The role of information technology in technology- mediated learning: A review of the past for the future

Abstract

Technology-mediated learning refers to an environment in which the learner's interactions with learning materials, peers, and/or instructors are mediated through information technologies (Alavi and Leidner, 2001). The objective of this paper is to review current research on technology-mediated learning on the basis of a theoretical framework derived from the existing literature. In the theoretical framework, three groups of determinants (human dimension, design dimension, and information technology) are presented that influence students' psychological learning process, which eventually lead to different learning outcomes. The literature review shows that some of the relationships between information technology and other dimensions have been heavily examined (e.g., the influence of a technology feature on learning outcomes), while some others have been ignored (e.g., the influence of IT on student's psychological process). Research questions that can help advance our understanding of technology-mediated learning are also presented and discussed.