HIIT aims to equip HE STEM teachers with the ability to integrate instructional technology into their courses by teaching them how to design, develop, use, manage, and evaluate the process of learning mediated by technology applications. More specifically, HIIT aims to equip he stem teachers with: - the self-efficacy, competencies and skills needed to understand the principles and constructs of instructional technology and rapidly leverage these to mitigate the impact of closure and safeguard the inclusive nature of learning opportunities. - the ability to integrate instructional technology into their courses by teaching them how to design, develop, use, manage, and evaluate the process of learning mediated by technology applications. - knowledge on how instructional technology can increase the inclusiveness of students with learning barriers.
The recent sudden shift to online and distance learning requires a different approach to instruction (especially when it comes to practice or lab-based courses). While it is important to enable HE teachers to develop digital competences; this is not sufficient. HE STEM teachers must change their perspective to ensure that learners are not left behind. HE teachers are predominantly research focused and specialists in their specific domain. They are currently ill equipped with the skills, competencies and capacity required to absorb the principles of good educational design needed to create bespoke materials in short time frames. HE teachers need wider support to help them to be ready to embrace the technologies to their full potential. While these needs already exist, they have become more acute due to the COVID pandemic, which has rapidly accelerated the transfer to on-line learning.