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Literature Review

Many aspects of integrating technology and collaborative learning has been studied in many parts of the world.  In India the concept is still new and the availability of resources and teachers equipped with the skills of integrating technology as an integral part of the curriculum are limited.  This review focuses on the articles which are particularly relevant to integration of technology and collaborative learning in the curriculum.

A number of studies have analyzed the problems in introducing technology integration at the university level [Alison & Scott 1998, Antee & Rush 1999, Stetson, R., & Bagwell, T. 1999]. The resistance of the teacher educators in familiarizing themselves with using and integrating technology, the proper training required to help them integrate technology and the extra time they need to spend on learning to use technology and guide their students is discussed by the authors. According to Antee, J., & Rush, G. (1999,)  there are five barriers that inhibit higher education faculty from integrating technology in teacher education coursework which include less expertise  of the faculty members in technology than their students,  lack of equipment and outdated equipments not replaced and overall reluctance to try something new. 

A qualitative study regarding technology integration in a teacher education programme is presented by Falba, C. J., Strudler, N. B., & Bean, T. W. (1999). Their article describes  the phases of technology integration and then gives anecdotal type reflections from the faculty who participated in the study. The feelings of the  faculty during the various stages of integration are discussed in detail. Ennis, W., & Ennis, D. (1996) also offer a number of ways to enhance the use of technology in teacher education programs.

A number of studies focus on pre-service education in particular and they discuss how to make the future teachers readily accept the concept of technology integration. Gillingham, M. G., & Topper, A. (1999)
offer four alternatives, namely,  single course, technology infusion, student performance and case based, for ensuring the readiness of pre-service teachers. The researchers stress the need to incorporate technology into the pre-service programs in relevant and meaningful ways.  Bednar, A. K., & Charles, M. T. (1999, March) suggest a  constructivist approach for introducing pre-service teachers to educational technology and they feel that ”too much emphasis is sometimes placed on learning the tools rather than learning how to integrate the tools.”  

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