology-supported instructional practices.

My interest has been influenced by the debate between Kozma (1994) and Clark (1994) in terms of the effect of technological media on the learning process. Clark argued that media would never influence learning itself (Clark, 1994), but it could motivate students to learn topics such as science and mathematics (Ng & Gunstone, 2002; Nugent, Soh, & Samal, 2006). Furthermore, it could support student engagement in the learning process (Baloian & Zurita, 2009). Clark (1994) also argued that media can provide benefits in terms of costs, learning space, while strategies have significant effect on learning more than the type of medium (Abrantes, Seabra, and Lages, 2007). Likewise, previous research findings mentioned that the decision finally to use technology into classroom is made by classroom teachers. 

Teachers’ acceptance of technology use in the classroom is a cornerstone of the diffusion of technological innovations and technology use in classroom instruction (e.g. Aypay, Celik, Aypay, & Sever, 2012; Holden & Rada, 2011, El-Gayer, Moran, & Hawkes, 2011). Ertmer (2005) mentioned that technology integration focuses on opportunities for teaching and learning which might help in accomplishing complex goals. Using technology in teaching specific topic in specific context to achieve specific goal, it could be helpful to achieve that. 

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The relationship between instructional media and learning is comparable to the relationship between the truck that delivers groceries and our nutrition. With this distinction in mind, I agree that it is not the type of medium but the instructional strategies used by the instructor that most influence a student’s achievement. However, I strongly believe that teachers should integrate technology into their classroom practices. Therefore, various types of technology can serve as valuable tools that enrich instruction because it could provide us with various types or resources(audio, video, and visualize content).  In a nutshell, technology and instruction should be combined with each other.

However, the big question that comes to my mind will play the important role in shaping future research: what are the factors that influence teachers’ adoption and acceptance of technology into their practices? Because technology can unlock much potential in instructional methods, how can difficulties be avoided to maximize technology integration? The well-known Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and its derivatives such as TAM I, II, III, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and UTAUT 2 as well as Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT) are important frameworks to explore this area.

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Scholarship

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My educational background as well as teaching and service experiences have helped me to shape my goals and research related to technology integration issues, including acceptance, adoption, and diffusion of innovations. Teachers are the cornerstone of adoption and diffusion of new technology in the learning process (Cosmah & Saine, 2013). With the improvement of using technology in the learning process, new paradigms of using technology have appeared such as mobile learning (Traxler, 2007) and ubiquitous learning (Lyytinen & Yoo, 2002).  It is important to explore these new paradigms and their influence on students’ learning and teachers’ practices and perceptions (Li,2007). As a part of my broad interest in technology integration, I have finished my first author study entitled "Teachers’ Perceptions of Factors Affecting their Adoption and Acceptance of Mobile Technology in K-12 Settings" (Submitted to Journal of Research on Technology in Education). On the Research Competencies page, I will detail the significant factors, including the competencies I have gained that motivated me to pursue this field of research.  

To enhance my coursework, I have been involved continuously in three research groups in the IST department: Prof. Boling’s Design Research group, as well as Prof. Kwon’s CSCL and PBL research teams. These research groups have driven my growing aptitude in the selection and application of research methods, as well as improved my logistical skills for obtaining IRB approval, executing a study, undertaking research in a group, writing research proposals, conducting interviews, gaining information about theoretical frameworks, data collection, data analysis and coding. I also acquired new concepts and new language for research design. I have grown increasingly comfortable with several adoption and diffusion theories, especially Rogers’ (1995) Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), Davis’s TAM mode (1989) and Venkatesh’s and his colleagues’ UTAUT model (2003).

 

During my study in Ph.D. program, I read many research papers, especially for R711 course (Reading in Instructional Technology). In this course, my major literature review, “The Impact of Digital Games Based Learning (DGBL) on Student Engagement ”, was a synthesis of the current state of digital games in the learning process including the factors that influence the effective use of digital games in learning.  Through Dr. Kwon's CSCL group, I am working on my second paper with Prof. Kwon and my classmate Hamid Nadiruzzaman. The title of the research is “An Analysis of Participation and Interaction Patterns in Online Learning Community: A Case Study". The paper presented at AERA 2016.  I have detailed my research perspective along with my competencies on the Research Competencies page. 

