Chinese Scholars’ Perspectives Regarding Educational Technology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives that Chinese scholars hold regarding educational technology. An illustrative case study with purposive sampling was used to gain this understanding. Fifty-two participants representing faculty in educational technology from 34 different universities in China, a majority ranging in ages from 36 to 50 years old, and most having worked in the educational technology field for more than 10 years, completed and submitted the survey. After analyzing the data, the author found that most participants perceived that the strength of educational technology in China was attributable to the strong funding support from the Chinese government, but the faculty members also felt that this field needed help with research methodology. To help improve educational technology in China, the major efforts the participants believed would be most useful included self-development, enhancing academic exchanges, conducting research, applying theories in practice, and improving training/teaching and learning. The pace of development in educational technology in China is fast; however, there is concern for how Chinese scholars deal with the potential problems arising with this rapidly developing field. The current situation in China provides great opportunities for academic exchanges globally.