Overwhelmed, overworked, and overly tired: Instructional technology influences on faculty burnout

Faculty are feeling burned out. They are tired, overworked, and overwhelmed, which impacts their teaching and unlikely to be solved by more adding more 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. We conducted interviews with 12 full-time faculty members to examine their experiences using instructional technology and the influence it has with feelings of burnout. Using Job Demands-Resource Theory as a framework, we find faculty often lack the time and energy needed to engage with new instructional technologies. Faculty described burnout as overwhelming exhaustion, disengagement, and depression-like symptoms, often caused by administrative workloads, student demands, and teaching responsibilities. Data show that while instructional technology could be a resource, the process of adopting new tools frequently led to feelings of being overwhelmed. The study emphasizes the importance of institutional support in the form of time, training, and resources to aid technology adoption. Additionally, personal recovery strategies play a critical role in managing burnout. These findings offer insights for higher education institutions, suggesting better support mechanisms to help faculty integrate technology while addressing the causes of burnout.