Use and integration of computer and computer-related technology by faculty members at the Institute of Public Administration in Saudi Arabia.

摘要

Educators are required to use and integrate computer and computer-related technology into their personal and professional tasks in order to facilitate the teaching/learning process as well as to prepare their students for current and future demands of the technologically advanced business world. Evaluation of the current state of use and integration of computer and computer-related technology by faculty members at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in Saudi Arabia should assist in planning for faculty training and development programs.;This study had three purposes. Those were: (a) to evaluate the current state of use and integration of computer and computer-related technology applications, telecommunications, and hardware by the IPA faculty members into their personal and professional tasks at the Institute of Public Administration in Saudi Arabia, (b) to see how the IPA faculty members felt about using and integrating computer and computer-related technology into their personal and professional tasks, and (c) to find out what the IPA faculty members considered to be the major barriers that impeded the use and integration of computer and computer-related technology into their professional tasks.;A survey was completed by 193 faculty members representing 62.05% of the IPA headquarters faculty population. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between faculty members from different fields of specialty in the use and integration of computer and computer-related technology (applications, telecommunications, and hardware) into their personal and professional tasks.;Faculty members in Computer Science used and integrated computer and computer-related technology more than faculty members in most of the fields included in the study. Word processing was the most frequently used application, electronic mail was the most frequently used telecommunication, and CD-ROM was the most frequently used hardware by the IPA faculty members.;The results indicated that the IPA faculty members had positive attitudes toward the use and integration of computer and computer-related technology into their personal and professional tasks. They rated lack of training as the first major barrier that impeded them from using and integrating computer and computer-related technology into their professional tasks. They rated lack of administrative support and lack of time, equally, as the second major barriers. They rated lack of available software and hardware fourth, lack of technical support fifth, and lack of self-confidence last.;It is recommended that institutions should provide their faculty members with necessary training programs in computer and computer-related technology, provide them with more release and free time, more administrative and technical support, and provide them with software and hardware.