Perception of Undergraduate Students on the Use of Information Communication Technology for Learning in Nigerian Universities

Perception of Undergraduate Students on the Use of Information Communication Technology for Learning in Nigerian Universities

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the perception of undergraduate students’ on the use of mobile ICT for learning. Since the use of ICT in education is a new phenomenon, there is an urgent need to inquire of their impact and effect on the learner and the entire learning process. Undergraduate students were primary focus of the study because it is believed that they are all familiar with mobile ICT and their uses.

A researcher designed a questionnaire which was used to elucidate undergraduate students’ perception of the aforementioned topic. The study targeted all undergraduates in Nigerian Universities but those at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria were selected as sample for the study. 100 respondents were selected by random sampling. This sample cuts across five faculties in the University. These are: Arts, Communication and Information Science, Education, Law and Science.

The data was analyzed through the use of percentages. Results of data analysis showed that mobile Information and Communication Technologies, when appropriately used for learning, motivate students’ interest, enhances individualized instruction and generally improves their overall performance. It was recommended that since the world is now a global village, the use of mobile ICT for learning should be implemented in higher institutions. More importantly, students should be kept abreast of innovation in education.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The predominant means of instruction has traditionally been through verbal medium, either as spoken lecture or written text. As more instructional resources of many different media types become available to students, especially the Sandwich ones through the internet, there is a need for educators to understand when these sources may be used effectively for instruction, as well as a need for students to develop an additional set of literacy skills in order to learn from these sources (Anyakoha, 1990).

Tyner (2000) argued that in the information age, the concept of literacy has been simultaneously broadened and splintered into many literacies in part because the all-purpose word literacy seems hopelessly anachronistic, tainted with the nostalgic ghost of a fleeting industrial age. The term information communication technology is among several terms that have been associated with literacy to emphasize that literacy extends beyond reading and writing the alphabetic codes and should include a variety of audio-visual forms of representation. Associating information communication technology with literacy also highlights a belief among many scholars and educators that conceptions of literacy or studentship and how it is developed should not focus exclusively on printed materials but should include electronic media that have moved into the mainstream of communication especially at the end of the twentieth century.

Implicit in these views is that research and practice related to literacy must be transformed to accommodate new ways of accessing, process and using information by students generally and the Sandwich students in particular (Aaron, 1997). Information encompasses a wide range of things ranging from oral to printed words, figures, statements, files and documents to such intangible elements as sound signals, rays and waves. Whatever the form information takes, the essence of information is that it conveys messages.

UNESCO (1979), defined information simply as “set of data recorded in a methodical manner” which includes: any item of knowledge capable of facilitating the operation of a system; and any numerical or alpha-numerical quantity processed by the machine, the aggregate of information constitutes the data and results of a problem. According to Adamson (1998), who claims that the term information technology refers to the application of scientific knowledge. Information communication technology, therefore, can be defined as the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a micro-based combination of computing and telecommunication.

Telecommunication is a special kind of communication in which information is conveyed over a long distance. Information communication technology (ICT) also refers to the more efficient and effective way of storing, accessing and updating information processes involving paper (Uzor, 2000). In recent time, full-time students, especially, have benefited from the use of information communication technology (ICT) such as computer, television, telephone and the internet as a veritable source of information in their academic career or pursuit.

Onuoha (2000), posited that the advent of information technology has made education simple and easy for students especially, the adolescents in the full-time studies in our school system. Onuoha claimed that information communication technology has helped students in many ways such as project writing and collection of necessary information leading to effective studies.

He further stated that information communication technology has created a remarkable balance and effectiveness in the daily activities of students mostly the Sandwich students who are in the habits of using the computer and the internets to carry out faster storage and retrieval of information in the academic environment or school.

As Adelekunnu (1994) puts it, the training given to children in order to help them meet the demands of the society in which they live is called socialization. According to him, information communication technology (ICT) can be used to assist students to get along with others, achieving self-reliance and educational success. Also, it can help them to achieve professional success and to adhere to societal values and norms. With information technology, students achieve high academic laurels in school.

Statement of the Problem

The problem inherent in information communication technology and students’ academic achievement cannot be overemphasized. This is because, since the advent of ICT, many students who are not information communication technology complaint, find it difficult to use vital information generated from the internet to carry out effective and result-oriented class work. This has in any case, affected their academic achievement, because a situation student cannot access information in order to carry out their assignments, project writing, or do other important academic work through the materials gathered with the aid of ICT, their learning outcomes suffer a setback.

On the other hand, many students these days focus their attention on watching television, listening to the radio, fiddling their blackberry phones and so on instead of reading effectively their books. This has caused many students to lag behind in their academic career, because the time they would have used for intensive studies, is diverted to watch television and other unwanted acts associated with ICT.

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of this study is to carry out an investigation of the student perception on the use of information communication technology for learning in University of Ilorin in Kwara State.