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Goals of Teaching

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My career goal is to contribute deeper understanding of teachers’ technology integration through being a faculty member in a university where I can serve as a researcher and teacher.  This will enable me to teach ways to improve technology integration in K-12 to improve the quality of students’ learning experiences based on student-centered approach and to generate ideas to conduct research in this area.

According to Rogers (1983), learning should be learner driven and learners should have the ability to take responsibility for their own learning. My teaching philosophy is that learning should be learner-centered where the educators facilitate and help students to learn. I used this approach in my previous teaching practices, and I plan to continue using this approach because it transfers students from passive receivers of information to active participants through interaction with each other, collaboration among them, and participating in the activities.  

 

According to my teaching practices, I believe that teachers should be facilitators who support and guide their students to attain objectives rather than delivering information. In this manner, the learners will have more flexibility to interact with their peers and construct their own knowledge. Using learner-centered approach enable me to encourage my students to be highly active in their own learning processes. In my previous teaching practices, I used collaboration projects, working within small groups, sharing knowledge and experiences among the students in my classes. I will continue using this approach.

Using technology in the classroom enhance student-centered approach because it provides both the educator and students with the opportunity to present content visually, especially the complex concepts in science and math (Kricik & Soloway, 2001). Using educational technology can address students’ needs, enable them to access to information, as well as enhance their ability to learn from real-life practice (Weston & Bain, 2010; Kay & Lauricella, 2011; Sen & Passey, 2013). I will be a facilitator to promote technology integration to support student-centered approach by the teacher  and guide them step-by-step by providing them with job aids, video content, and real-life practice through my YouTube Channel (This is an example of teaching teachers how to use Articulate Storyline to produce interactive activities for their classes). To achieve my goals for teaching, I hope to contribute to my students' knowledge and experience in technology use in their classrooms. 

 

I believe that I will have many opportunities to implement my teaching goals after I return to my home country because the Ministry of Education has implemented a new initiative called Promoting Electronic Learning in Palestinian Schools. This project extended to Information Technology and Communication (ICT) project, which was started since 2000 (MoE, 2010).  Technology Integration projects will provide me an opportunity to explore different aspects of using technology in K-12. 

Prior to coming to Indiana University, I worked as a lecturer during the 2013-2014 academic year, teaching two sections each semester at Annajah National University in Palestine. I taught an education course on Computers in Education (Project-Based course), which included two theoretical classroom sessions and a practical one in the lab each week. The course covered different topics related to computer applications in education, multimedia, and training on different tools to design learning material (Syllabus in Arabic language describes the objective and the activities as well as the content of course). The practical lectures in the computer lab were used to teach the students, preservice teachers, how to edit video files by using Windows Movie Maker. I developed a rubric to evaluate students' projects at the end of each semester. Furthermore, I worked on training teachers and faculty members from different countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Palestine, and Libya through 2009-2013 on designing interactive contents by using various tools. Teaching in online environments has extended my face-to-face experience and fostered my ability to communicate with people without the benefits of face-to-face contact. The major challenges in online teaching were presenting the content on time, providing feedback, classroom management, and encouraging students to participate in the discussion as well as technical issues. Online teaching experience has been similar to my experience training through providing attention and shape individual experiences to meet personal goals. 

As a way of linking my teaching goals with my research goals, I have presented a study in The Third Annual Forum on e-learning Excellence in the Middle East, Dubai 2010. In collaboration with a Professor from Birzeit University, a local University, we presented the findings of a study on online classes, where I was teacher and developer of the instruction. In these classes, the students worked individually and within small groups. The class activities were project-based activities in order to enhance collaborative work among the students. Students produced material and shared it on the forum as well as reflect on it. In addition, students use the virtual classroom to share their knowledge. This approach enhanced the students' participation and interaction with each other. The paper and the presentation were aimed at practitioners that may be considering various electronic learning paradigms. Here is the link to the study: Students' Readiness Towards E-learning. A case study of Virtual Classrooms for secondary education in Palestine. Using technology to enhance student-centered approach in my teaching practics enabled me to publish another study with a professor in international journal. The title of the article is An e-learning approach to secondary education in Palestine: opportunities and challenges. 

 

 Through my journey in teaching in different context, I used various types of technology to enhance my teaching philosophy  and to encourage teachers to use technology in their practices. First, I taught Science and Math in Jeet Middle School in Qalqilia, Palestine between 1995-1997. Most of the class activities were dividing students into small groups to implement the in-class activities. I encouraged my students to use technology to access to information and promote the collaboration among them. My roles were facilitator and guidance the students to achieve the activities goals. Furthermore, I helped teachers and school administrators with technology use, and provided training for teachers who were interested in using technology in their classes.

