The Xanadu Project: Training Faculty in the Use of ICT for University Teaching

Technology Enhanced Learning methodologies are becoming an important part of University teaching but faculty members have tended to shy away from using them. So, how can they be enticed to use them effectively? What approaches can be employed? The purpose of the Xanadu Project was to analyse the problems involved and to propose a model for training, based on experimentation at the University of Turin. Besides providing a model, this article will deal with the follow-up, particularly regarding the faculty members' initial approach to using ICT, as well as examine the motives and conditions influencing their choices. In this sense, the project has enabled us to come to a better understanding of the typical misconceptions leading teachers to favour methodological approaches based on the distributive use of ICT (which are considered less demanding to manage), rather than networked collaborative interaction which actually involve students more. In this regard, Xanadu has shown how teachers' awareness may be developed towards adopting a wide range of TEL approaches through both gradual training (project-oriented with a basic and an advanced course) and with the help of a graduate assistant capable of following e-content development and online collaborative activities. The effectiveness of the method may be confirmed by the large number of faculty members continuing to use ICT to support their teaching despite having no specific university TEL projects.