Researching a Decade of ICT in Post-Secondary Education

Abstract

This paper reviews published research on information and communication technology (ICT) in post-secondary education since 1998 and identifies the extent to which this research addresses government policy, indicating areas in which further research would be beneficial to meet the challenges contained in government reports. The paper is written to inform government agencies and researchers of the gaps in the research to date. The published papers were wide-ranging, informative and enriching in scope and evidenced the important role of ICT in post-secondary education. The majority of publications were based on empirical inquiry of successful small-scale case studies to guide present and future practice, though less research was evidenced to support other government directives, for example, the role of ICT in cross-institutional collaboration and the role of ICT to support sharing of teaching and resources. There was limited research on theoretical inquiry, providing original perspectives, ideas and ideals to shape future thinking and few cross-sector and inter-institutional studies identifying the role of ICT to improve teaching and learning. It was concluded that future research would benefit from a greater balance between empirical research and theoretical enquiry and to identify more strategically significant cross-institutional research to support the government’s vision of making Hong Kong a regional education hub.