Furthermore, I taught in Al-Nabi Ilias Secondary School Information Technology and Physics during 1998-2001. I designed interactive learning objects to use in my class activities such as A Journey from the Atom into Matter, (Arabic). I encouraged the students to use YouTube to watch videos about the human body and Physics experiments and share their knowledge in the classroom.

When I moved to work in an educational resources center, I started training teachers on using software to design their class activities as well as design some simulated experiments. One of the activities I designed was Using Educational Games in Classroom Settings.

I designed a wide variety of training materials that guided teachers in using programs such as Course Lab, Articulate Storyline to design interactive class activities. Furthermore, I created a Youtube Channel to teach Articulate Storyline by video online. These training materials were beneficial for both students and teachers, which helped teachers to develop activities by using technology to improve student engagement, motivation, and understanding.

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In Fall 2015, I conducted a training workshop about using Adobe Captivate 9 for Master’s students in IST for two months. This experience helped me to improve my communication skills and develop my presentation skills. It also gave me an opportunity to reflect on my performance in training.

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In Spring 2016, I assisted Rod Myers with his R541 course. I led the class many times through presenting, critiquing students’ projects and providing them feedback via face-to-face and online comments.  This experience helped me to reflect directly upon the field and develop critical thinking skills as a scholar about the development of the students’ projects and using theories related to our field. 

I have detailed my teaching perspective along with my competencies on the Teaching Competencies page.

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Goals of Service

Service in our field intertwines with both research and teaching; it is an integral part of rounding out our professional development in the field of Instructional Systems Technology. I have a long history of using my professional skills in a service context, including training on using different tools to design and develop multiple interactive and print materials for community and non-profit organizations.  These services allow me to contribute on an institutional and department level as well as on the level of  the community. I have attempted to choose projects that are both beneficial to the targeted participants and that hold value in my areas of research interest and practice.  For instance, I was the coordinator of an e-Learning project in a non-profit organization in my home country. Professionally on the departmental level, I reviewed for the IST Conference (2015-2016). I am currently a coordinator for the AECT DDL 2016 - Awards Coordinator and reviewer (Best Practices Award). This involved a blind peer review of four applications from graduate students and faculty member. 

I have served as a reviewer for Journal of Computing in Higher Education (JCHE) since spring 2015, and have reviewed for Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Learning since 2015, for AECT Convention (2016), Distance Learning Division, Design & Development Showcase,Design & Development Division, and reviewer for AERA 2017. Furthermore, I was facilitator two sessions in AECT International Convention 2015. In 2016, I serving as Co-Vice-President of Conference Planning in Graduates in Instructional Systems Technology (GIST).

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Primary Focus Area

 

​My primary focus area includes technology acceptance, adoption, and attitudes towards the technology by various stakeholders. Hsu, Hung, & Ching (2013) defined stakeholders as teachers, students, administrators, and local community. Integration technology is a broad topic. My current interest is in the adoption of mobile technologies and its integration into classroom instruction to enhance my teaching philosophy. Following my attempts to integrate technology into my teaching practices to enhance learner-centered strategies, I have deeply drawn on different studies of the factors that influence technology integration in order to prepare my first-authored study entitled "Teachers’ Perceptions of Factors Affecting their Adoption and Acceptance of Mobile Technology in K-12 Settings" (Submitted to a journal). Important studies that I drew on included Devis’s (1989), Roger’s (2000), Ertmer’s (2005), Hew & Brush (2007), Ertmer’s et al. (2012), Venkatesh et al (2003).

My main research interests are guided by my goal of enabling teachers to integrate various tools of technology into their practices in order to improve their performance in classroom instruction as well as to improve the learning outcomes. My primary focus area is technology integration, including issues related to adoption new technology, technology acceptance by teachers, administrators, local community, and students during adoption and deployment process of technological innovations technologies to improve technology integration into K-12 settings.  Rogers (2003) emphasized the importance of communication channels between new ideas and the individuals who interact with those ideas. According to my previous experience, teachers are at the center of the technology integration, adoption, and diffusion processes, and they play an important role in the success or failure of technology integration in education. I have supplemented this research focus through my activities in a range of research groups and my own studies.

