Technology and Pedagogy

Technology has done amazing things for us and yet we still seem to be overloaded with work and we're still faced with many of the learning difficulties that we had a good few years ago. In fact, the problems appear to get worse as there are more demands placed on Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDI's) and its resources to enhance learning for a growing student population. As academics we are faced with having to ensure not only that students succeed in their studies but also that they become the kind of model citizens that are able to contribute to and critically evaluate societal norms. That is a big ask especially considering that we are facing an up-hill battle overcoming the problems of today such as limited human and financial resources and yet our government asks us to deliver more in the face of financial cutbacks. It is here I believe that the appropriate use of technology can truly be realized to address the learning needs of our students. Here is one example of how we can save and make things a little easier on the individual student by creating epistemological access through the employment of technology.

 Standing in endless queues making photocopies of textbooks or journals seems to be part and parcel of student life...but does it have to be? In a climate where Graduate Attributes has become more than just a catch phrase to something that there needs to be some tangible evidence of are we doing our bit to embed those attributes not just in mainstream curricula but also in our services and support that we deliver. While it can be argued that no-one is forcing students to copy books (use more paper) there appears to be very little that we are doing to discourage it either.

Perhaps we've become so accustomed to doing things a certain way that we no longer question its relevance or place in a technological age. Why are we not opting to have books scanned to PDF?

a) we can then choose if we actually want to print the whole chapter or only the parts we actually want to read.
b) There would be a reduced environmental impact as technology would actually help us save on paper.
c) There would be fewer ques due to mechanical breakdown of large bulky photocopy machines.
d) Those spaces previously occupied by these large copiers could be put to effective use as flexible learning spaces.
e) The noise levels in libraries might actually be reduced due to less machinery and students buzzing while standing in queues.
f) This might actually be an effective way of using the student populace to  digitize older in-house publications

Possible obstacles to this approach?

a) The mindsets re: scholarly behaviour by academia.
b) Lack of access to adequate technologies to deal with digital books (gadgets are becoming more ubiquitous)
c) Copyright laws and library agreements with publishers (they are being broken in any case)
d) Agreements with vendors

Any comments from librarians who might have some further insights on this? I am sure there are many examples of how technology has been employed but only to perpetuate old habits. In so doing, does technology really improve our lives?What message are we sending to learners if we do not practice what we preach? Do such practices help to embed the envisaged graduate attributes?