4. Conclusion: what about all together?

The themes/conclusions drawn from the case studies show multiple ways and benefits from applying technology to assist active learning in different disciplines. They also showcase technology’s power in enhancing aspects of research-based learning in the curriculum, such as interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary learning.

Students and staff will always have distinct motivations and rationales around working together. The differing perceptions of one another’s roles and tasks surely affects their motivation and their active engagement in the process of teaching and learning. Technology-based learning activities could act as a unifying platform for dealing with differences between professors and students, enhancing not only learning but also communication and collaboration.

Building on the R=T initiative and the UCL Connected Curriculum, voices coming from both sides should be heard. We can only benefit from the use of technology if it is used as an interactive ‘in-between’ zone, as a common teaching language between different disciplines, and also as a means familiar to both teachers and students – a platform that will enable role-exchanges within universities. Looking towards long-term changes in teaching and learning, the successful application of technology within the curriculum requires us to embrace change while also respecting tradition. This means we need dialogue if we are to reach the desired balance for both students and teachers.