To enhance my primary focus area, I am currently working with Prof. Kwon and four graduate students in Instructional Systems Technology to examine teachers’ attitudes and perceptions about using mobile devices in classroom instruction.

Furthermore, I am working with Dr. Kyungbin Kwon and another Ph.D. student, Hamid Nadir, on a study analyzing interaction in online learning communities (in progress). This research helped me to acquire qualitative skills that I can use in my primary focus research.

 

Breadth and Integration

My research, teaching, and service focus on technology integration in education and practitioner development settings. While the potential scope of research in this area is broad. My practical experience as a designer and my pursuits in an academic and research context provide a holistic perspective on this sub-topic. My academic focus is related to the integration of technology into my own teaching and pursuit of knowledge concerning technology integration with significant connections to the larger technology research community. The potential scope of my research in this area is broad as my interests include technology integration K-12 settings; encouraging, supporting, mentoring, and helping teachers and other stakeholders to use technology into teaching,learning, and innovations. These interests integrate my past, present, and future practical teaching experiences with my research achievements and goals. My focus is strongly integrated across the IST and HCI field, which is my minor, with significant connections to the larger design research community. 

In order to further strengthen my understanding in the field, I have participated in several research groups. These research groups strengthening research activities such as design and research, IRB protocol, conducting literature reviews, identifying gaps in research, and designing instruments to collect data.  One of these is a Design Research group with Prof. Elizabeth Boling, which examines core judgement of instructional designers. This is an empirical investigation study. This research group is relevant to my research interest and practice as well as to my minor in Human-Computer Interaction/Design because I can apply the findings of the study in my design practices. It helps inform any instructional design approaches I may use in the future in my major and minor. I have also taken part in the screencasting research team with Dr. Brush, Dr. Glazewski, and Dr. Kwon, which helped me to explore new methodology for video analysis. This research enables me to understand the meaning of user experience and how I can use this concept in my design practices through my minor Human- Computer Interaction/Design (HCI/D). 

 

My professional and educational journey have helped me to develop my interests and research agenda.  Although I view the goals of my scholarly work as part of technology integration in K-12, I am mostly interested teachers’ use of technology in their practices, as well as their adoption of mobile technologies. 

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Conclusion

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Throughout my educational career, I have experienced a variety of approaches to technology integration, all of which have shaped my views on the importance of technology integration, including the roles of teachers in the adoption and diffusion of technology.

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References

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Baloian, N., & Zurita, G. (2009). MC-Supporter: Flexible mobile computing supporting learning though social interactions. J. UCS, 15(9), 1833–1851.

Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21–29.

Cosmah, M., & Saine, P. (2013). Targeting digital technologies in common core standards: A framework for professional development. New England Reading Association Journal, 48(2), 81–86.

Kozma, R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7–19.

Li, Q. (2007). Student and teacher views about technology: A tale of two cities? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39(4)

Liyytinen, K. & Yoo, Y. (2002). Issues and Challenges in Ubiquitous Computing. Communications of the ACM , vol.45, no.12, pp.62 – 65

Ng, W., & Gunstone, R. (2002). Students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the World Wide Web as a research and teaching tool in science learning. Research in Science Education, 32(4), 489-510.

Nugent, G., Soh, L. K., & Samal, A. (2006). Design, development, and validation of learning objects. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 34(3), 271-281.

Rogers, C. R. (1983). Freedom to learn for the 80s. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. 

Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations (4th edition). New York: Free Press.

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th edition). New York: Free Press.

Seabra, C., Abrantes, J. L., & Lages, L. F. (2007). The impact of using non-media information sources on the future use of mass media information sources: The mediating role of expectations fulfillment. Tourism Management, 28(6), 1541-1554.

Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS quarterly, 425–478.

Traxler, J. (2007). Defining, Discussing and Evaluating Mobile Learning: The moving finger writes and having writ.... The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 8(2).

Aypay, A., Celik, H. C., Aypay, A., & Sever, M. (2012). Technology acceptance in education: A study of pre-service teachers in Turkey. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 11(4).

Hew, K. F., & Brush, T. (2007). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: Current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research.Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(3), 223-252.

Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology.

MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340.

Hsu, Y.-C., Hung, J.-L., & Ching, Y.-H. (2013). Trends of Educational Technology Research: More than a Decade of International Research in Six SSCI-Indexed Refereed Journals. Educational Technology Research and Development, 61(4), 685–705. R