814-865-1818 tlt@psu.edu

Teaching and Learning Research

Discovering how technology enhances pedagogy is a driving force behind our efforts here at TLT, and a great deal of what we learn comes from our collaborations with others across the University. Through our research projects, an understanding is developed with regards to how technology supports teaching and learning in a wide range of contexts.

Current & Recent Research Projects

Gen AI & ChatGPT

Our GenAI research is guided by the intersection of communication and higher education. We take a critical view of how the perceptions of AI technologies are formed by the communication practices within higher education by faculty, students, and staff.

Technostress & Burnout

The constant connection, disruption, distraction, and need to learn new technology, or technostress, can make faculty feel overwhelmed, tired, or disengaged, impacting their ability to teach. Faculty are tired, overworked, and overwhelmed, which impacts their teaching, and is unlikely to be solved by more instructional technology. How instructional technology influences feelings of burnout is important to study, not only for the wellbeing of instructors, but also for critical decision making about training and technology adoption.

Generating Insights Through Research

Actively engaging in research helps us develop a deeper understanding of how technology, space, and tools contribute to learning. Our interest areas are centered around teaching and learning, and partnerships on research projects that have the power to change the way we think about technology.

A laptop displaying a graph on screen

Our Areas of Research

An instructor leans on writeable tables and talks to a group of collaborating students

Learning Spaces

The environments of learning are a critical, though sometimes overlooked element in student success efforts. Classrooms, computer labs, and third-spaces provide the context for informal and formal learning, and ways for students to interact with technology, instructors, and each other. Our research seeks to uncover what these affordances mean for both faculty pedagogy and student learning.

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Data Informed Culture

We research the use of a data-empowered culture in higher education and the changing needs of faculty and students in the classroom and online. Learning analytics and emerging technology use, like artificial intelligence, can help inform instructors about pedagogical choices and support students with their own learning efforts.

A teacher listens as a technologist explains a mobile app

Technology Needs, Uses and Access

Our work seeks to advance the use of educational technology, focusing on equitable use and access for faculty and students, and understanding the larger implications these tools have on teaching and learning. Whether surveying students about remote learning needs or asking faculty how feelings of burnout impact their choice of instructional technology, we have deep interest to make sure faculty and students have the right technology.

More Resources

We have more information on our Sharepoint site (PSU credentials required)

Partner with Us

TLT is committed to supporting scholarly pursuits across Penn State. Please contact us if you are interested in collaborating on a research project.

Get in Touch